Recap Three Rivers Episode 1 Place of Life

I agree episode 2 was really good. Im glad its getting better
Wasnt really pleased with episode 1. I hope it keep getting better and better
Alex is so gorgeous.

After seeing this weeks episode, I’m really confused. Why in the world did they not show this one in the correct order??

It was SO much better than the premier!.

Happy dance!!

I loved TR!!! I think people have to stop comparing it to Moonlight. Moonlight is gone and Alex’s fans need to move on, He has. I think we need to give TR more time. You can;t know everything about the characters in the first episode. Alex was great as Andy and I loved the inter action between him and the boy from Ethiopia. Come on Guys give it a chance.

Does anyone know what sort of numbers Mercy and Trauma got compared to Three
Rivers.

Thanks.

I agree, tension and nail-biting situations must be added to Three Rivers. From what I’ve
read, at least six episodes have been completed so far, and hopefully they’ve ramped up
the pace. Getting to know the main characters and their personal lives will certainly help.
As for plots, how about angry and/or grief-stricken family members whose loved one, for
one reason or another, did not get the life-saving surgery they were supposed to get.
Opposition because of ethical or religious beliefs could also be explored. I even thought
that Dr. Yablonsky could rescue a hijacked organ from black-marketeers by doing a Mick
St. John on them (without the fangs), and without hurting his hands of course. Naw, too far out, but we can always hope. LOL. By the way, I got such a kick out of the cinnamon bun
scene from Three Rivers. I thought of the donut scene from Fated to Pretend. It brought a
tear to my eye. Anyway, I hope CBS will do everything possible to keep TR on the air.

I have mixed feelings about the show. I kept going back and forth between three rivers and desperate housewives. alex as always was great. I didnt really get the hospital stuff
it just seemed to high tech for any hospital i have ever seen. I liked the story lines
but need to have a more realistic hospital. I would like to have seen more of Andys personal
life. just my opinion.

Okay, if anyone cares, here is one fans idea to tweak TR.

Since the set is such a huge character in itself – I thinks it’s gotta go. It’s overpowering, too jumbled and too high tech. It overpowers the characters and the dialogue. It’s whole atmosphere says power, and money, and that the worst thing that can happen there is for someone to misplace an icon, or leave a messy fingerprint on the nifty screen. It’s just too perfect and gimicky.

Since we’ve got three massive rivers there — I think they should overflow thier banks and flood that place!! Force the team to move back to that old hospital and work under some more difficult conditons (like a construction zone). To do a heart transplant in a perfect setting is good medicine. To do it in a under extreme conditons is heroic. Big difference.

And ya want some moral issues??? During said above flood, have a patient on the table ready for a transplant — and the plane can’t land.- runway flooded. BUT, some EM brings in a person who has been injured in the flood and is now brain dead. No ID, no nothing — but a bunch of perfectly good organs. Patient waiting for transplant — body on life support. What to do?? THAT would make for some interesting moral and ethical debates.

I want to see some stumbling blocks thrown in the characters paths. Right now the only setback is the time-line. And that can get old. How many ways can you show people fretting over the time factor??

Perhaps in a year the old hospital (ie, set) could be restored, but in the mean time there could be some real challenges and setbacks and character developement that I can only see happening in a less than perfect setting.

Anyone want to add thier 2 cents??? There’s gotta be some good ideas to kick this thing up a bit.

Thanks for your time

Hi LucyZanK I have gone into itunes store, TV shows, I can’t see Three Rivers. Perhaps mine is an Australian version so a little different. Did I go to the right place?

I know it was mentioned somewhere here previously, but as a reminder you can download the first episode of Three Rivers on iTunes for FREE!! I have it on my laptop and have rewatched it 3 or 4 times. I hope they continue to offer it there, free or not! I think the first show would have befitted from a 2 hour premier, they could have included elements from the pilot that explain some of the background of the characters, including that great rugby game they shot. From what I have read, they are taking parts of the pilot (the later one, not the original) and including them in future episodes. That probably means they are re-editing the eps they have already shot. Let’s hope they do whatever tweaking is needed to improve what they have to insure a larger audience and a better response from the critics. Not all critics were negative and CBS has new promotions featuring these positive comments. Alex did his job very well, let’s hope TPTB do theirs!! I will continue to watch and encourage others to watch as well.

i loved it

Thanks Heather, have tried that unfortunately CBS blocks anyone out of the USA region from being able to watch it.

