RIVERDALE: "Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam"
Well done, Riverdale.
Since the tragic passing of Luke Perry, there was the question of how his character, Fred Andrews, would be written out. Timing wise, Luke's passing occurred as the show was busy filming the tail end of the third season, where the already fast pacing was becoming even more frantic as the show continued to crescendo it's story arcs for The Farm and Griffons and Gargoyles. Thankfully it was decided not to fully 'deal' with the character of Fred until a more appropriate time, that time being in-between seasons where a well rested crew could think clearly about how to best address the situation.
As it transpires, this decision was very wise. Luke's passing is addressed in this episode, the first of season four, by having Fred die in a self-contained episode that acted as a In Memoriam to both the character and to Luke Perry itself. The show's continuing arcs are seldom, if at all, addressed and the show, in an extremely rare move, slows down its pace and digs a little deeper in the portrayal of how our Riverdale characters, in particular Archie, deals with Fred's passing.
I had forgotten how beautifully this show is presented. The vivid colors and ridiculousness that Riverdale fans know and love are present in the first 5 or so minutes of the episode, and of course, Archie is shirtless at the first available opportunity, decorating a float for the 4th of July parade. Cheryl is as ludicrous as always, lamenting our four protagonists for not fully respecting the first parade since her brother's death, and, oh yeah, updating her dead brother's body (propped up in a chair; is it the actual body stuffed? A fake? I've forgotten the details) on the goings on of the town.
Then, Archie gets the call that Fred has died, and those elements of Riverdale, not that we don't love them, fall away. Those first few scenes are important somewhat to reestablish the world of the show, and to reassure fans that, don't worry, it's not changing anytime soon, but the moment Archie hears the news, and falls to the floor, the show takes a breath, strips itself back, and slows itself down.
The way Fred Andrews dies is in itself a tribute to Luke Perry and the character. He is hit by a car after having stopped on the side of a road to help a woman with car troubles. The show then sets up a small mystery, the driver that killed Fred is unknown, as it was a hit-and-run. In that moment, early on, it is difficult to judge if this will become part of a larger mystery or not, and how many episodes it will dominate. However, we quickly learn that the driver has turned themselves in and is out on bail. Of course, the inevitable Revenge Archie kicks in, but the moment is brief and more measured than expected. As Archie demands an explanation from the man, it transpires that he was just protecting his son who, in a moment of stupidity, took the car for a ride without a license. This, as Archie explains later, reminds him of something he would have done when he was younger, and Fred would have protected him in the same way.
There are other, smaller, more powerful moments. Early on, the characters sit in Archie's humble backyard trading stories about Fred, as so often happens in moments of mourning and reflection. The scene is elevated by the emotion from the characters (and one imagines, the actors). The scene does not serve to further any number of plot points, as is so often the case and the issue with fast paced shows such as Riverdale. Instead, it's just there, pulling you in, reminding you of Fred's kindness and the impact he has had in mentoring our protagonists. Jughead's story of how Fred would look out for him, and feed him when he was hungry, was particularly moving.
The road trip, and funeral home visit serves up more understated moments. Where, after Archie decides to be the one to transport Fred's body home, he asks to see the body to ensure that it is in fact his father. We cut then to the room that Fred's body is in. However, instead Veronica and Betty walk through the door. Archie, we are told, changed his mind. We don't see that moment, but we don't need to. We have already felt his pain. The body reveal, and confirmation that it is Fred to the audience and later, to Archie, is handled wonderfully.
Another beautiful scene that must be mentioned is the one with Shannon Doherty, shot at the roadside where he was ran down. Shannon, as it turns out, was the woman who Fred had stopped to help. Of course, Shannon Doherty and Luke Perry are linked together through Beverly Hills 90210, as Brenda and Dylan, at the peak of its popularity. There is a legacy there, a weight that has lasted almost 30 years and is a defining part of 'High School TV' culture. Knowing that Shannon is there as as tribute to Luke, plus the emotion in her delivery, as she explains what happened, followed by the prayer, only last a few minutes. But it's wonderful. There are no meta references, no winks to the audience. In fact, it's amazing just how 'straight' this whole episode is played.
The transportation of Fred's body home, to a rally in his honor, and the resulting funeral all pull emotional punches. At the funeral, Archie recalls a story of how, disappointed one 4th July when a fireworks display was called off due to the rain, Fred comes home with a ton of fireworks, and makes a display for Archie in their own backyard. Later, at episode close, the characters gather to do the same thing. As the fireworks are let off, Archie retreats to the garage, we see brief glimpses of Fred in the episode's only flashbacks as he remembers the old car, and the camera slowly withdraws as we leave Archie to cry alone.
Small glimpses of other story points of the show are thrown in. Hiram and Hermione are shown in jail, Alice with a picture of The Farm in the background, and in a touching moment, Betty spends some time alone at her father's graffiti-ed grave. However, all in all, this was an episode solely about paying tribute to Luke Perry, through Fred's passing, and you are grateful that this was so. Although I love the energy, furious pacing and ludicrousness of Riverdale, it's part of the fabric of the show and will always will be, I can't help but wonder that if the show trusted itself to slow down more, in the moments that really matter, it could really hone itself and make the right stories, ideally the ones that pack that emotional wallop, all that more powerful.
A series high point; A.
Saturday, 12 October 2019
TV Reviews: 2019 Season (30 SEP - 4 OCT)
THIS IS US: "The Pool: Part Two" (Season 4, Episode 2)
When I realized that this episode would be revisiting the famous Pool episode back in Season 1, I wasn't too excited. However, the story ends up serving as a strong thematic baseline to carry the rest of the episode. Also, I believe this is the first episode that starts to flash back to actual scenes filmed in the past for the show (so a more traditional flashback), rather than flashing back to new scenes filmed in the past, if that makes sense. It's great to see a show, that respects it's characters' past so strongly, now begin to respect it's own actual past just as well. As the show grows older, I want to see more of that.
