Whitney:
“Whitney” delivers the storm of awful pretty much anyone who’s been exposed to the barrage of advertising would expect. Hackneyed observations about the staid nature of marriage lifted almost unchanged from star/showrunner Whitney Cummings’ stand-up special pervade throughout. The only thing worse than listening to her loudly bray her own own nonsense is watching the cast of bit-part staples (like “30 Rock’s” Maulik Pancholy) and other stand-ups (like the bland Chris D’Elia) say them instead. Nothing about this is innately funny – even the tried-and-true impact editing used by pretty much every sitcom of the last fifty years, where a character goes from checking on a friend to see if they’re ill straight to a wailing ambulance, gets nary a chuckle.
While the first act largely introduces the characters and their relationships, this never comes across as an ensemble show. Unlike, say, “Cougartown,” which has made its bread with a loveable group of eccentrics living In their own, self-made universe, “Whitney” is very clearly about the titular character and her alone. Her snide, loud, observations are peppered throughout as truth, and even when she is embarrassed, with another sarcastic remark she lets it slide right off of her. Cummings is willing to put her character in uncomfortable situations, but she has some hangups about her own vanity that always gives the show’s Whitney Cummings the last laugh. What made a sitcom like “Seinfeld” great is that the four leads constantly overestimated their own intellect, putting themselves in the position to be laughed at. Granted, this wasn’t all implicit in the pilot, but at least the jokes were funny.
But the biggest problem with “Whitney” hands down is the acting. Every performance, from Cummings herself to “Malcolm in the Middle” vet Jane Kaczmarek (who must be jealous of her old sitcom husband Bryan Cranston, who’s experiencing an amazing renaissance) needs to work at about half the volume and twice the speed. There are about twelve jokes too few in the script, and the whole enterprise is straining mightily by the end. There is never a sense that these two characters are in any sort of relationship, and the attempt at emotional earnestness falls totally flat.
Anyone living in a major metropolitan area knows just how terrible “Whitney” would be. Turns out, it doesn’t disappoint – unless you’re a fan of good TV.
September 26, 2011
Returning Shows September 19-25
America’s Next Top Model:
This week features more uses of the word “brand” than anything outside of an advertising executive’s mouth. These D-list TV celebrities are each given a meaningless work or phrase meant to define their careers, their images, and their Pink’s Hot Dogs inspired photo shoot. The girls are as baffled at the product placement as any viewer.
Due to this confusion, most of the pictures range from the mediocre to the borderline pornographic. Poor Sheena, whose picture is no better or worse tthan Lisa, the winner's, is sent home.
American Dad!:
Somehow, “American Dad!” has managed to avoid the fatigue that plagues both “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.” Maybe that’s because it’s yet to get to its 10th, let alone 20th, season. Perhaps it’s because the characters have better chemistry. But it seems like it’s because there’s simply better writing.
This episode is an oblique “Little Shop of Horrors” parody, with a magical hot tub voiced by Cee-Lo Green taking the place of the smooth-voiced evil Audrey II. The episode is a musical, featuring groovy -80’s-90’s R&B inspired tunes rather than the original’s 60’s Motown sound. While only MacFarlane can really compete with Cee-Lo in terms of voice, it’s nice to hear him moving beyond only classic show tunes. It’s also nice to see the deconstruction of the original musical rather than simply a reference to it. The episode really functions as a story, albeit one that owes its structure to “Little Shop,” with the hot tub slowly chowing down on Stan’s friends, allies, and loved ones.
What follows is an uneven affair, neglecting characters such as Hayley and Klaus entirely and only making passing reference to Roger. But Stan Smith is undoubtedly the most dynamic character in the cast, and the episode makes good use of him and his decline from strictly regimented oral fortitude to swinging sex manic. The songs are also fantastic. This also marks the second time that they’ve killed the family without blinking an eye. Taking chances like that are what makes “American Dad!” worth watching.
With such amazing comedies on the air, “American Dad!” only really makes an impact when compared to its fellow Animation Domination members. But without “Bob’s Burgers” back on the air until January, it’s undeniably the best part of that programming block.
Archer:
Not too much to say about the second half-hour in the three-part “Archer” special finishing up next Thursday. The episode is surprisingly low-key, handing out more exposition and once again setting the stage for the final confrontation. When it happens, it’s sure to be explosive. But until that showdown, no doubt restoring Archer as Isis’ premiere spy and reuniting him with his smothering mother Malory, the audience has been forced to wait.
Luckily, the characters and actors have plenty of chemistry, and the bore of waiting back at Isis is weighing heavily – and hilariously – on the office drones. The high-strung Malory demands that Carol wait by the phone. Cyrill has to re-balance the budget that Lana and Gillette (honestly, the weakest aspect of the episode) have been savagely ripping apart. Pam, ever the sexual deviant, pounces on recovering sex-addict Cyrill. The Isis antics represent what’s happening with this extended storyline – a bit of cabin fever mixed with confidence that soon everything will be back to normal.
Community:
After a long and arduous offseason that yielded no Emmy nominations and plenty of buzz about possible cancellation, “Community” has returned. The conflict between Pierce and the group has been streamlined into a conflict between Pierce and Jeff, as both jockey for positions inside the study group. On a larger scale, John Goodman’s Vice Dean character has become the force that threatens Greendale and strangles the last gasp of funds from Dean Pelton’s newly-goateed throat.
The premiere indicates several things about “Community’s” third season. First, a renewed interest in Jeff the protagonist, rather than the group protagonist of last season. Second, as the opening number suggests, a return to the smaller stories of season one rather than the wild adventures of season two. There is a new villain and a new teacher (“The Wire’s” Michael K. Williams).
The most problematic character for most viewers has been Chang. The first season painted him as a man mad with power. But the second took so much of that power away he seemed only mad. This season has made what so far seems like an excellent idea- make him the only man on campus security. It’s a necessity and a recipe for great comedic showdowns between the study group and Greendale infrastructure.