I also watched the other “medical” shows and did not like either one – too gimicky, especially “Trauma”- when out in the field, the action was there, other than that, boring. Getting back to TR – 9.2 million viewers for first time out is very acceptable considering what it was up against, ABC’s Desparate Housewifes” and NBC’s Sunday Night Football. New shows are always slow at the start, yes even “Moonlight” was slow at the beginning. took time for character and storyline development – TR will find its niche. Do not give up on it yet.

Living in Australia I haven;t ahd the chance to see 3R’s. Reading other comments on other sites and the ratings it doesn’t sound good for the show. Australia will get it on Oct 14th on a channel I do not get in my Outback region, so that is not good for me.

Rading some of the comments above it is a mixed bag, overall most like it, but mainly for the man, not for the show. Alex chose it out of the the scripts they gave him, whether or not it was the best in a bad bunch I don’t know, but he must have seen something in it.

I fear for him. If it gets cancelled that will be two shows that went the same way. This one will not be beacuse of disagreements between two men high up the production ladder, but because of the show itself. Can you imagine what it will do to Alex’s self esteem, and pride in his craft. No doubt something else would come along, but it could mean months of no work no money.
I honestly hope everything works out well. but a first show does have a big impact on future viewing, Will people who have never heard of the man still watch it. I read one article saying if they hadn’t seen him in a long black coat and fangs they would wonder why CBS was bothering with him their star, or word to that effect,

Oiir dear Alex

Well, I have to agree with many of Alex’s fans. I am a diehard ALEX fan and will support himi in anything and everything he does. BUT, I was disappointed in THREE RIVERS. I thought ALEX was great, as always, he’s a gifted actor who I believe could play role given me. This show just didn’t grab me and wanting for more… I will continue watching it for ALEX but do hope it improves!!

Three Rivers did not get off to an auspicious start (neither did Moonlight, the pilot left a lot to be desired and by the last episode the show had changed drastically). However, the premise is compelling with a great cast and a plethora of storyline possibilities: all the elements for good television. Alex O’Loughlin will shine bright no matter what project he undetakes; Alfre Woodard…well, no explanation necessary her resume speaks for itself. Looking forward to the next episode. Sidebar: never say never to a Moonlight movie. Can anyone say Firefly/Serenity, Sex and the City, Star Trek….

Three Rivers leaves much to be desired by way of plot and drama. The acting is good, Alex is, as always, awesome. The storylines are blah. Make me long for Moonlight. There is no drama in this show – you know exactly what is going to happen before it does. There is no suspense. The set looks good, the people look good, now if only there was a good story. I saw previews of, I guess, the first pilot and it looked way better that this first episode. They will be losing viewers if the storylines remain so blah. I believe most people (women) will emain for Alex, not only for his looks but his acting ability and he makes an excellent doctor, he can operate on me anytime – but please give him better storylines.

I just realized that after football, Alex O’Loughlin’s Three Rivers would be up against NBC The Marriage Ref & Donald Trump’s The Apprentice. I think Alex’s show could beat them, but can we get Alex’s show to last until Super Bowl in January? Three Rivers has a tough schedule until then, I don’t think any other show in that time slot could be much better until football season ends.

Here are the tv rating numbers:
http://thetvaddict.com/category/nielsen-overnight-tv-show-ratings/
Time Network Show Rating 18-49
9 PM CBS Three Rivers 9.17 2.0/5

Look at Fridays. CBS won their night, but
8PM CBS Ghost Whisperer 7.53 1.6/6
9PM CBS Medium 7.47 1.8/6
10PM CBS Numb3rs 7.67 1.5/5

It’s unfair, Three Rivers lost their night but would beat on Friday nights. It’s so difficult against long establish show Desperate Housewives (although now that the wedding sequence is over, drop in ratings?) and NBC Football.

I just got the chance to see TR “uninterrupted” tonight (had to DVR it). I thought at first it didn’t seem to “flow” with lines and camera shots. I think there was so much information with each story that it did feel “rushed”. But then by the end I was boo hooing and was wondering what happend to the man from Ethiopia (DVR cut off too soon). I am looking forward to the next episode to see what happens. I guess I would say the only real problem I had was with some of the camera shots. One shot of Dr Andy the camera did a sudden close up shot of him and it was alittle ackward for a moment. As time goes on I’m sure they will all settle into the set, their characters and their stories.