The themes of this episode deal with how we recognize growth and change, and how we re-assess ourselves to make the best decisions to adapt to those changes. For the main, these are classic stories relating to parents and the growth of their children (The Pool, Randall / Beth, Kate), for Kevin, it's a more personal story looking inwards.
The pool storyline doesn't give us a huge amount of story that we haven't seen before, just simply that the kids are growing up and Jack and Rebecca have to recognize that. We revisit some of the same troubling behaviors as we have seen in the past; Kevin deliberately embarrasses Randall in front of his friends, and Rebecca fears the worst when some popular girls suddenly take an interest in Kate. What makes this episode different however, is the self-awareness that the children bring to these more grown-up situations. In a particularly powerful moment, Kevin (like his future-self) looks inwards, and asks his father if he is a good person. While Kate, when realizes she has been set-up by her popular classmates, makes the best of the situation rather than self-destructing. It ends up being a great story because, even though the kids are growing up, and we see Jack and Rebecca reacting to this, we also see the kids start to develop their own senses of self that we recognize in them as adults.
The Beth / Randall story is split into two, with Beth's worry over Tess' new haircut threatens to hurt Tess' self-confidence, and Randall is overprotective when he accompanies Deja on a trail school-run and a strange person sits next to her on the bus. The Beth / Tess story is OK, although I would question the similarities Beth has here with Rebecca as a parent. I would think Beth is more empowering than the show is giving her credit for here? No? Randall's story is more of what we've seen before. I continue to like the portrayal of the growth of the children characters; the new hair, and Deja texting Malik as the bus route so happens to drive past where he works.
The Kate / Toby story is a trickier one. Oh sure, it works from a plot perspective, a care worker comes over to assess the situation now that their baby, who is blind, is home. Kevin, Rebecca and Miguel are also there as support. We learn that Kevin has been fundamental in this period of adjustment, and that Kate, while seemingly fine on the service, has been overeating to cope with the stresses the situation brings. The story also has some strong moments; Kate's speech near the end about how her home will be a house of hope is amazing, although it is clear that she is masking some self-doubt and guilt around this situation. We also see that Toby has been losing weight, and are treated to a reveal that Toby has been secretly going to the gym without telling Kate. This story will need some greater exploring, as at the moment it doesn't track. Why the secrecy? Why now, after all this time, has Toby committed to losing weight? I hope, and trust, that Toby's motivations will be explored so we can understand the eventual conflict from both sides.
Finally, the Kevin story is surprisingly strong.We learn in a sweet scene with Kevin and the baby that he has reached over 180 days of sobriety, and we see that in a lot of ways, it is helping him life a better life. He is a rawer, stronger actor, he's taking care of a houseplant, and he has been their to support Kate and Toby. However, Kevin is soon faced with a decision of whether to take a job out in Chicago, and rightly worries that some of the support mechanisms he has in place, namely his family, the people that he can look after, will threaten his sobriety. In a moment that This Is Us tends to do very well, the past helps inform the present, where Young Jack and Young Kevin's conversation by the pool (the 'Am I a good person' one) in which Jack tells Kevin to surround himself with people he loves and can look after, sees Kevin decide to go to see his Uncle Nicky, who from the premiere, we know needs some support. I'm not sure why I like the Kevin story so much, I think it's just so nuanced, and really digs deep. Also, I would imagine we are going to be treated to a Kevin / Cassidy (from last week's Premiere) pairing in the future - which feels exciting.
So there we have it. It's a strong, classic This is Us episode; B+.
MODERN FAMILY: "Snapped" (Season 11, Episode 2)
Two out of the three stories were of a higher quality than expected on this week's MODERN FAMILY, which continues to limp out of the gate towards its Series Finale. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing any long game at play for the final season, with the story-lines, like last week's Premiere, mostly self-contained and as disparate as ever.
Don't get me wrong, the Mitch / Cam refrigerator story is ridiculous, not to mention implausible, as we are not quite there with the technology. However, the actors rise to the occasion and the result is a few laugh out loud moments, such as Mitch signing the 'Shallow' duet with Bridget (the refrigerator), and Bridget equally showing that she has retained information from both Mitch and Cam, igniting a conflict between them. It's stupid, sure, but for whatever reason this one tickled me. Of course, once the conflict is out in the open, it doesn't really go anywhere, and doesn't hit home on any more dramatic realizations such as, hey, I don't know, why they both felt the need to bond with a refrigerator in the first place.
The Phil / Gloria story, where Phil becomes convinced that Gloria injured her rival classmate is a classic Modern Family farce, with some funny moments that got a laugh or two out of me. The clever repetition of the 'Snapped' TV show (that seeped into other stories, which is about the only link we got between the three stories this week), and the bit with Gloria filing her nails in the classroom were particular winners.
The Claire story, unfortunately, becomes old within about 4 seconds, as she tries to keep everyone out of the house by pretending to be sick, so that a business magazine can film her for a photo-shoot. The story, like many on this show nowadays, comes across too harshly, and doesn't go anywhere. At about the 5th time of Claire mentioning some ridiculous reason as to why one of her children need to leave the house, it's almost cringe-worthy.
Also, Alex comes home from Antarctica, and no one cares. She turns up at the door and Claire hurries her out to get some soup, without even so much as a hello. The worst bit about Alex's return is that she shivers in all of her scenes, like Antarctica is so cold that even though she has spent what must be a 8 hour+ flight plus travel in the warm sunshine of LA, she hasn't defrosted yet. What? Is that supposed to be funny?
Marginal improvement from last week; C.
SUPERSTORE "Testimonials" (Season 5, Episode 2)
The main story, where the workers all struggle to give Mateo strong testimonials for his deportation lawyer is some solid character stuff, with the montage in Amy's office particularly effective. What elevates the story however is the final realization by the lawyer that ICE may have been called in by Corporate, which would be illegal during the labor dispute that was going on at the time. The scene where Amy tries and fails to trick Corporate into admitting this is particularly hilarious. The conclusion is clever with a bit of an emotional punch, as Jeff agrees to go on record to say he was present when Corporate decided to call in ICE, thanks to a photo placed in Mateo's possession by Cheyenne. Mateo would have been proud.