Then again, almost anything is a recipe for greatness when put in the trustworthy hands of Dan Harmon and the “Community” writing team. It remains to be seen if my observations about the direction the third season is heading in are true, but either way, “We’re gonna have more fun and be less weird, than the first two years combined” at Greendale Community College this year. E Pluribus Anus!
Family Guy:
The tenth season premiere is back to the same formula the show has been stuck in for the last four or five years. Part of that may have to do with the arrested development of the characters, but there’s no reason that for the second or third time Seth MacFarlane and his writing team have returned to the “Griffins become rich – Griffins do absurd antics – Griffins return to their previous poverty.” Back in the first season, where Lois’ wealthy upbringing was revealed and the first episode with this storyline, “Family Guy” was still attempting to do an interesting character comedy about how blue-collar crassness contrasts with blue-blood stiffness. It was funnier then, and fresher. But “Family Guy” has moved on, leaning heavily on cut-aways and non sequitors to provide the jokes that never seem to flow organically anymore.
Free Agents:
Another uneven effort from “Free Agents” this past week. Moving away from the dark emotional drama at the core of last week, this episode focused on an attempt at tragic sex farce. Unfortunately, the players are all too old and slow to sell the manic pace necessary to communicate urgency in such a premise.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia:
After last week’s amazing premiere, this is a slight step sideways. But this might be the most purely disgusting half-hour in the show’s history. And for a show that has scenes where a large portion of Dee’s hair is ripped out of her scalp, Dennis vomits in anti-gravity, and two bums are having sex underneath a dock, the most disgusting scene of all is undeniably the sight of Mac and Frank, two grossly overweight and gluttonous men, heartily tearing into a rum-soaked ham that has been floating in the ocean for several hours after being gnawed on by a feral dog.
The main heft of the episode comes from Dennis and Dee’s rose-colored glasses, remembering their childhood jaunts to the Jersey Shore with their wealthy parents as the time of their lives. They pack the gang into their Land Rover and head down to the beach, not realizing that the town has experienced some decline since their childhood, with nuclear testing and an infestation of wild dogs rendering the beach empty and the boardwalk full of untrustworthy drug addicts and thieves. Dennis and Dee get wrapped up in townie criminal activity, while Mac and Frank hook up with a band of roving guidos.
There is also a twisted but slight subplot about Charlie spending an E-fueled night of PG-rated passion with the Waitress on the abandoned beach. Over the years, Charlie has truly been infantilized sexually, with his creepy obsession with the Waitress settling into what a 10-year-old would expect his girlfriend to do with him at recess. The other characters, absorbed in their outsized adventures, dismiss this whole C-story immediately.
For fans of gross-out humor, this is probably one of the best “Sunny” episodes ever. But it can’t help but be overshadowed by the absolutely perfect half-hour from last week.
The Office:
The introduction of James Spader as the new CEO really gives the show a new element of psychological torture. For all his constant prattling, Michael Scott was always eventually harmless. It was the major differentiation between the American show and the British original. Spader’s new character might actually know what he’s talking about, so when his office popularity contest separates the workers into two groups – groups he deems “winners” and “losers” – that threat actually has some weight behind it. Unfortunately, Andy, the newly ineffectual manager, diffuses the tension immediately much in the same style that Michael Scott would.
So far, “The Office” seems to be behaving with a “business as usual” strategy. No reason to change the formula that’s made them NBC’s highest rated comedy, right? Not necessarily, given that formula has gotten stale over the years. In fact, I almost hope this exercise backfires, and the show is forced to try something new or come to a merciful end.
Parks and Recreation:
“I don’t know what that means, but it had the cadence of a joke.”
Parks and Rec is back, y’all! Amy Poehler’s wonderful showcase largely sidelines the typical small municipal problems in order to set up the season-long conflicts and character beats. For a half-hour of setup, “I’m Leslie Knope” manages to work in plenty of hilarious reminders why this is one of the best and most consistent shows on TV.
Several familiar motifs and running gags return. For example, Tom Haverford’s traditional long, loose, absurd lists have been replaced by his grab bag of Entertainment 720 merchandise. Ron “fucking” Swanson christened Leslie “fucking” Knope. Tammy, Ron’s fearful ex-wife, was replaced by Ron’s first wife, also named Tammy, and played with icy precision by Patricia Clarkson. If Megan Mulally and Nick Offerman, married in real life, have crazily unstable chemistry, the power between Clarkson and Offerman is so skewed in her favor (as an Oscar-nominated actress and veritable movie star, it’s no wonder she stands out in this cast of TV players) that she truly does seem fearful.
However, this episode features almost no traditional mockumentary tricks. Only one talking head (and even that was hardly a necessity), little to no concern about where cameras should or shouldn’t be allowed – for the most part, the show has ceased pretending this is a documentary at all, simply using the handheld, shaky camera movements. It helps to keep the show “showing” and not “telling,” choosing scenes like Leslie’s first campaign meeting and her lunch with Ann as ways to reveal how the character is feeling and what she is thinking rather than having her parrot it to the camera. This is wonderfully refreshing and lets this ensemble show actually show its ensemble behaving as such.
But what really sets “Parks and Recreation” apart is the love the audience can incur for the characters. So Leslie and Ben’s quiet, sweet, sad breakup scene is truly moving because we know how much these characters have gone through in order to get to this moment, and how much it truly means to them. This campaign already has stakes sky-high. And by building to it naturally, unlike, say, the “Glee” characters getting to the national championship level without any discernable change in their skills, it truly feels like a possibility for Leslie. She opened the show by claiming she wanted to be President. Now the audience can share in that wonderful confidence.
Saturday Night Live:
After it went into the offseason with a whimper, SNL is back, once again relying on one of their most frequent hosts – Alec Baldwin, back for his 16th time – to edge by with a somewhat enjoyable, if still lazy, episode.
Baldwin steps seamlessly into almost every act and every sketch. Only the musical interludes from moody rock band Radiohead and the pre-taped commercial parody are without him. And who can blame the writers – writing for Baldwin is practically a rite of passage and has resulted in some memorable and wonderful sketches over the years, including Pete Schweddy, whose new ice cream flavor was Baldwin’s monologue fodder. The monologue also featured an appearance from Baldwin’s faux-rival Steve Martin, who seemed to be setting the stage for his own appearance sometime this season. Let’s hope that’s true, because SNL needs all the help it can get.
