Violently Stylish – Reviewing Cinemax’s New Crime Drama, JETT

Cinemax’s latest offering is JETT, a stylized dramatic crime series. Written and directed by Sebastian Gutierrez, JETT stars Carla Gugino as the titular thief, Daisy “Jett” Kowalski. Attempting (and ultimately failing) to put her life of crime behind her, she can’t help but get roped in by the allure of many criminal enterprises. Having watched the first five episodes, I can safely say that this is an exemplar of Cinemax’s lineup: stylized, sexy, with just enough violence to make you ask some hard questions. We’ll get to that later. For now, JETT is a series constantly asking for your attention. The nonlinear narrative bounces between a wide cast of characters who all ultimately orbit Jett in some way. Vulgar dialog, its attractive set pieces, and even more attractive cast (composed of equal opportunity fanservice and fan-disservice for everyone) provide additional flavoring. All of these elements contribute to the noir-esque venture into the life of an antihero without the need for qualification. Carla Gugino is the centerpiece of this show. Her presence on camera is always notable. There are times where she commands the entire scene with flair and finesse, managing to seduce the latest mark (and by proxy, the audience) with a sultry voice. Conversely, there are times where she is just trying to figure out how to exist as a single mother in a very unconventional family lifestyle. Gugino’s focused charisma carries the series, making her immediately believable that she is the …