Mateo's sudden release from detainment in the closing tag does unfortunately feel a big tacked on, and I wish the show had spent slightly more time on his release. However the show makes clear that this is just the beginning, as he will need to fight the ongoing attempts to deport him.
The rest of the episode is fine. Sandra is convinced that Dina is throwing her a surprise engagement party, and the more Dina denies it, the more convinced Sandra is. Of course, Jonah cannot resist throwing her a party anyway, and there was a neat character moment where Jonah basically admits now that he has the idea in his head, he wants to do it regardless.
A solid episode; B.
MOM "Pop Pop and a Puma" (Season 7, Episode 2)
I'm not particularly fond that this is the second episode in a row that deals with Christy working at Adam's bar. I don't think these stories are particularly effective, and they aren't exactly unique to the world that this show has created. This isn't a workplace comedy, and the stories set here tend to fall flat. There is, granted, some comedic potential to an alcoholic working at a bar, but although the show has explored this in the past, it feels like that is not a well that the show wants to mine, so therefore, what's the point?
Of course, one could argue that the story isn't about Christy working at the bar, but about a Christy / Adam conflict putting Bonnie in the position where she has to choose sides. Now this is the story that should have been explored further. I would have been perfectly happy if everything that happened at the bar occurred off-screen, it could have even been funnier if we had heard the conflict as Bonnie did, through their explanation and interpretation of it.
The exploration and conclusion of this story is redeemed somewhat by the show digging a bit deeper, by leaning into Christy acting as a teenager, Marjorie suspects that Christy is reacting this way because it brings up memories of the abandonment she has already gone through with Bonnie as a Mother. It also yields some laughs, such as Bonnie admitting and then continuing to simply agree with whoever has the last word.
The subplot is standard sitcom fair, with Jill outshining her new boyfriend, Andy, at the gym, causing him to feel insecure. The Andy / Jill pairing was very effective last season, but I would like to see the specificity of their relationship, in particular their two vastly different backgrounds colliding, continued to be explored.
Finally, the running bit with Wendy's hair, and the mimicking of 'Orlando' by the other characters, was very funny.
Not as a strong as last week, but still a good half-hour; B-.
THE GOOD PLACE "A Girl From Arizona (Part 2)" (Season 4, Episode 2)
After watching the concluding part to THE GOOD PLACE's two-parter it's pretty safe to say that these episodes never should have been separated. While the show is still struggling to ground some of the stories in anything remotely relatable, the long scene in the middle of the show between Eleanor and Michael, where Michael gives Eleanor a pep-talk saying that a girl from Arizona is exactly the type of person that can save humanity, pretty much saves the day. It does exactly what the show needs, grounds the zaniness in a relatable, human way. Who hasn't had a crisis of confidence like that? They need to continue to do this, to explore all the craziness from the very human perspectives of the four leads. It's also acted exceptionally by Kristen Bell and Ted Danson.
Michael's pep-talk works, and spurs Eleanor into action. She immediately links Chidi and Simone to try and get Chidi to convince Simone to take her situation seriously, and that this is not all happening inside of her head. The resulting scene is incredibly sweet and complex. You buy the attraction between Chidi and Simone, they are intellects, and their banter and dialogue is smart and witty. However, you also feel for Eleanor, who is breaking apart on the inside.
The rest of the show is also enjoyable. Brent's utter pigheadedness is played so well, and I love that even when he is on a faux-talk show where the other guests talk about their humanitarian achievements, that he can talk about stocks and shares and general bullshit and still not blink an eyelid. Brent is reflective of pretty much everything that's wrong with society today in the real-world, not to mention similarities between Trump, and other figures in power. It will be good if the show could lean into that aspect heavier, paralleling the misgivings and ultimate corruption that is occurring in the real-world.
The Jason / Janet stuff, I'm going to be honest, I didn't really pay much attention to. It does nothing for me.
Overall, a welcome improvement from last week; B.
FRESH OFF THE BOAT "College" (Season 5, Episode 2)
This was a bit of a flat episode of FOTB, with some wasted potential. Louis and Jessica take Eddie to a tour of UCLA to visit Eddie's cousin, where Jessica realizes that this 'safety school' actually has some really high standards, and of course, worries that Eddie is not up to the challenge. In addition, she tries to keep Louis from telling Eddie that back in her college days, she was a bit of a wild child.
It's an OK story, but there's potential that in my opinion doesn't get explored. Firstly, let's stop and take a look at the character of Eddie. Do we really buy that Jessica actually believes for one second that Eddie can get into Harvard? How is Eddie doing academically? How realistic is this scenario? None of this really gets explored, so it's hard to tell exactly what we are supposed to feel here. Secondly, I was hoping that the references to Jessica's time in college would result in a strong flashback style episode as FOTB has done in the past. However, while we get some scenes of Jessica in college, they are mainly there for comedic relief (and not even really that comedic) rather than to add anything to the story.
The second story in this episode is Evan, Emery and Grandma exploring Los Angeles. This is a classic, 'my show doesn't take place in LA but is filmed in LA so let's get the characters out for some cheap location shots when the story dictates they go to LA', type fare. The references to Y2K, while funny, doesn't really equal a story.
A lot of wasted potential; C.
In summary:
This is Us: B+
Superstore: B
The Good Place: B
Mom: B-
Modern Family: C
Fresh Off the Boat: C
When I realized that this episode would be revisiting the famous Pool episode back in Season 1, I wasn't too excited. However, the story ends up serving as a strong thematic baseline to carry the rest of the episode. Also, I believe this is the first episode that starts to flash back to actual scenes filmed in the past for the show (so a more traditional flashback), rather than flashing back to new scenes filmed in the past, if that makes sense. It's great to see a show, that respects it's characters' past so strongly, now begin to respect it's own actual past just as well. As the show grows older, I want to see more of that.