The cast is still game, and good (if desperate) performances are buoying even the weaker sketches, but the same faces appeared again and again throughout the night. Taking over the heavy lifting in terms of female performers, Vanessa Bayer seems to be the new Kristen Wiig, appearing in more than half the show despite her status as a featured player. Conversely, Paul Brittain appeared only in the supersized cold open, while Jay Pharaoh was shown not at all. No Digital Short from Andy Samberg and the Lonely Island crew, which is odd considering I can’t remember them ever doing a bit or a song featuring Baldwin before.
This episode just featured an overall dearth of originality in the writing, frequently repeating punchlines and eliminating any edge the jokes might have. For example, the last sketch of the night was probably the most creative, with Taren Killam playing an old-fashioned army private forced to promise to adhere to the increasingly absurd But rather than taking time to develop Killam’s reactions, the momentum of the sketch was undercut by adding two other wisecracking dying soldiers. SNL has too many resources and too few ideas. Hopefully Mellissa McCarthy, a sketch/improv veteran, has a successful jaunt next week. New blood is always a good thing.
Up All Night:
Good work from “Up All Night’s” second episode. It’s still not necessarily a show I’d wait for each week, but it’s certainly begun to focus on the reconciliation of a late-30’s baby with an early-30’s partying past. Chris and Regan remain recognizably human, though I wish the same was true of Maya Rudolph’s Ava, who is getting more cartoony as time goes by. This would make more sense if she was an out-of-touch authority figure rather than Regan’s good friend.
This week features more uses of the word “brand” than anything outside of an advertising executive’s mouth. These D-list TV celebrities are each given a meaningless work or phrase meant to define their careers, their images, and their Pink’s Hot Dogs inspired photo shoot. The girls are as baffled at the product placement as any viewer.
Due to this confusion, most of the pictures range from the mediocre to the borderline pornographic. Poor Sheena, whose picture is no better or worse tthan Lisa, the winner's, is sent home.
American Dad!:
Somehow, “American Dad!” has managed to avoid the fatigue that plagues both “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.” Maybe that’s because it’s yet to get to its 10th, let alone 20th, season. Perhaps it’s because the characters have better chemistry. But it seems like it’s because there’s simply better writing.
This episode is an oblique “Little Shop of Horrors” parody, with a magical hot tub voiced by Cee-Lo Green taking the place of the smooth-voiced evil Audrey II. The episode is a musical, featuring groovy -80’s-90’s R&B inspired tunes rather than the original’s 60’s Motown sound. While only MacFarlane can really compete with Cee-Lo in terms of voice, it’s nice to hear him moving beyond only classic show tunes. It’s also nice to see the deconstruction of the original musical rather than simply a reference to it. The episode really functions as a story, albeit one that owes its structure to “Little Shop,” with the hot tub slowly chowing down on Stan’s friends, allies, and loved ones.
What follows is an uneven affair, neglecting characters such as Hayley and Klaus entirely and only making passing reference to Roger. But Stan Smith is undoubtedly the most dynamic character in the cast, and the episode makes good use of him and his decline from strictly regimented oral fortitude to swinging sex manic. The songs are also fantastic. This also marks the second time that they’ve killed the family without blinking an eye. Taking chances like that are what makes “American Dad!” worth watching.
With such amazing comedies on the air, “American Dad!” only really makes an impact when compared to its fellow Animation Domination members. But without “Bob’s Burgers” back on the air until January, it’s undeniably the best part of that programming block.
Archer:
Not too much to say about the second half-hour in the three-part “Archer” special finishing up next Thursday. The episode is surprisingly low-key, handing out more exposition and once again setting the stage for the final confrontation. When it happens, it’s sure to be explosive. But until that showdown, no doubt restoring Archer as Isis’ premiere spy and reuniting him with his smothering mother Malory, the audience has been forced to wait.
Luckily, the characters and actors have plenty of chemistry, and the bore of waiting back at Isis is weighing heavily – and hilariously – on the office drones. The high-strung Malory demands that Carol wait by the phone. Cyrill has to re-balance the budget that Lana and Gillette (honestly, the weakest aspect of the episode) have been savagely ripping apart. Pam, ever the sexual deviant, pounces on recovering sex-addict Cyrill. The Isis antics represent what’s happening with this extended storyline – a bit of cabin fever mixed with confidence that soon everything will be back to normal.
Community:
After a long and arduous offseason that yielded no Emmy nominations and plenty of buzz about possible cancellation, “Community” has returned. The conflict between Pierce and the group has been streamlined into a conflict between Pierce and Jeff, as both jockey for positions inside the study group. On a larger scale, John Goodman’s Vice Dean character has become the force that threatens Greendale and strangles the last gasp of funds from Dean Pelton’s newly-goateed throat.
The premiere indicates several things about “Community’s” third season. First, a renewed interest in Jeff the protagonist, rather than the group protagonist of last season. Second, as the opening number suggests, a return to the smaller stories of season one rather than the wild adventures of season two. There is a new villain and a new teacher (“The Wire’s” Michael K. Williams).
The most problematic character for most viewers has been Chang. The first season painted him as a man mad with power. But the second took so much of that power away he seemed only mad. This season has made what so far seems like an excellent idea- make him the only man on campus security. It’s a necessity and a recipe for great comedic showdowns between the study group and Greendale infrastructure.
Then again, almost anything is a recipe for greatness when put in the trustworthy hands of Dan Harmon and the “Community” writing team. It remains to be seen if my observations about the direction the third season is heading in are true, but either way, “We’re gonna have more fun and be less weird, than the first two years combined” at Greendale Community College this year. E Pluribus Anus!