I am a big fan of Alex but I too found the show boring, half way through I was done although
I watched it to the end. I am not one for medical drama but I can watch House because of the personality of Gregory House. The acting was good in Three Rivers but for the show to succeed it needs an edge or something to grab you and want to come back next week. It was in a good time slot because unless you are into football there was nothing else on.

I’m sorry to hear so many negative comments about last night’s show. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even with so many characters that we knew absolutely nothing about. You can’t possibly expect to learn about every character in the first episode. The writers want you to return for more info each week. Give them a chance; right now the characters are probably still evolving. And they did need to devote time to get us involved in the storyline for the night, while introducing us to the critically ill patients. I was intrigued by the capabilities of their computers as demonstrated when the team was in the team meeting in the conference room. As for Alex, I thought he was totally convincing as a doctor. He was so graceful and natural. I wonder if he would take my insurance card. Bottom line, I loved the show. Especially when Alex was on screen. Desperate Housewives has really gotten stale for the past 2 or 3 seasons. I was looking for something to fit into my 9:00 pm Sunday TV viewing schedule, and I just found it.

People….slow down..hang in there…give TR a chance. Haven’t you listened to Alex’s interviews …Trust him, he is so passionate about this show and given time I am sure he and the cast and the writers will make you all happy. I still think a lot of the problem was the constant interruption with commercials. Granted they are necessary to pay for the show, but one gets spoiled watching dramas on DVD when you get continuity and not interruption. I’m for patience and trust. Wati til next week. ( in total agreement with Tiffany).

great tosee you back on tv i just hope cbs keeps this on for more than one season if not ill never watch another one of there show unless alex is in it good luck ale we miss you

I enjoyed the show. I do not know if it was because I adore Al and anything that he appears in, but I thought the acting was really good. LOVED Katherine Moennig. I never had the pleasure of seeing her before, and I really thought she was wonderful. In those scenes with the young boy, Katherine was heart felt. She was great facing her past, but focusing on the boy and, eventually, overcoming her own demons. Kinda like “House”…with heart,

Loved Alfre Woodard as well. She is an amazing actor.

I thought the guest cast was great. Enjoyed the pregnant couple; the man who needed the transplant (HE WAS SO SWEET!!). They were all fine in their roles.

Was pissed as hell that they cancelled Moonlight. Roles with lots of physicality suit Al so well. Sometimes I wish I could advise him (yeah, I am a dreamer!! LOL!) but he is so suited to roles like Mick St. John. BUT, Al is so smart and he plays the transplant surgeon Andy Yablonsk so well. He can do anything… As the pre-eminent heart surgeon , Gonzalo “Gonzo” Gonzalez-Stawinski said, “Al is like a sponge and soaks up everything.”

I can only imagine how smart Al is (since I do not personally know him) but this I know, after all is said and done, Al will be fine. If the critics do not like Three Rivers, and the ratings do not justify its continuation, Al will find another vehicle that will make him the best thing on TV or film. Al has proven to be a fine man…easy to work with, and CBS, or other networks will continue to work with him and find him another gig.

I really did not think I would like Three Rivers, but I did. The cast, the message, the hope and its entertainment value… I hope CBS sticks with it and gives it a chance, but only if that is what AL really wants!

I really love Alex, but, the show really needs some work to keep it on. I think Alex needs
to find a new Manager.

I haven’t seen Three Rivers as I live in Salisbury, England (we’ve only just got Moonlight!) but having read the comments I take it, the first episode wasn’t particularly well received by the TV critics. I sincerely hope CBS give the show a chance to gain momentum. It was the first episode for heavens sake. Very few if any new dramas actually grab the audience on their first viewing. Most take time to bed in. I remember watching the 1st ever episode of ER – I found it too ‘busy’ if you get what I mean – just too much going on and I didn’t relate to any of the characters. But I stuck with it……….right to the very end. I gave it a chance! I know the US TV networks tend to be very ratings driven – we in the UK are heading that way too. Over hear our TV critics spend their days absolutely slating THE most popular TV shows – and we the viewing public very loudly IGNORE them. Audience power works here. I sincerely hope the same happens for TR and it gets the chance it deserves. I think it can be a great platform for Alex’ extensive acting talents. And with that last statement in mind – I also sincerely hope that at some point in the not too distant future we here in the UK get to see TR.

And as a final foot note – love this site! Lauren 🙂

In the previous mail I ment to type “struggle”.