The themes of this episode deal with how we recognize growth and change, and how we re-assess ourselves to make the best decisions to adapt to those changes. For the main, these are classic stories relating to parents and the growth of their children (The Pool, Randall / Beth, Kate), for Kevin, it's a more personal story looking inwards.
The pool storyline doesn't give us a huge amount of story that we haven't seen before, just simply that the kids are growing up and Jack and Rebecca have to recognize that. We revisit some of the same troubling behaviors as we have seen in the past; Kevin deliberately embarrasses Randall in front of his friends, and Rebecca fears the worst when some popular girls suddenly take an interest in Kate. What makes this episode different however, is the self-awareness that the children bring to these more grown-up situations. In a particularly powerful moment, Kevin (like his future-self) looks inwards, and asks his father if he is a good person. While Kate, when realizes she has been set-up by her popular classmates, makes the best of the situation rather than self-destructing. It ends up being a great story because, even though the kids are growing up, and we see Jack and Rebecca reacting to this, we also see the kids start to develop their own senses of self that we recognize in them as adults.
The Beth / Randall story is split into two, with Beth's worry over Tess' new haircut threatens to hurt Tess' self-confidence, and Randall is overprotective when he accompanies Deja on a trail school-run and a strange person sits next to her on the bus. The Beth / Tess story is OK, although I would question the similarities Beth has here with Rebecca as a parent. I would think Beth is more empowering than the show is giving her credit for here? No? Randall's story is more of what we've seen before. I continue to like the portrayal of the growth of the children characters; the new hair, and Deja texting Malik as the bus route so happens to drive past where he works.
The Kate / Toby story is a trickier one. Oh sure, it works from a plot perspective, a care worker comes over to assess the situation now that their baby, who is blind, is home. Kevin, Rebecca and Miguel are also there as support. We learn that Kevin has been fundamental in this period of adjustment, and that Kate, while seemingly fine on the service, has been overeating to cope with the stresses the situation brings. The story also has some strong moments; Kate's speech near the end about how her home will be a house of hope is amazing, although it is clear that she is masking some self-doubt and guilt around this situation. We also see that Toby has been losing weight, and are treated to a reveal that Toby has been secretly going to the gym without telling Kate. This story will need some greater exploring, as at the moment it doesn't track. Why the secrecy? Why now, after all this time, has Toby committed to losing weight? I hope, and trust, that Toby's motivations will be explored so we can understand the eventual conflict from both sides.
Finally, the Kevin story is surprisingly strong.We learn in a sweet scene with Kevin and the baby that he has reached over 180 days of sobriety, and we see that in a lot of ways, it is helping him life a better life. He is a rawer, stronger actor, he's taking care of a houseplant, and he has been their to support Kate and Toby. However, Kevin is soon faced with a decision of whether to take a job out in Chicago, and rightly worries that some of the support mechanisms he has in place, namely his family, the people that he can look after, will threaten his sobriety. In a moment that This Is Us tends to do very well, the past helps inform the present, where Young Jack and Young Kevin's conversation by the pool (the 'Am I a good person' one) in which Jack tells Kevin to surround himself with people he loves and can look after, sees Kevin decide to go to see his Uncle Nicky, who from the premiere, we know needs some support. I'm not sure why I like the Kevin story so much, I think it's just so nuanced, and really digs deep. Also, I would imagine we are going to be treated to a Kevin / Cassidy (from last week's Premiere) pairing in the future - which feels exciting.
So there we have it. It's a strong, classic This is Us episode; B+.
MODERN FAMILY: "Snapped" (Season 11, Episode 2)
Two out of the three stories were of a higher quality than expected on this week's MODERN FAMILY, which continues to limp out of the gate towards its Series Finale. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing any long game at play for the final season, with the story-lines, like last week's Premiere, mostly self-contained and as disparate as ever.
Don't get me wrong, the Mitch / Cam refrigerator story is ridiculous, not to mention implausible, as we are not quite there with the technology. However, the actors rise to the occasion and the result is a few laugh out loud moments, such as Mitch signing the 'Shallow' duet with Bridget (the refrigerator), and Bridget equally showing that she has retained information from both Mitch and Cam, igniting a conflict between them. It's stupid, sure, but for whatever reason this one tickled me. Of course, once the conflict is out in the open, it doesn't really go anywhere, and doesn't hit home on any more dramatic realizations such as, hey, I don't know, why they both felt the need to bond with a refrigerator in the first place.
The Phil / Gloria story, where Phil becomes convinced that Gloria injured her rival classmate is a classic Modern Family farce, with some funny moments that got a laugh or two out of me. The clever repetition of the 'Snapped' TV show (that seeped into other stories, which is about the only link we got between the three stories this week), and the bit with Gloria filing her nails in the classroom were particular winners.
The Claire story, unfortunately, becomes old within about 4 seconds, as she tries to keep everyone out of the house by pretending to be sick, so that a business magazine can film her for a photo-shoot. The story, like many on this show nowadays, comes across too harshly, and doesn't go anywhere. At about the 5th time of Claire mentioning some ridiculous reason as to why one of her children need to leave the house, it's almost cringe-worthy.
Also, Alex comes home from Antarctica, and no one cares. She turns up at the door and Claire hurries her out to get some soup, without even so much as a hello. The worst bit about Alex's return is that she shivers in all of her scenes, like Antarctica is so cold that even though she has spent what must be a 8 hour+ flight plus travel in the warm sunshine of LA, she hasn't defrosted yet. What? Is that supposed to be funny?
Marginal improvement from last week; C.
SUPERSTORE "Testimonials" (Season 5, Episode 2)
The main story, where the workers all struggle to give Mateo strong testimonials for his deportation lawyer is some solid character stuff, with the montage in Amy's office particularly effective. What elevates the story however is the final realization by the lawyer that ICE may have been called in by Corporate, which would be illegal during the labor dispute that was going on at the time. The scene where Amy tries and fails to trick Corporate into admitting this is particularly hilarious. The conclusion is clever with a bit of an emotional punch, as Jeff agrees to go on record to say he was present when Corporate decided to call in ICE, thanks to a photo placed in Mateo's possession by Cheyenne. Mateo would have been proud.