Family Guy:
The tenth season premiere is back to the same formula the show has been stuck in for the last four or five years. Part of that may have to do with the arrested development of the characters, but there’s no reason that for the second or third time Seth MacFarlane and his writing team have returned to the “Griffins become rich – Griffins do absurd antics – Griffins return to their previous poverty.” Back in the first season, where Lois’ wealthy upbringing was revealed and the first episode with this storyline, “Family Guy” was still attempting to do an interesting character comedy about how blue-collar crassness contrasts with blue-blood stiffness. It was funnier then, and fresher. But “Family Guy” has moved on, leaning heavily on cut-aways and non sequitors to provide the jokes that never seem to flow organically anymore.
Free Agents:
Another uneven effort from “Free Agents” this past week. Moving away from the dark emotional drama at the core of last week, this episode focused on an attempt at tragic sex farce. Unfortunately, the players are all too old and slow to sell the manic pace necessary to communicate urgency in such a premise.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia:
After last week’s amazing premiere, this is a slight step sideways. But this might be the most purely disgusting half-hour in the show’s history. And for a show that has scenes where a large portion of Dee’s hair is ripped out of her scalp, Dennis vomits in anti-gravity, and two bums are having sex underneath a dock, the most disgusting scene of all is undeniably the sight of Mac and Frank, two grossly overweight and gluttonous men, heartily tearing into a rum-soaked ham that has been floating in the ocean for several hours after being gnawed on by a feral dog.
The main heft of the episode comes from Dennis and Dee’s rose-colored glasses, remembering their childhood jaunts to the Jersey Shore with their wealthy parents as the time of their lives. They pack the gang into their Land Rover and head down to the beach, not realizing that the town has experienced some decline since their childhood, with nuclear testing and an infestation of wild dogs rendering the beach empty and the boardwalk full of untrustworthy drug addicts and thieves. Dennis and Dee get wrapped up in townie criminal activity, while Mac and Frank hook up with a band of roving guidos.
There is also a twisted but slight subplot about Charlie spending an E-fueled night of PG-rated passion with the Waitress on the abandoned beach. Over the years, Charlie has truly been infantilized sexually, with his creepy obsession with the Waitress settling into what a 10-year-old would expect his girlfriend to do with him at recess. The other characters, absorbed in their outsized adventures, dismiss this whole C-story immediately.
For fans of gross-out humor, this is probably one of the best “Sunny” episodes ever. But it can’t help but be overshadowed by the absolutely perfect half-hour from last week.
The Office:
The introduction of James Spader as the new CEO really gives the show a new element of psychological torture. For all his constant prattling, Michael Scott was always eventually harmless. It was the major differentiation between the American show and the British original. Spader’s new character might actually know what he’s talking about, so when his office popularity contest separates the workers into two groups – groups he deems “winners” and “losers” – that threat actually has some weight behind it. Unfortunately, Andy, the newly ineffectual manager, diffuses the tension immediately much in the same style that Michael Scott would.
So far, “The Office” seems to be behaving with a “business as usual” strategy. No reason to change the formula that’s made them NBC’s highest rated comedy, right? Not necessarily, given that formula has gotten stale over the years. In fact, I almost hope this exercise backfires, and the show is forced to try something new or come to a merciful end.
Parks and Recreation:
“I don’t know what that means, but it had the cadence of a joke.”
Parks and Rec is back, y’all! Amy Poehler’s wonderful showcase largely sidelines the typical small municipal problems in order to set up the season-long conflicts and character beats. For a half-hour of setup, “I’m Leslie Knope” manages to work in plenty of hilarious reminders why this is one of the best and most consistent shows on TV.
Several familiar motifs and running gags return. For example, Tom Haverford’s traditional long, loose, absurd lists have been replaced by his grab bag of Entertainment 720 merchandise. Ron “fucking” Swanson christened Leslie “fucking” Knope. Tammy, Ron’s fearful ex-wife, was replaced by Ron’s first wife, also named Tammy, and played with icy precision by Patricia Clarkson. If Megan Mulally and Nick Offerman, married in real life, have crazily unstable chemistry, the power between Clarkson and Offerman is so skewed in her favor (as an Oscar-nominated actress and veritable movie star, it’s no wonder she stands out in this cast of TV players) that she truly does seem fearful.
However, this episode features almost no traditional mockumentary tricks. Only one talking head (and even that was hardly a necessity), little to no concern about where cameras should or shouldn’t be allowed – for the most part, the show has ceased pretending this is a documentary at all, simply using the handheld, shaky camera movements. It helps to keep the show “showing” and not “telling,” choosing scenes like Leslie’s first campaign meeting and her lunch with Ann as ways to reveal how the character is feeling and what she is thinking rather than having her parrot it to the camera. This is wonderfully refreshing and lets this ensemble show actually show its ensemble behaving as such.
But what really sets “Parks and Recreation” apart is the love the audience can incur for the characters. So Leslie and Ben’s quiet, sweet, sad breakup scene is truly moving because we know how much these characters have gone through in order to get to this moment, and how much it truly means to them. This campaign already has stakes sky-high. And by building to it naturally, unlike, say, the “Glee” characters getting to the national championship level without any discernable change in their skills, it truly feels like a possibility for Leslie. She opened the show by claiming she wanted to be President. Now the audience can share in that wonderful confidence.
Saturday Night Live:
After it went into the offseason with a whimper, SNL is back, once again relying on one of their most frequent hosts – Alec Baldwin, back for his 16th time – to edge by with a somewhat enjoyable, if still lazy, episode.
Baldwin steps seamlessly into almost every act and every sketch. Only the musical interludes from moody rock band Radiohead and the pre-taped commercial parody are without him. And who can blame the writers – writing for Baldwin is practically a rite of passage and has resulted in some memorable and wonderful sketches over the years, including Pete Schweddy, whose new ice cream flavor was Baldwin’s monologue fodder. The monologue also featured an appearance from Baldwin’s faux-rival Steve Martin, who seemed to be setting the stage for his own appearance sometime this season. Let’s hope that’s true, because SNL needs all the help it can get.
The cast is still game, and good (if desperate) performances are buoying even the weaker sketches, but the same faces appeared again and again throughout the night. Taking over the heavy lifting in terms of female performers, Vanessa Bayer seems to be the new Kristen Wiig, appearing in more than half the show despite her status as a featured player. Conversely, Paul Brittain appeared only in the supersized cold open, while Jay Pharaoh was shown not at all. No Digital Short from Andy Samberg and the Lonely Island crew, which is odd considering I can’t remember them ever doing a bit or a song featuring Baldwin before.
