Bloodline is an intense, dark family drama that explores just how far some people are willing to go to protect the reputation of their family.
Set in the Florida Keys, the plot of the show focuses on the Rayburn family. On the surface they seemingly have it all.
There's the beautiful coastal house/hotel, the tight knit family relationships, happy marriages etc…but that's only on the surface.
Dig a little deeper and all is not quite what it seems with plenty of dark secrets and skeletons hidden in a lot of closets.
John (Kyle Chandler), Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz), Danny (Ben Mendelsohn) and Meg (Linda Cardellini, Dead To Me) are the four siblings in the Rayburn family.
When Danny, the black sheep in the family, returns uninvited to celebrate the 45th wedding anniversary of his parents, all holy hell breaks loose.
We quickly learn that someone gets murdered with no idea who done it and through a series of flashbacks both short and long-term we look at the events leading up to the incident through the eyes of each person involved.
Continuing to cause trouble and friction Danny Rayburn is the thorn in the family's side and desperate to get rid of him, John Rayburn manages to convince him to leave. But of course he doesn't because that would be the end of the story!
Instead, we witness the unravelling of a family dynamic as each is pushed to their limit trying to cope with and clean up one Danny disaster after another.
Who dies? What happened? Who did it? That's the thread that runs through each of the 13 episodes in the first season.
Is Bloodline Worth Watching?
There's no disputing that Bloodline started off as a huge success. It was engaging, borderline addictive and had enough twists and turns to give a helter-skelter a run for its money.
Seasons two and three of the drama series weren't as well-received but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching.
Kyle Chandler and Ben Mendelsohn (The Land of Steady Habits) are superb in it, in fact most of the characters are brilliantly portrayed, flaws and all.
It is a really character driven show where there are no truly good or bad people, just those who make poor choices when they are pushed to their limits.
As the show tagline states “We're not bad people, but we did a bad thing”.
If you haven't seen it, just know that it takes a couple of episodes to get into it properly.
How Many Seasons Of Bloodline?
There are three seasons of Bloodline and the first deals with a murder that takes place at the family home.
The second season deals with the fallout of the murder and the third season, which is also the final season, ties it all together.
Where To Watch Bloodline (TV Series)
Bloodline was created by Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman, and premiered in February 2015, at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.
The first season premiered on Netflix, in March 2015. It was renewed for a 10-episode second season that debuted in May 2016.
Netflix then renewed Bloodline for a third season which was confirmed to be the final season. It was released in May 2017.
As the show is considered a Netflix Original, you can only watch it on that streaming platform.
Cast Of Bloodline
Kyle Chandler as John Rayburn, the second son; a detective and local deputy with the Monroe County sheriff's office.
Ben Mendelsohn as Danny Rayburn, the oldest son and black sheep of the family.
Linda Cardellini as Meg Rayburn, the daughter and youngest sibling; an attorney and the family peacekeeper.
Norbert Leo Butz as Kevin Rayburn, the hot-headed youngest son. He refurbishes boats at Indian Key Channel Marina.
Jacinda Barrett as Diana Rayburn, John's wife; she runs a plant nursery.
Jamie McShane as Eric O'Bannon, Danny's friend and Chelsea's brother; a parolee
Enrique Murciano as Marco Diaz, Meg's former long-term romantic partner and a detective with the Monroe County sheriff's office and John's partner.
Sam Shepard as Robert Rayburn, the father
Sissy Spacek as Sally Rayburn, the mother
Katie Finneran as Belle Rayburn, Kevin's estranged wife.
John Leguizamo as Ozzy Delvecchio, a man from Danny's past.
Andrea Riseborough as Evangeline (Eve), the mother of Nolan Rayburn who has unfinished business with the Rayburn family.
Chloë Sevigny as Chelsea O'Bannon, Eric's younger sister; a nurse.
Where Was Bloodline Filmed?
Bloodline is set in the Florida Keys and that's also where it was filmed on location.
It cost a small fortune to make the show with each episode costing around $7 million dollars. This is also one of the reasons why the show was cancelled!
The Rayburns live in a beautiful place which, in real life, is the Moorings Village & Spa, Islamorada, Florida, USA.
You can actually stay there and rent a luxury villa if you ever fancy visiting the Florida Keys.