Mateo's sudden release from detainment in the closing tag does unfortunately feel a big tacked on, and I wish the show had spent slightly more time on his release. However the show makes clear that this is just the beginning, as he will need to fight the ongoing attempts to deport him.
The rest of the episode is fine. Sandra is convinced that Dina is throwing her a surprise engagement party, and the more Dina denies it, the more convinced Sandra is. Of course, Jonah cannot resist throwing her a party anyway, and there was a neat character moment where Jonah basically admits now that he has the idea in his head, he wants to do it regardless.
A solid episode; B.
MOM "Pop Pop and a Puma" (Season 7, Episode 2)
I'm not particularly fond that this is the second episode in a row that deals with Christy working at Adam's bar. I don't think these stories are particularly effective, and they aren't exactly unique to the world that this show has created. This isn't a workplace comedy, and the stories set here tend to fall flat. There is, granted, some comedic potential to an alcoholic working at a bar, but although the show has explored this in the past, it feels like that is not a well that the show wants to mine, so therefore, what's the point?
Of course, one could argue that the story isn't about Christy working at the bar, but about a Christy / Adam conflict putting Bonnie in the position where she has to choose sides. Now this is the story that should have been explored further. I would have been perfectly happy if everything that happened at the bar occurred off-screen, it could have even been funnier if we had heard the conflict as Bonnie did, through their explanation and interpretation of it.
The exploration and conclusion of this story is redeemed somewhat by the show digging a bit deeper, by leaning into Christy acting as a teenager, Marjorie suspects that Christy is reacting this way because it brings up memories of the abandonment she has already gone through with Bonnie as a Mother. It also yields some laughs, such as Bonnie admitting and then continuing to simply agree with whoever has the last word.
The subplot is standard sitcom fair, with Jill outshining her new boyfriend, Andy, at the gym, causing him to feel insecure. The Andy / Jill pairing was very effective last season, but I would like to see the specificity of their relationship, in particular their two vastly different backgrounds colliding, continued to be explored.
Finally, the running bit with Wendy's hair, and the mimicking of 'Orlando' by the other characters, was very funny.
Not as a strong as last week, but still a good half-hour; B-.
THE GOOD PLACE "A Girl From Arizona (Part 2)" (Season 4, Episode 2)
After watching the concluding part to THE GOOD PLACE's two-parter it's pretty safe to say that these episodes never should have been separated. While the show is still struggling to ground some of the stories in anything remotely relatable, the long scene in the middle of the show between Eleanor and Michael, where Michael gives Eleanor a pep-talk saying that a girl from Arizona is exactly the type of person that can save humanity, pretty much saves the day. It does exactly what the show needs, grounds the zaniness in a relatable, human way. Who hasn't had a crisis of confidence like that? They need to continue to do this, to explore all the craziness from the very human perspectives of the four leads. It's also acted exceptionally by Kristen Bell and Ted Danson.
Michael's pep-talk works, and spurs Eleanor into action. She immediately links Chidi and Simone to try and get Chidi to convince Simone to take her situation seriously, and that this is not all happening inside of her head. The resulting scene is incredibly sweet and complex. You buy the attraction between Chidi and Simone, they are intellects, and their banter and dialogue is smart and witty. However, you also feel for Eleanor, who is breaking apart on the inside.
The rest of the show is also enjoyable. Brent's utter pigheadedness is played so well, and I love that even when he is on a faux-talk show where the other guests talk about their humanitarian achievements, that he can talk about stocks and shares and general bullshit and still not blink an eyelid. Brent is reflective of pretty much everything that's wrong with society today in the real-world, not to mention similarities between Trump, and other figures in power. It will be good if the show could lean into that aspect heavier, paralleling the misgivings and ultimate corruption that is occurring in the real-world.
The Jason / Janet stuff, I'm going to be honest, I didn't really pay much attention to. It does nothing for me.
FRESH OFF THE BOAT "College" (Season 5, Episode 2)
This was a bit of a flat episode of FOTB, with some wasted potential. Louis and Jessica take Eddie to a tour of UCLA to visit Eddie's cousin, where Jessica realizes that this 'safety school' actually has some really high standards, and of course, worries that Eddie is not up to the challenge. In addition, she tries to keep Louis from telling Eddie that back in her college days, she was a bit of a wild child.
It's an OK story, but there's potential that in my opinion doesn't get explored. Firstly, let's stop and take a look at the character of Eddie. Do we really buy that Jessica actually believes for one second that Eddie can get into Harvard? How is Eddie doing academically? How realistic is this scenario? None of this really gets explored, so it's hard to tell exactly what we are supposed to feel here. Secondly, I was hoping that the references to Jessica's time in college would result in a strong flashback style episode as FOTB has done in the past. However, while we get some scenes of Jessica in college, they are mainly there for comedic relief (and not even really that comedic) rather than to add anything to the story.
The second story in this episode is Evan, Emery and Grandma exploring Los Angeles. This is a classic, 'my show doesn't take place in LA but is filmed in LA so let's get the characters out for some cheap location shots when the story dictates they go to LA', type fare. The references to Y2K, while funny, doesn't really equal a story.
A lot of wasted potential; C.
In summary:
This is Us: B+
Superstore: B
The Good Place: B
Mom: B-
Modern Family: C
Fresh Off the Boat: C
Sunday, 29 September 2019
Carol's Second Act - Pilot Review
Hi all,
In addition to our returning shows, this week we watched 2 new pilots, both comedies, to see if any made the cut to our regularly scheduled programming.
CAROL'S SECOND ACT "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1)
I was a huge fan of THE MIDDLE (and still am, boy do I miss that show), and would often catch re-runs of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, so it was perhaps no surprise that we tuned in to watch Patricia Heaton's latest sitcom vehicle, a CBS Multi-Cam called "Carol's Second Act".