This episode just featured an overall dearth of originality in the writing, frequently repeating punchlines and eliminating any edge the jokes might have. For example, the last sketch of the night was probably the most creative, with Taren Killam playing an old-fashioned army private forced to promise to adhere to the increasingly absurd But rather than taking time to develop Killam’s reactions, the momentum of the sketch was undercut by adding two other wisecracking dying soldiers. SNL has too many resources and too few ideas. Hopefully Mellissa McCarthy, a sketch/improv veteran, has a successful jaunt next week. New blood is always a good thing.
Up All Night:
Good work from “Up All Night’s” second episode. It’s still not necessarily a show I’d wait for each week, but it’s certainly begun to focus on the reconciliation of a late-30’s baby with an early-30’s partying past. Chris and Regan remain recognizably human, though I wish the same was true of Maya Rudolph’s Ava, who is getting more cartoony as time goes by. This would make more sense if she was an out-of-touch authority figure rather than Regan’s good friend.
September 17, 2011
Returning Shows Sept. 13-20th
America’s Next Top Model:
Tyra Banks is trying as hard as she can to prove her own mental instability. She is doing a wonderful job. This season of “ANTM” promises more washed up, tired looking models half-heartedly pretending to nearly go into epileptic shock every time they are graced with Banks’ visage.
Somehow, most of the “All-Star” cast seems to be familiar with one another, something that suggests perhaps the model graduates of ANTM might hit a glass ceiling of sorts. In fact, some of these awkwardly desperate women (for they’re all at least in their mid-to late twenties), seem to have suffered the slings and arrows of plastic surgery and hair extensions. The season could still be fun in a voyeuristic way, but frankly the proceedings seem kind of sad, and the level of intimacy one must have with the prior seasons (or, excuse me, “cycles”) in order to remember the moments frequently called back and referenced is disappointingly high.
Archer:
Alas, there will only be two more episodes of powerhouse comedy “Archer” before its usual premiere date in late January. Fortunately, this limited run is just as vivacious and hilarious as usual. “Heart of Archness – Part 1” is a uniformly excellent half-hour of setup, and here’s to hoping the next two episodes will bring the payoff in a great an unexpected way.
The episode opens with a quick rundown of where things have gone since the second season finale. Sterling Archer, still in mourning over his trashy European fiancée, has run away from Isis and has been on the lam in the deep Pacific for months. Malory, his overbearing mother, is sparing no expense in the quest to find him. The other Isis agents, Lana among them, have little interest in reintroducing Archer to their ranks. But, considering the title of the show, Malory is forced to outsource the job to Patrick Warburton’s Rip, a 1930’s style flying ace. Rip quickly finds Archer, but through typical Archer buffoonery, Sterling manages to both constantly shoot his would-be-savior in the foot and still having time to do the same to a shark’s face. Most of the effort of this episode is spent on establishing the Rip/Archer dynamic, which one can only hope is indicative of Rip’s significance in Season 3.
The plot really kicks up once Archer and Rip are kidnapped by pirates (pirates counting David Cross among them). Archer gets the chance to have one of his now-trademarked monologue/shooting sprees. It’s funny and sharp throughout, and if it’s odd to have an “Archer” storyline end without a resolution. But the spy-movie plot, the new locations, and the characters that seamlessly integrate with established favorites all show that “Archer” is well on its way to a fantastic third season.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia:
“Always Sunny” has never been the type of show to introduce serialization or maintain long-running arcs. But this season marks a new step forward in fearlessness and, at least in this episode, callback after callback. From the first scenes introducing “Big Fat Mac,” it’s clear the show is going farther than ever.
This season picks up a decent while after Dee’s pregnancy was resolved at the end of last season, throwing down the gauntlet immediately with Frank’s new girlfriend – the hysterically inarticulate prostitute Roxy. When Frank decides he wishes to marry Roxy, the gang spring into action. What’s great is the psychological consistency behind their concerns.
Dee, who still feels her life has yet to begin, decides to mentor Roxy in a “Pretty Woman” style. But through visiting expensive stores and taking high profile clients, Dee realizes Roxy’s hard-lined life on the streets is better than her comparatively conservative one.
Meanwhile, Charlie decides Frank deserves a girl who wants him for him, not for his money. Using his own twisted logic, he determines the best way to find such a girl is for Charlie to take out a woman while posing as a millionaire. Halfway through the date, he plans to feign illness and make way for Frank, who will be pretending to be a humble limo driver, to replace him on the remainder of the date. While this setup alone guarantees laughs, the payoff to this scene is possibly the first “Sunny” plot to actually require a spoiler alert. Structured impeccably, this whole setpiece is designed to get viewers back in the mood for disgusting, hysterical, anti-humor.
The weakest story this week is actually the “Big Mac” intro. While Rob McElhanney has shown remarkable commitment to getting as truly disgusting as possible, pairing Mac’s sloppy, newly gluttonous persona with Dennis’ near anorexia feels a little easy. Better is Dennis’ revelation that the only thing that’s been keeping him off of crack is his obsession with preserving his youth. Glenn Howerton does actually look pretty good, especially compared with McElhanney, which lends the delusional Dennis a tiny bit of credibility – at least until a deadpan doctor shatters his illusions of good health. The tag to the story, featuring Tommy Bahama shirts, is definitely its best aspect, and leads well into the conclusion.
The final scenes reunite the cast for a typical sociopathic blowout. It may not be shocking for “Sunny” aficionados, but it certainly shows that despite the addition of a baby to the series last year, this ensemble has not lost its edge in any way.
