Debuting on September 9 on Cinemax, Quarry is a barnacles-off-the-boat tale of desperation that will send you back into an America throbbing with the hangover of the Vietnam War – in the best way.

Starring a fine Logan Marshall-Green as returning scandalized Marine Mac Conway, the long-in-the-making 1972-set series is one of the best shots the former home of cable softcore has taken in its relatively recent reinvention. Starting with a killing and a nation at battle with itself over a war and a Presidential election, the eight-episode first season from EPs Graham Gordy and Michael D. Fuller and showrunner Greg Yaitanes, who directed all the episodes, is based on Road To Perdition co-creator Max Allan Collins’ crime novels from the Me Decade. Yet, as I say in my video review above, the masterfully paced Quarry shows a world of more than 40 years ago that feels very much of today.

Whether you have read the books or not, I don’t want to say much more so as to not spoil the tight narrative of a desperate man forced to take desperate measures and lives in his hometown of Memphis. However, at a time when most of us are so removed from the consequences of today’s wars and embroiled in the current partisan divide, Quarry is a world I recommend you step into.

Solid performances abound from Bosch alum Jamie Hector as Mac’s fellow veteran Arthur, Josh Randall as a inquiring police detective, and Peter Mullen as the ruthless Broker, who brings the traumatized and ostracized characters of Marshall-Green and Hector into the world of contract killing – and its unintended fatal consequences. Jodi Balfour is fantastic too as Mac’s loving but struggling wife Joni, as is Nikki Amuka-Bird as Arthur’s wife Ruth.

Dig into my video review of Quarry for more and tell us what you think of this new Cinemax series.

This review originally posted on September 6.