CBS multi-cams (loosely defined as a more typical sitcom with a laugh track) aren't really at the top of my list when I think about what Pilots I want to watch, but what the hell, it's only 22 minutes, right? Although, last time I said that, I ended up watching 2 Broke Girls for all 6 seasons.
Multi-cam Pilots are extremely tricky to get right. Not only do you have significant time constraints in establishing character and plot, you have to hit a high laughs-per-minute ratio to really sell the format. Unfortunately, Carol's Second Act struggled in both. Sometimes it felt that it was through the pure will of Patricia Heaton's energy that the show held itself together at all.
The characters are unfortunately predictable and anemic. Each of them kitted out with one defining trait to see them through the first episode before they can (presumably) be fleshed out in episodes to come. The writing leaves a lot to be desired, the jokes simply aren't clever or funny as a consequence of trying to establish too much. As is a common hazard for sitcom pilots, there is too much going on to let the show breathe a bit, and for characters and actors to find their flow in a scene and bounce off each other. Instead a scene is hurried through: PLOT, JOKE, PLOT, JOKE, LAUGH, EXIT, NEXT SCENE. HURRY, HURRY, HURRY.
There are two nuggets of potential, the pairing of Carol and Kyle MacLachlan's characters and the introduction of Carol's daughter near the end of the episode, who is a pharma-rep and could add some actual interesting conflict into the show that could be mined for some comedy. However, a lot of the success of the show will depend on the writers honing in and focusing their stories on what they want this show to ultimately be about. If it's actually about Carol's Second Act, then lay off the Grey's Anatomy style cohort of interns and their associated dynamics and really dig deep into Carol's journey, there's a lot of potential there. If the show is more of an ensemble grounded by the cohort of interns, then quickly round out those other three characters in a way that feels specific, fresh and exciting. Hell, if it's about the current state of the medical profession and the clash between Doctors and Big Pharma, then let's explore that. Don't try to do all three at once, you won't get anywhere. Pick a lane. Commit. Like MOM, you can always re-tool and refine if it doesn't work out.
The grading curve is more forgiving on a Pilot, particularly multi-cams, so I award this one a D.
In addition to our returning shows, this week we watched 2 new pilots, both comedies, to see if any made the cut to our regularly scheduled programming.
CAROL'S SECOND ACT "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1)
I was a huge fan of THE MIDDLE (and still am, boy do I miss that show), and would often catch re-runs of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, so it was perhaps no surprise that we tuned in to watch Patricia Heaton's latest sitcom vehicle, a CBS Multi-Cam called "Carol's Second Act".
CBS multi-cams (loosely defined as a more typical sitcom with a laugh track) aren't really at the top of my list when I think about what Pilots I want to watch, but what the hell, it's only 22 minutes, right? Although, last time I said that, I ended up watching 2 Broke Girls for all 6 seasons.
Multi-cam Pilots are extremely tricky to get right. Not only do you have significant time constraints in establishing character and plot, you have to hit a high laughs-per-minute ratio to really sell the format. Unfortunately, Carol's Second Act struggled in both. Sometimes it felt that it was through the pure will of Patricia Heaton's energy that the show held itself together at all.
The characters are unfortunately predictable and anemic. Each of them kitted out with one defining trait to see them through the first episode before they can (presumably) be fleshed out in episodes to come. The writing leaves a lot to be desired, the jokes simply aren't clever or funny as a consequence of trying to establish too much. As is a common hazard for sitcom pilots, there is too much going on to let the show breathe a bit, and for characters and actors to find their flow in a scene and bounce off each other. Instead a scene is hurried through: PLOT, JOKE, PLOT, JOKE, LAUGH, EXIT, NEXT SCENE. HURRY, HURRY, HURRY.
There are two nuggets of potential, the pairing of Carol and Kyle MacLachlan's characters and the introduction of Carol's daughter near the end of the episode, who is a pharma-rep and could add some actual interesting conflict into the show that could be mined for some comedy. However, a lot of the success of the show will depend on the writers honing in and focusing their stories on what they want this show to ultimately be about. If it's actually about Carol's Second Act, then lay off the Grey's Anatomy style cohort of interns and their associated dynamics and really dig deep into Carol's journey, there's a lot of potential there. If the show is more of an ensemble grounded by the cohort of interns, then quickly round out those other three characters in a way that feels specific, fresh and exciting. Hell, if it's about the current state of the medical profession and the clash between Doctors and Big Pharma, then let's explore that. Don't try to do all three at once, you won't get anywhere. Pick a lane. Commit. Like MOM, you can always re-tool and refine if it doesn't work out.
The grading curve is more forgiving on a Pilot, particularly multi-cams, so I award this one a D.
TV Reviews: 2019 Season Premiere Week (23 - 27 SEP)
Welcome, to the 2019-20 TV Season for the American Networks! While the excitement of Premiere Week and a new season has somewhat diminished over the last ten or so years, there is something still quite exciting about approaching the colder and darker weather knowing you're about to return to watching the familiar comforts of the shows and characters you have grown to enjoy, and hopefully finding some new ones!
In this post I will write about my thoughts to the following returning shows that we watch in my household. They are: This Is Us, Modern Family, Superstore, The Good Place, Mom & Fresh Off The Boat.
Most of these shows we have watched from the beginning (I think we came into Modern Family around Season 3), and currently they range from us full on hate-watching to watching with a genuine love for the show.
I hope you enjoy.
THIS IS US: "Strangers" (Season 4, Episode 1)
There has been some hype over the summer, alongside the premiere trailer, about the new faces on the block. Who are they? Why are they here? Why should we care? This, alongside interviews by the creator indicating a 'risk' being taken with the premiere, piqued my interest. However, not to worry, it's really nothing more than a more heavy-handed, over-hyped approach of introducing some new characters to interact with the old.
Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, and the deep exploration we get of Cassidy (the troubled Marine), Malik (the teenager who wants more for the daughter he is raising) and Jack (the charming, blind singer), shows that the writers are investing heavily in fleshing these characters out before letting them loose on the rest of the established cast. I'm ultimately not opposed to this; longer running series often make the mistake of rushing in half-thought out, newer 'splashy' characters into established shows to keep them from going stale, so it is good to watch This Is Us trying not to fall into that trap.
This does mean that many of the existing characters, namely the triplets, are sacrificed and do not receive much screen-time. When you want to hook your audience back in to your show in a crowded premiere week, should you really sacrifice the characters they know and love right off the bat? Personally, I think it works, but from a commercial standpoint I can understand the 'risk' that was being taken here.
And it works because the three stories that introduce Cassidy, Malik and Jack to the show are strong and engaging, so it makes for an interesting episode. In addition, a powerful thread about Jack meeting Rebecca's parents anchor the show and help with that sense of familiarity. Although the show struggles sometimes to wade out of the melodrama of its own long speeches, the one Jack gives to Rebecca's parents at the country club dinner is powerful, in particular in his rebuttal to Vietnam 'not being a real war'. The writers were clever to utilize the built in emotion that audiences have of seeing Jack in Vietnam last season, and the resulting speech Jack provides as to why Vietnam felt very real to him hits the mark. It's a great example of a show, now four years on, utilizing their in-show backstory to provide an emotionally authentic and specific moment for Jack, that we can relate to. All in all, it was an episode highlight.
In addition, the ending montage which links the new characters to the established ones, is also satisfying. In a neat twist and call-back to the Pilot, one of the character's stories is revealed to be from the future, as we discover that Jack is actually Kate and Toby's son. The most interesting new character, Cassidy, gets the most tenuous link (for now), but it's mystery in how she will be further linked into the show leaves me wanting more. Also, her husband is played by former Revenge actor Nick Wechsler (hi!). One slightly off-note is that we didn't need to hear Jack sing, especially a song that isn't particularly engaging and heavily auto-tuned.
Overall, I would rate the premiere a solid B.
MODERN FAMILY: "New Kids on the Block" (Season 11, Episode 1)
Let's get this over with, shall we?
Now limping into its final season, the premiere offered more of the same issues that have plagued the series for several years now. There are two in particular; the huge number of principal cast members to service results in weak, badly fleshed out stories that miss their mark, and the over-reliance on lazy and predictable character beats to propel the stories forward. Both issues are out in full force in this episode, with a particularly disastrous story offered to Mitch and Cam. If anyone couldn't map out every story beat that this storyline offered us, then you obviously haven't seen the show before.
The Haley / Claire / Phil story had some neat potential as it was a classic story of differing parental approaches in caring for babies. This is the story where there was the most opportunity to pack a bit of an emotional punch, whether it's Haley realizing that she could learn a lot from her Claire and Phil or vice versa. Unfortunately, this was all squandered by cheap sight gags and cold and calculated behavior from Claire and Phil. It was just painful to watch, although the sight gag of Haley hurling her way up to the roof and through the window did elicit a smirk.
The Manny radio advertisement story also lost it's way very quickly. I can't even remember Manny's ex-girlfriend (I assume she was in the previous season?) and the gag of her responding positively to Manny's critics got old within about 30 seconds.
Finally, the thread of Alex interrupting the different stories with her tales from Antarctica added approximately nothing to the show, and the revelation that she was only staying there to make Jay proud of her feels forced and makes no sense. Since when has Alex been portrayed as someone that needs approval from her Grandfather?
I am really hoping that, as they chart their way through the final season of the show, that the writers can create some strong, pointed character/story arcs that see the show off the airwaves. However, I imagine they will try to do too much to service every character, and ultimately service none.
Sorry Modern Family, but I give you a D.
SUPERSTORE "Cloud 9.0" (Season 5, Episode 1)
Superstore did not disappoint in its premiere. Coming off the back of a truly gut-punching finale last season, there is always a little worry that Superstore would undermine itself by returning to the status-quo too quickly. However, it appears that we are in safe hands as Mateo appears only briefly in the premiere in a haunting little scene where he relays to Cheyenne how much he is struggling in the detention center. A little goes a long way in portraying such serious (and not to mention topically and politically relevant) issues, and the writers and producers appear to have recognized this. The treatment of Cheyenne's reaction to everything was also on-point, and authentic to her character. It was both funny and painfully sad, with the balance executed well.
And boy, was the show funny. From the opening tag where Dina belts out the end of the commercial to the antics of the robot floor cleaner, everything in this show just clicks.
The unionization thread is one that is particularly interesting to me about Superstore at the moment. It's a story thread that was once explored before (I want to say, end of Season 1?) but was crescendo'd too quickly and then dropped. However, Superstore has grown a lot in the resulting years, in both its confidence in the way it tells its stories to understanding what works and what doesn't with its characters. The union thread is a tricky story to tell, because you want your characters to win, yet winning in this context (whether that's through unionization and / or the recognition of it by Corporate) would be unrealistic because it is a story bigger than the one store, and ultimately bigger than the show itself. It's those exact types of risky stories that I love, and precious few shows are clever enough to do them justice. Superstore has always subtly used its comedy and platform to make social commentary on Corporations vs. the Little Guy, and the positioning of Amy between the two worlds I think will make for some fascinating developments, particularly if they anchor it in the Amy / Jonah relationship.
The robot cleaner, the fact that he is called Glen (with one N) and the sight gags of it pushing Glenn on the ladder, and recovering from being pushed off the roof, are hilarious. The character of Glenn had a bit of a rocky transition in Season 4 when the power-dynamics shifted between him and Amy, and sometimes Glenn was a bit too annoying or over-the-top in his interactions as they tried to re-work the character to fit into this new world. In my opinion, a little of Glenn goes a long way, and I think they found the right balance in this episode in his feud with the robot cleaner!
The plot to break Mateo out yielded some laughs, and the conclusion, where they have Dina justify her guilt at not finding an escape route for Mateo to the fact that she was upset that her birds were let out by Garrett, and thereby pinning it on him to make herself feel better, was very satisfying. I love that they haven't dropped the bird plot, it's the gift that keeps on giving.