Project Runway:
Not too much to say about another entry in the middle of this so far disappointing season. Josh M. has been once again rewarded for bad behavior, the judges are fragmenting before the camera’s eye, and guest judge Malin Ackerman looked absolutely terrible. The challenge itself could have been more fun, but contradicted itself at every angle. At first, it seemed to be a quest for the designer to listen to what the husbands/boyfriends said about their ladies and try and make a good guess as to what the women’s styles were actually like. Then, with the addition of the women as models, it became another “dress a REAL WOMAN challenge.” Then, with the slight domestic disputes, it became about reconciling between the two parties and finding a look that they both approved of. Then, on the runway it simply became about which woman looked the most like a typical model. This resulted in a top three made up entirely of straight sized clients, a bottom three that was made up of entirely happy clients, and, at the very least, a loser who had been turning out bad looks almost from Day 1. It’s hard to believe Bryce even made it this far.
September 16, 2011
Capsule Pilot Reviews: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH
New Girl:
Zooey Deschanel comes to television to join her sister Emily on FOX’s new comedy “New Girl.” The sitcom follows Deschanel’s character Jess as she suffers an embarrassing breakup and the resulting scramble for new housing. The whole situation lands her (reasonably realistically, considering) in a LA apartment with three guys, played by Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., and Max Greenfield. Her best friend is played by the refreshingly normal and reasonable Hannah Simone.
A nice change of pace is Jess’ assortment of strange quirks. Mind, it’s not the quirks themselves that break the mold, but rather the surrounding characters, who treat her and her oddities as some sort of mild mental illness. Frankly, they’re not far off. Most frank about his discomfort is Damon Wayans Jr. So great on “Happy Endings,” Wayans will have to leave in the next episode due to that show’s renewal. But since the relationship between the four friends has yet to totally gel, it’s possible they may be able to find someone with even more ensemble chemistry.
Jess is so weighed down with Deschanel’s various affectations that it’s hard to get a feel for whether or not she’ll be strong enough at the center, but Johnson, playing the most obviously human of the three male roommates, is quite good. He strikes an interesting and vaguely familiar note, like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s” Charlie Day on Xanax. Probably the best laugh-out-loud moment in the pilot comes when Jess asks him if he’ll ax murder her and, with perfect comic timing, he says “definitely.” Little things like that will make or break “New Girl.”
Free Agents:
Hank Azaria headlines this not-quite-comedy doing a more adult version of the “friends with benefits” theme that’s permeated the summer. In it, Azaria plays Alex, a man still suffering emotional damage from his recent divorce. His foil is the equally unstable Kathryn Hahn playing Helen, a woman who still has not managed to grieve properly for her dead fiancé.
There are funny moments throughout, usually courteous of Anthony Stewart Head, who adopts a loose, laconic acting style (mastering the art of delivering lines while something else seems to be on his mind) betraying his experience playing the exact same character on the original British version of the series. Unfortunately, most of the other supporting characters give performances pitched far too broad. Joe Lo Truligo and Natasha Leggero have been better – and funny – elsewhere, so it can be hoped that once their characters find a place within the office universe, they’ll be toned down. The same cannot be said for the outright dreadful Mo Mandel. His obnoxious, irritating performance completely misses the mark. Even a chronic overactor such as Azaria seems embarrassed to be sharing a scene with such a walking misstep. If I could ask one thing of this show, it would be to fire Mandel immediately.
My second request would be that the writers not be afraid to treat the unhappiness of their leads with honesty. Both Azaria and Hahn are playing characters hitting rock bottom, but the overall tone of the show seems desperate to distract from that. What would boost this show immensely is to tap into that deep, dark core and be unafraid to show the neuroses that inform the (thankfully few) “wacky” antics of its leads. For example, a scene where Azaria’s character cannot help but start crying at the sound of a song, the moment would have been better had the script truly established the real pain behind the emotion in a previous scene instead of going for a quick punchline. Holding off on the humor and providing more outright tragedy would make the show more unique and make it seem more meaningful.
Ultimately, “Free Agents” would probably be better served by a 10PM timeslot on Showtime, where it could be as dark as it pleased. But, since all it has is NBC and abandonment on Tuesday in a blind attempt at a new comedy night, what can be hoped is that the writers and directors tone down the mugging, broad performances from the supporting cast and embrace the essential darkness lurking beneath its confectionary premise.
Up All Night:
My biggest worry going into “Up All Night” was that Will Arnett’s Chris and Christina Applegate’s Reagan would seem like hapless idiots incapable of doing even the simplest of childrearing tasks. Fortunately, the advertising was misleading. Chris and Reagan are actually quite smart and capable, and seem to have found a happy balance of taking care of their daughter, Amy. The pilot just catches them at a seismic time. Reagan is returning to work, and the couple is forced for the first time to truly confront the new identities they’ve created as parents with the fun-loving, irresponsible drinkers they were to the outside world. This tension provides most of the narrative drive, if not many big laughs. In fact, despite Arnett and Applegate’s experiences doing broad comedy in various other TV and movies, there’s not much playing to the balcony coming from them. Their frustrations for the most part seem reined in and reasonably realistic.
Maya Rudolph’s character, Ava, threatens to upset this balance. Rudolph has been chronically underserved by weak material on SNL and other supporting parts that lean her towards “grating” instead of “amusing.” But her excellent turn in “Bridesmaids” this summer led the producers of “Up All Night” to boost her Oprah-like role. Disappointingly, these producers don’t seem to have paid attention to what made Rudolph great in that role. She possesses a natural and easy charm, but when forced into an overly mannered performance she can quickly become hammy and over-the-top. That’s where she is here, and her almost childlike attention span and selfishness are a harsh disruption to the small domestic world.
“Up All Night” is at its best when the urgency of the scenes come from Reagan and Chris’ fundamental understanding of what they should do without the comprehension of how to get there. A heavily teased moment where they can’t help but shout at their child in fury gains another level when paired with the preceding scenes of them attempting to recapture their foolish, hedonistic ways.
“Up All Night” is anchored by two surprisingly restrained performances, but side characters could damage the show’s ability to build an appealing and consistent world.
Zooey Deschanel comes to television to join her sister Emily on FOX’s new comedy “New Girl.” The sitcom follows Deschanel’s character Jess as she suffers an embarrassing breakup and the resulting scramble for new housing. The whole situation lands her (reasonably realistically, considering) in a LA apartment with three guys, played by Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., and Max Greenfield. Her best friend is played by the refreshingly normal and reasonable Hannah Simone.