Stuggle sounds kinda warm and sexy……

Honestly found the show somewhat boring and tepid. Sorry…I agree with earlier comments not alot of warmth or character interaction. Yeah, its the first episode and I hope for Alex sake that the next few episodes pick up the pace. I will continue to watch and support the show. However, have watched a couple of the other new medical shows to compare and found them more interesting.

Question – for those of you who did not like TR because it was “not what you expected” – exactly what did you expect. This was the FIRST episode – – I hope the naysayers out there give this show a chance and not be so quick to write it off. The character interaction will progress as the show progresses. As far as “warmth”, I thought “Dr. Andy” displayed a tremendous amount of warmth – I don’t know of too many doctors who actually sit at the patients bedside the way “Dr. Andy” did – maybe if more doctors showed that type of warmth and compassion instead of the usual “next” assembly line type of care that some doctors provide, health care in general would improve for everyone. Please, do not be so quick to write TR off – if for no other reason than Alex.

I too was disappointed by the show. The show has a lot of potential, if the writers are willing to put some time and effort into the plots. Alex was wonderful, as usual….oh that smile! I did connect to him more so than the other actors and felt they were somewhat really not into the medical field. I know there’s a lot of big medical terms to learn, but they just did not hit me as believeable as Alex did. Of course, he is the main doctor and the principal actor. I too thought the story lines jumped around too much and the show would have been better if there had only been one patient. I did watch the whole hour, but got a little bored, except when Alex was on screen. Hopefully, the writers will get on the ball and really put their hearts into the story line. This could be a really good show, as it deals with organ transplantion, something a lot of us never really think about doing.

I do agree with what Heather is saying. I want to support Alex, but the show is missing something. It went flat mid way. They need to change a few things.

Have to admit I was a little disappointed in Three Rivers. Although Alex, Alfre, and the rest of the cast delivered their lines superbly, the show lacked warmth. The characters didn’t interact with each other like in real life. They seemed somewhat robotic. What makes a show great in my opinion is the way the characters act with one another. Using humor, unrequited feelings, sex, jealousy, etc. we glimpse into their personal lives making the characters seem more real. We at home need to feel that these people are just like us. They laugh, cry, get angry, and have soul. The show left me feeling empty, and after an hour of watching the premiere, with the exception of Katherine Moenig’s character, I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. If CBS wants me to tune in for more episodes, they’re going to have to place more emphasis on the (main) characters and less about the medical jargon and transplant surgeries. If I wanted that kind of show, I’d tune into the discovery channel. The talent is definately there, it’s the writing that is not capturing the essence of what viewers seek.

Critics said the show was going to be a flop. So much for the critics, can’t trust them. However, I watched and enjoyed it primarily because of Alex O Loughlin. The show was okay but not great. I am still angry with CBS over Moonlight and will not watch their channel any longer except for this one, Three Rivers. I’m not in the medical profession so I am viewing it on the patient-doctor interaction not for medical impurities. However, the baby was a little large for a preemie and no hospital of Three Rivers, would allow a foreign walk-in to receive a transplant. Wished doctors were really caring like portrayed in the show instead of cold and indifferent like in real life. I think it will aid people in their decision of being a donor. The show should have run 2 hours and had deeper stories about the donor vs. recipient plus information on the doctors (personal lives) would have improved it immensely. The show fell flat when it didn’t show the 2nd opinion the daughter requested or more on the young boy who swallowed metal. The show lack insight into the donor program. Especially as to why the pregnant women would be offered the heart without being on the donor list. I, however, hope CBS gives the show a chance but they definitely need to rework their format (like the flashing-fast forward, double-triple shots of what was happening in the show). I got lost when they did this. Alex was good but he has acting capabilities beyond what Three Rivers will allow.

Wonderful show .. loved it.. The acting was great from ALL the actors and actresses
Been waiting a long time for it.. Hope CBS gets top ratings for it.. As usual Alex did a wonderful job. I will be watching every week. Alex is wonderful

IT was a very good start. This first episode really touched on a few important issues. First , not being an American myself you see how it is difficult for individuals to have proper health care coverage. Second how people look at the whole process. I am looking forward to the second episode.
Great Job Alex.

I too am a big fan of Alex, but found the 1st episode disappointing. Didn’t hold my attention or make me feel like “can’t wait till next week. I think everyone played their part well. Daniel is a new one to “watch 4”, but the show doesn’t have the writers CSI has or any of the others mentioned ,have. I too, after about 40 minutes, lost interest. I put a DVD from the Mentalist in to watch the end of it, then went back to see the end of 3 Rivers. I hope it gets better, but if the first show is supposed to be the one to get you to tune in again, I’m afraid only Alex fans will be there. Why can’t his manager get him a great project?

