Rebel

BET’s new high-powered drama Rebel isn’t always sure what it wants to be, but several performances, especially that of Danielle Moné Truitt in the title role, serve as the glue that holds all the mismatched concept pieces together.

It’s dirty, guilty fun--not exactly good, on the basis of its two-hour pilot, but definitely not boring.

Singleton’s first TV series has a nice retro vibe, but otherwise not much action, not much originality, and not much wallop.

The 120-minute pilot released to critics is bloated and sometimes melodramatic; most of it is spent waiting for the inevitable to happen--for the good stuff to start.

The series has compelling, current-events-tinged plotlines and spirited performances going for it, but those bright spots are outweighed by major weaknesses, including cliched dialogue and some unbelievable scenarios. [Mar 31 2017, p.56]

[Rebel's] a nonsensical character. So the serious issues that Singleton and the show's producers attempt to address (racial, familial and community tensions very keyed in to our current moment) come off like cheap window dressing-- contemporary relevance used to tart up a most generic work of art.