A nice change of pace is Jess’ assortment of strange quirks. Mind, it’s not the quirks themselves that break the mold, but rather the surrounding characters, who treat her and her oddities as some sort of mild mental illness. Frankly, they’re not far off. Most frank about his discomfort is Damon Wayans Jr. So great on “Happy Endings,” Wayans will have to leave in the next episode due to that show’s renewal. But since the relationship between the four friends has yet to totally gel, it’s possible they may be able to find someone with even more ensemble chemistry.
Jess is so weighed down with Deschanel’s various affectations that it’s hard to get a feel for whether or not she’ll be strong enough at the center, but Johnson, playing the most obviously human of the three male roommates, is quite good. He strikes an interesting and vaguely familiar note, like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s” Charlie Day on Xanax. Probably the best laugh-out-loud moment in the pilot comes when Jess asks him if he’ll ax murder her and, with perfect comic timing, he says “definitely.” Little things like that will make or break “New Girl.”
Free Agents:
Hank Azaria headlines this not-quite-comedy doing a more adult version of the “friends with benefits” theme that’s permeated the summer. In it, Azaria plays Alex, a man still suffering emotional damage from his recent divorce. His foil is the equally unstable Kathryn Hahn playing Helen, a woman who still has not managed to grieve properly for her dead fiancé.
There are funny moments throughout, usually courteous of Anthony Stewart Head, who adopts a loose, laconic acting style (mastering the art of delivering lines while something else seems to be on his mind) betraying his experience playing the exact same character on the original British version of the series. Unfortunately, most of the other supporting characters give performances pitched far too broad. Joe Lo Truligo and Natasha Leggero have been better – and funny – elsewhere, so it can be hoped that once their characters find a place within the office universe, they’ll be toned down. The same cannot be said for the outright dreadful Mo Mandel. His obnoxious, irritating performance completely misses the mark. Even a chronic overactor such as Azaria seems embarrassed to be sharing a scene with such a walking misstep. If I could ask one thing of this show, it would be to fire Mandel immediately.
My second request would be that the writers not be afraid to treat the unhappiness of their leads with honesty. Both Azaria and Hahn are playing characters hitting rock bottom, but the overall tone of the show seems desperate to distract from that. What would boost this show immensely is to tap into that deep, dark core and be unafraid to show the neuroses that inform the (thankfully few) “wacky” antics of its leads. For example, a scene where Azaria’s character cannot help but start crying at the sound of a song, the moment would have been better had the script truly established the real pain behind the emotion in a previous scene instead of going for a quick punchline. Holding off on the humor and providing more outright tragedy would make the show more unique and make it seem more meaningful.
Ultimately, “Free Agents” would probably be better served by a 10PM timeslot on Showtime, where it could be as dark as it pleased. But, since all it has is NBC and abandonment on Tuesday in a blind attempt at a new comedy night, what can be hoped is that the writers and directors tone down the mugging, broad performances from the supporting cast and embrace the essential darkness lurking beneath its confectionary premise.
Up All Night:
My biggest worry going into “Up All Night” was that Will Arnett’s Chris and Christina Applegate’s Reagan would seem like hapless idiots incapable of doing even the simplest of childrearing tasks. Fortunately, the advertising was misleading. Chris and Reagan are actually quite smart and capable, and seem to have found a happy balance of taking care of their daughter, Amy. The pilot just catches them at a seismic time. Reagan is returning to work, and the couple is forced for the first time to truly confront the new identities they’ve created as parents with the fun-loving, irresponsible drinkers they were to the outside world. This tension provides most of the narrative drive, if not many big laughs. In fact, despite Arnett and Applegate’s experiences doing broad comedy in various other TV and movies, there’s not much playing to the balcony coming from them. Their frustrations for the most part seem reined in and reasonably realistic.
Maya Rudolph’s character, Ava, threatens to upset this balance. Rudolph has been chronically underserved by weak material on SNL and other supporting parts that lean her towards “grating” instead of “amusing.” But her excellent turn in “Bridesmaids” this summer led the producers of “Up All Night” to boost her Oprah-like role. Disappointingly, these producers don’t seem to have paid attention to what made Rudolph great in that role. She possesses a natural and easy charm, but when forced into an overly mannered performance she can quickly become hammy and over-the-top. That’s where she is here, and her almost childlike attention span and selfishness are a harsh disruption to the small domestic world.
“Up All Night” is at its best when the urgency of the scenes come from Reagan and Chris’ fundamental understanding of what they should do without the comprehension of how to get there. A heavily teased moment where they can’t help but shout at their child in fury gains another level when paired with the preceding scenes of them attempting to recapture their foolish, hedonistic ways.
“Up All Night” is anchored by two surprisingly restrained performances, but side characters could damage the show’s ability to build an appealing and consistent world.
September 6, 2011
True Blood Season 4
I’m afraid of you, “True Blood.” Not of your Gothic horror or bloody fangs. But like Lindsay Lohan, the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and the city of Detroit, I am afraid that my faith in you was misplaced. It used to be that declaring “True Blood” as a summer guilty pleasure favorite was justified by a cast of young ringers (including an Oscar winner) and multiple Emmy nominations. But now, “True Blood” has become snarky blogger bait. The hanging plotlines and ever-growing stable of characters, once hallmarks of its self-aware soapiness, now smack of desperation. The show, now almost finished with its fourth season, has adopted a method of throwing dozens of ideas at the wall at the beginning of the season, and deciding which ones stick as it goes along. This may be fun for the writing staff, headed by “Six Feet Under” creator Alan Ball, but it can be a frustrating experience for the viewers, left hanging on six or seven elements by the end of the season. With only 13 episodes a year, the collapsed timeline is alternately a chance for never a dull moment and an excuse to employ an ADD-style of drama.
