Turn

British forces occupied New York in August 1776, and the city would remain a British stronghold and a major naval base for the duration of the Revolutionary War. Though getting information from New York on British troop movements and other plans was critical to General George Washington, commander of the Continental Army, there was simply no reliable intelligence network that existed on the Patriot side at that time. That changed in 1778, when a young cavalry officer named Benjamin Tallmadge established a small group of trustworthy men and women from his hometown of Setauket, Long Island. Known as the Culper Spy Ring, Tallmadge’s homegrown network would become the most effective of any intelligence-gathering operation on either side during the Revolutionary War.


That's History. And this is Turn. It's based on history but it's been adopted to fit the TV show so the timeline has been altered and adjusted for... multiple seasons I guess. Turn covers the Culper Spy Ring but instead of 1778 it's set in 1776, right after the fall of New York. All the notable historical characters from both sides are present, including General Washington himself. I personally always had a weak spot for history in general, while American War for Independence has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Why? Because of the comics of course! Ever since I learned to read I had my hands on comics, and apart from Mickey Mouse I was a big fan of two Italian comic book characters: Commandant Mark and The Great Blek. Both of them were American patriots fighting the dreaded Red Coats and ever since then I've been lured to that particular part of American history. And that's why I like this show!

Although it feels a bit too slow, Turn does feel good. The main character is Abraham Woodhull, a cabbage farmer and a son of Setauket's judge. Abe is recruited by his childhood friend, Captain (and later Major) Benjamin Tallmadge to spy on His Majesty's Army. As if being a spy is not hard enough, Abe also has to fight his own father, his feelings for his former fiancee and a childhood friend (who also happens to be a part of the spy ring), local British officers who tend to make his life miserable... 

The "other side" is represented by Major John Andre, a British intelligence officer working on discovering and neutralizing such threats. Also present are the Queen's Rangers, lead by Robert Rogers who spice up the entire scenario with their hunt for Tallmadge himself. Most of the Royal army's officers and soldiers are represented in a standard manner: pompous, ruthless and arrogant so it was a real (and pleasant) surprise to "meet" Ensign Baker, an officer stationed within Woodhull's own home. Baker seems like a really nice fellow, too bad he's fighting on the wrong side.

Overall, Turn has a LOT of potential but we haven't seen much of it yet. I hope we do soon because the season is nearing the end and it's a matter of life and death for Turn - season 2 is not confirmed yet.