Watch Back to Billy

Back to Billy is a captivating and poignant family drama produced by Mankind Productions, LLC. The story is centered around the lives of the Larkins, a working-class Irish family from Boston. The show deals with themes of grief, forgiveness, family dysfunction and the consequences of addiction. It was created and written by Kevin Walsh and is directed by Fionn Canavan.

The show starts with Billy Larkin, the son of the Larkin family, being released from prison after serving a five-year sentence for heroin possession. His father, Paddy, is a retired Boston PD detective and his mother, Eileen, works at a local diner. His sister, Fiona, is a nurse and the only one who has maintained a relationship with Billy while he was in prison, while his older brother, Sean, is hostile towards him due to the pain his actions had caused the family.

As the show progresses, we see the impact that Billy's addiction and criminal activity has had on his family. Paddy blames himself for not being a better father and blames his son for ruining their family. Eileen tries to be supportive of Billy but is struggling to balance her love for him with her anger towards him for putting their family through so much pain. Fiona is hopeful and determined to mend the rift between Billy and the rest of the family, while Sean is filled with anger, resentment and blame towards Billy.

Throughout the show, we see Billy trying to make amends to his family and trying to overcome his addiction. He attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings and tries to reach out to his family but constantly faces rejection, especially from Sean. He tries to get a job but his past criminal record and drug use makes that difficult.

Meanwhile, a new player enters the scene - Billy's ex-girlfriend, Emily, who also struggles with addiction. Emily has been sober for two years and is now working as a volunteer at the local community center. Emily is the one who introduces Billy to the community center and he becomes a part of it too, volunteering at a local soup kitchen and even participating in a community theater program. This leads to some heartwarming moments as we see Billy slowly start to rebuild his life and gain some self-worth.

As the show progresses, we see the family struggle with their own issues, aside from Billy's addiction. Eileen is having health problems and Paddy is struggling to come to terms with his retirement. Sean's marriage is falling apart and Fiona is dealing with the fact that her husband is deployed overseas. While these storylines may seem ripe for melodrama, they are handled with deft sensitivity and make the viewer care even more about the characters and their struggles.

The acting in Back to Billy is strong across the board. Michael Keaton delivers a powerful performance as Paddy, displaying both anger and vulnerability with nuance. Victoria Smurfit captures Eileen's kindness and quiet strength, while Aidan Quinn delivers a heartbreaking performance as Sean. James Franco brings a lot of depth and complexity to the role of Billy, portraying him as a three-dimensional character rather than a caricature of an addiction. Emily, played by Rosemarie DeWitt, is an interesting addition to the show, offering a different perspective on addiction and recovery.

The show's writing is excellent. The dialogue is realistic and natural and the pacing is just right, with a nice balance between dialogue-heavy scenes and moments of silence. The setting of Boston is also well-incorporated into the show, with authentic locations, accents and colloquial language.

The visual style of Back to Billy is also impressive. The show is shot in a realistic, documentary style, with hand-held cameras and natural lighting. The color scheme is muted and the camera lingers on the characters' faces, capturing their emotions and struggles.

Overall, Back to Billy is an engaging and thought-provoking drama that explores the complexities of family, addiction and forgiveness. The show is well-written, well-acted and well-directed and manages to be both heartbreaking and uplifting. Mankind Productions has done an excellent job with this show and it is definitely worth a watch.