While this season in particular is suffering, let’s not pretend that this hasn’t been an ongoing problem. Four seasons in, four full seasons in, and Sookie’s fairy “powers” are no less developed than when she put them to use in the first episode. That’s right; the very first episode of the series featured Sookie’s magical glowing hands, and despite plenty of wringing, they are no more a tool for the character than they are a sparkly deus ex machina, ready to jump into action only when a conflict has been written into a corner. What more frustrating is that the information the audience has been given about this power – that it comes from Sookie’s fairy bloodline – takes time and urgency away from whatever else is happening, not adding them. Done properly, Sookie’s journey of self-discovery should be just as important as defeating the big villain of the season. The end of the series should leave Sookie a stronger, more mature character. As of now, her romantic relationships have shuffled around but the audience can’t really tell what impact they’ve had on her. What does the shift from Bill to Eric mean?
This doesn’t mean the season hasn’t been without its highlights. In particular, the acting chops of the cast has never been showcased more thoroughly. The weak performers are few and far between, and despite the silliness of the plot there have been plenty of strong emotional notes throughout the show. Unfortunately, the cast has to constantly work around weak motivations, clunky dialogue, and only a few moments per episode. As the cast has grown, it’s allowed fringe characters like Arlene and Terry to have their own serialized drama, despite the fact that the characters may be well-rendered for glorified background extras but hold little to no emotional weight to the audience. Sookie and Eric, the main characters of the show, featured less heavily in the past three episodes than Arlene/Terry, Jesus/Lafayette, and Tara. All five of these characters could disappear in the next three episodes and affect the main plot only slightly. And with the exception of Lafayette, who was kept on the show despite being killed off in the first book, I can’t imagine much audience outrage. Fiona Shaw has been a breath of entertainingly over-the-top evil as the dual role of witch Marnie and ghost Antonia. She has played much the same role as Dennis O’Hare did last season as scenery-chewing vampire Russell Edgington. And, like O’Hare, Shaw probably will meet her end in the next few episodes. It will mark the end to another excellent guest performance, and I can only hope a change to the lack of clarity in Marnie’s motivations. But given “True Blood’s” track record, while Shaw will likely be given a magnificent exit, it will probably feel like somewhat of a cheat.
Season 5 of “True Blood” is inevitable, but the show desperately needs to pull up from this steep decline. I’d recommend a culling of the cast (last week’s death of Tommy was a good if unexpected start) and streamlining the plot. The first two seasons worked like gangbusters because there were two things the audience had to keep straight: the vampire plot and the Bon Temps plot. It makes sense. The vampires are the only supernatural creatures that really hold a tremendous amount of intrigue, because the human world surrounding them is alternately cruelly and appropriately afraid of them. Their status as an “out” species, while it allows for some clunky metaphors, generally means that there have to be consequences for their action. The werewolves or were-panthers, with their insular worlds, have no reason to maintain a positive image. Their group politics are boring, as the audience has not been given adequate time to care about any of their characters. A lack of external stakes is crippling the show’s watchability and its fun. With only two episodes left, I feel I am approaching a crossroads where I may have to quit watching this once entertaining romantic fantasy simply because I no longer care.
While this season in particular is suffering, let’s not pretend that this hasn’t been an ongoing problem. Four seasons in, four full seasons in, and Sookie’s fairy “powers” are no less developed than when she put them to use in the first episode. That’s right; the very first episode of the series featured Sookie’s magical glowing hands, and despite plenty of wringing, they are no more a tool for the character than they are a sparkly deus ex machina, ready to jump into action only when a conflict has been written into a corner. What more frustrating is that the information the audience has been given about this power – that it comes from Sookie’s fairy bloodline – takes time and urgency away from whatever else is happening, not adding them. Done properly, Sookie’s journey of self-discovery should be just as important as defeating the big villain of the season. The end of the series should leave Sookie a stronger, more mature character. As of now, her romantic relationships have shuffled around but the audience can’t really tell what impact they’ve had on her. What does the shift from Bill to Eric mean?
This doesn’t mean the season hasn’t been without its highlights. In particular, the acting chops of the cast has never been showcased more thoroughly. The weak performers are few and far between, and despite the silliness of the plot there have been plenty of strong emotional notes throughout the show. Unfortunately, the cast has to constantly work around weak motivations, clunky dialogue, and only a few moments per episode. As the cast has grown, it’s allowed fringe characters like Arlene and Terry to have their own serialized drama, despite the fact that the characters may be well-rendered for glorified background extras but hold little to no emotional weight to the audience. Sookie and Eric, the main characters of the show, featured less heavily in the past three episodes than Arlene/Terry, Jesus/Lafayette, and Tara. All five of these characters could disappear in the next three episodes and affect the main plot only slightly. And with the exception of Lafayette, who was kept on the show despite being killed off in the first book, I can’t imagine much audience outrage. Fiona Shaw has been a breath of entertainingly over-the-top evil as the dual role of witch Marnie and ghost Antonia. She has played much the same role as Dennis O’Hare did last season as scenery-chewing vampire Russell Edgington. And, like O’Hare, Shaw probably will meet her end in the next few episodes. It will mark the end to another excellent guest performance, and I can only hope a change to the lack of clarity in Marnie’s motivations. But given “True Blood’s” track record, while Shaw will likely be given a magnificent exit, it will probably feel like somewhat of a cheat.
Season 5 of “True Blood” is inevitable, but the show desperately needs to pull up from this steep decline. I’d recommend a culling of the cast (last week’s death of Tommy was a good if unexpected start) and streamlining the plot. The first two seasons worked like gangbusters because there were two things the audience had to keep straight: the vampire plot and the Bon Temps plot. It makes sense. The vampires are the only supernatural creatures that really hold a tremendous amount of intrigue, because the human world surrounding them is alternately cruelly and appropriately afraid of them. Their status as an “out” species, while it allows for some clunky metaphors, generally means that there have to be consequences for their action. The werewolves or were-panthers, with their insular worlds, have no reason to maintain a positive image. Their group politics are boring, as the audience has not been given adequate time to care about any of their characters. A lack of external stakes is crippling the show’s watchability and its fun. With only two episodes left, I feel I am approaching a crossroads where I may have to quit watching this once entertaining romantic fantasy simply because I no longer care.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)