I’m with Jeanne on this one. This show didn’t do it for me. I’m a huge Alex fan and have been waiting for this. I watched “Moonlight” from day one and it hooked me immediately. Not so with “Three Rivers”. I will continue to watch to support Alex but if it wasn’t for him I don’t think I would.

Oh boy……..not what I expected. The tollowing is ONLY MY opinion. I’m a great fan of Alex, but burying my head in the sand and saying the show was great would be a dishonesty.

Sorry to say, but I didn’t like it at all. So many reasons . I thought I’d love the set, but I found the loud colors and jumbled textures extremely distracting – had a hard time focusing on the actors.. The sequways were a jumbled mess. The walking-and-talking bits were too cute and trite. Very MYV feel about the whole thing.

The acting was good, but everyone was so ernest and sugar sweet that I got exasperated. 40 minutes in, I started looking at my watch wondering when it was going to be over. There was no dramatic EDGE to it. No bite. No real hook.

So disappointed. It also seemed to me, that the writers were trying to cram WAY too much into 1 hour.

I hope it gets better. I really do.

Comment Comentario

Definitely worth the wait! When that screen came on and you saw the new dad and his baby boy, you could have wiped me up with a sponge- a definite awwwwwww, kleenex moment. I loved everything about “Three Rivers” from the scenes of Pittsburgh, which were awesome, to the father mentioning he and his wife were going to watch the Steelers play after they painted the babies room – BTW, Steelers did play last night and won. I also caught the details where “Andy” washed his hands before touching patients – Some doctors in real life haven’t got that concept down yet. I also liked the part where Miranda was trying to log onto the computer to review a medical record. I work in a hospital, specifically in a Medical Records department so that was a little humorus part there – I hope that CBS continues to support “Three Rivers” and gives it a chance to grow, and it will. Can’t wait for next episode.

YOU ARE SO LUCKY AND I’M SO JEALOUS … THREE RIVERS IS YET A MISTERY TO ME…
Thank you all and each one of you for posting and comment allowing me to get a glimpse of the story although trough yours eyes, to be more accurate I’m seeing it trough your hearts..
Thank you

OBRIGADA

Critics were talking out the sides of their heads, the show was wonderful. I especially loved the ending. Okay, *Spoiler Alert* I loved they way Alex held the woman’s hand, how she had to squeeze his hand to show she was awake, and to show she comprehended what he was saying (as one of the determinations of whether she had brain damage or not). But the biggest thing was when Dr. Andy turned on the monitor to show her husband holding the baby. She lived because she got a new heart and lived to see her new baby…I could have just puddled up. It was the awwwwwww moment I hoped it would be. This show should have legs. This show is intelligent tv, it’s not the boob tube. It’s a show that has something to say and says it. Kudos to Alex O’Loughlin and the wonderful cast of Three Rivers. You should be proud of your show, it’s Emmy worthy (*whisper* sorry don’t want to jinx it). We, your fans are proud too. Go Alex!

I really liked Three Rivers too. Alex was great. I don’t know how any woman would not have heart palpitations gazing into his luminous eyes. The rest of the cast was good too. I’m
glad CBS used this episode as the first.

Happy to see Alex back on the screen. He is such a wonderful actor, brings you right into his performance and makes it believable. Enjoyed the show, can’t wait for next Sunday. Hope CBS keeps it on and doesn’t make another big blunder like they did with Moonlight. Moonlight fans turn on and support Alex.

Great show, lets hope CBS got the ratings it had hoped for. I like the Outback commercial, very appropriate for the Three Rivers show: “think Australia”, we always do don’t we? lol I totally enjoyed the show.

I agree — you have to give new shows a chance to tell their stories – to unfold all the backstories and understand each character. Then to watch the interactions with each other and their patients and loved ones. I feel this show is pretty good and has tons of potential in telling their story.

Alex looked great in the part and did a super job – as usual. The rest of the cast did their jobs well too and they’ll mesh even better as we go through the episodes.

Please CBS – keep the show going and give it a chance for the season – let them prove to the rest of the viewers that aren’t Alex fans already that he’s an upcoming dramatic star in the making – he’s already that with his faithful fan followers. Let’s hope this series grows its fanbase enough to bring it back again and again.

I couldn’t wait for tonight to come.