Coach Taylor did a bad thing.

Kyle Chandler, the crotchety-but-lovable football coach of the beloved series, "Friday Night Lights," is the initial draw of the new Netflix series, "Bloodline." Set in the sweaty Florida Keys, the drama practically demands the audience make the comparison between Coach Taylor and John Rayburn - the responsible, Boy Scout second son to the longtime owners of a respected vacation resort.

A flashforward in the first episode reveals that even a golden child can make terrible, horrible choices.

The entire first season builds to the incident seen in the flashforward, a risky choice for any drama series. Too often, revealing the climax early can deflate narrative tension. For every Quentin Tarantino-style story jump that works, there are 10 examples of movies and shows that jump around in time without a clear reason for the manipulation. For examples of both, watch any given season of "Lost."

The initial reviews of "Bloodline" have been strong, though most professional reviews are limited to the season's first three episodes. Having watched all 13 episodes since its March 20 debut, I can say the show does a brilliant job building tension (and dread) as it inches to its inevitable conclusion. The story of the season can be explained in just a few paragraphs, but the drama is in how it gets there.

It takes compelling characters played by magnetic performers to stretch such a small-scale drama into 13 hours of television. "Bloodline" is overflowing with talent, including Chandler, Linda Cardellini and Norbert Leo Butz playing the youngest three Rayburn kids, and big screen veterans Sam Shepherd and

see WILSON, D3

WILSON

from D1

Sissy Spacek as their seemingly noble parents.

Their pristine life is uprooted when eldest son and perennial troublemaker Danny arrives back in town. He's played by Ben Mendelsohn, and it's a star-making, Emmy-worthy performance. The Australian actor, with acclaimed work in films like "Animal Kingdom" and "Killing Them Softly," is mesmerizing in every scene, capable of showing menace or vulnerability by the twisting of a few words.

Really, "Bloodline" is Danny's story, especially as he begins to understand the family's dormant secrets. A movie or typical network series would make John the hero and Danny the villain, but every misdeed can be attributed to just about anyone in the family depending on the perspective.

Fair warning: A few episodes of "Bloodline" will test your patience. There is a great deal of repetition when it comes to the various flashbacks and flashforwards, and important information can be withheld for too long of stretches. Still, the final hours of the season justify the slow build, and even a nagging voiceover by Chandler in several episodes gains new perspective in the final minutes.

The final two episodes are especially heart-wrenching, and it leads the viewer to wonder where the story could possibly go in the already-announced second season.

Netflix wants you to binge on the show, plowing through several episodes in one sitting. As with all its original programming, I encourage a more thoughtful pace. One or two episodes at a time is just enough for the characters to really dominate your thoughts, especially Danny. Mendelsohn's performance is something worth savoring.

The complete, 13-episode season of "Bloodline" is now available on Netflix instant viewing.

Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.