And of course, who could forget about Sandra! The thread about her never being quite able to announce her engagement, and that stellar scene with her nemesis provided a little bit of intrigue as to what will happen next.
In conclusion, a great start to the season: A.
THE GOOD PLACE "A Girl from Arizona (Part 1)" (Season 4, Episode 1)
I must admit, I was a little disappointed in The Good Place premiere. It felt a little too busy to really hone in on any story effectively and the result felt a bit flat. In addition, I'm not really sure why this was made a two-parter, if not only to almost apologize that this does not work as a stand-alone episode. I'm interested to see how the second episode fairs, but I suspect this may have worked better as an hour-long premiere (and perhaps, based on how this was written, this was how it was intended).
The emotional sucker-punch of the Elena / Chidi relationship being destroyed in the finale is not really picked back up and explored here, although one must imagine the devastation Elena is feeling must be hugely significant. However, we move swiftly onto Elena introducing three new humans into the Good Place.
The introduction of these humans provide some light comedy; the beats with the un-enthused Linda were hilarious and the introduction of the bigot Brent and Simone convincing herself she is making up the world in her mind were satisfactory.
The Good Place often makes the misstep of stagnating on certain jokes, characters or concepts in its storytelling, and in this episode the character of Derek outstays his welcome. Derek is one-note, and the plot point exploring the triangle between Derek, Jason and Janet is too inconsequential to be interesting.
The revelation of Linda as a demon in disguise and the resulting replacement of Linda by Chidi makes sense, although I sort of though Chidi was already one of the four in the experiment? But that's just my lapse in memory more than anything.
It's difficult to try and establish what the arcs will be on The Good Place, because in particularly Seasons 2 and 3, the plotting moves to quickly and jerky for anything to really become too established in its narrative. However, the idea that the team have to work to really understand the four humans in the experiment and then use that knowledge to make them better people has potential.
All in all, I would rate this episode as a C.
MOM "Audrey Hepburn and a Jalapeno Pepper" (Season 7, Episode 1)
How are we already on Season 7 of this show!? It feels like a much younger show, and that is nothing but a compliment. When you think about it, because of the significant re-tooling of the show in its first 3 years, this version of MOM has really only been around for 3 seasons.
New this season is Kristen Johntson's promotion to the principal cast. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Oh sure, Tammy is a funny character, yet her arc was her rehabilitation from prison. Now that she is sticking around, what is her role in the group? I wonder what the value is in having yet another character to service. I would prefer more screen-time with Wendy, as her more quiet nature brings something a bit different to the group.
This episode provides two chunky stories for each of the main leads. Bonnie's story works best. It is very funny to hear her inner monologues as she struggles to enjoy herself on her honeymoon in the mountains, and the beats with Adam's glasses really worked for me. As they often do on MOM, this story feels very authentic and specific to these characters. The transition of Bonnie into a mentor for new character Patty also felt fresh and exciting for the Bonnie character, particularly when Bonnie advises Patty with the same piece of advise that Marjorie imparted on her near the beginning of the episode. It's an implicit acknowledgement of how much Bonnie values that relationship, without hitting us over the head with it.
Christy's plot worked less well. Contrary to Bonnie's story, this one could be placed quite neatly into episodes of many shows airing today. The confusion around the new clockwise system of numbering the tables, and the counting to 4 when pouring measures were written and delivered well. However all in all, it really just served as a way to keep all the other characters busy while Bonnie's story delivered the classic 'MOM' brand of storytelling.
Overall, a solid B.
FRESH OFF THE BOAT "Help Unwanted" (Season 6, Episode 1)
A somewhat unexpected Season 6 (especially for Constance Wu) for this little gem of a show starts off on a relatively typical note. There are some funny moments, including pretty much anything that comes out of Jessica's mouth (again, not too surprising) and the adorable Evan beats, complete with blinky eyes of his beanie babies.
The Evan story is a strong one, acknowledging Evan's advancing age but in it's own FOTB way. The pairing of Louis and Eddie works as they both try to talk with Evan about the hormonal changes in his body as he starts to develop 'the tingles' for the opposite sex. As I mentioned, the blinking eyes of both Evan and his beanie babies is extremely funny, and continues to hold up even though when Eddie walks in to the room to try and accomplish what Louis couldn't, you know what's coming. The conclusion, where Evan educates himself on what's going on with him from books and the involvement of Grandma Jenny elevates the story further. A personal highlight was the use of the familiar "Yeahhhh" sound when Evan explains Eddie is approaching his sexual peak, which then changes into a "Noooo" when Evan explains to Eddie that it's all downhill after that.
The other main story is more typical and less effective. It's a Honey / Jessica pairing and deals with the two at odds when a conflict (Honey advising Emery to pick drama as his elective) results in them giving each other permission to meddle in each other's lives if it is for their own good. As typical with this sort of story, the meddling by both escalates into ridiculousness that is somewhat predictable. Although, Honey buying the Grandma a megaphone, and the continued use of that megaphone provides a couple of laugh out loud moments.
Overall, not bad: B-.
So there we have it, welcome back to the season all!
Episode Rankings:
Superstore: B
Mom: B
This Is Us: B
Fresh Off The Boat: B-
The Good Place: C
Modern Family: D
In this post I will write about my thoughts to the following returning shows that we watch in my household. They are: This Is Us, Modern Family, Superstore, The Good Place, Mom & Fresh Off The Boat.
Most of these shows we have watched from the beginning (I think we came into Modern Family around Season 3), and currently they range from us full on hate-watching to watching with a genuine love for the show.
I hope you enjoy.
THIS IS US: "Strangers" (Season 4, Episode 1)
There has been some hype over the summer, alongside the premiere trailer, about the new faces on the block. Who are they? Why are they here? Why should we care? This, alongside interviews by the creator indicating a 'risk' being taken with the premiere, piqued my interest. However, not to worry, it's really nothing more than a more heavy-handed, over-hyped approach of introducing some new characters to interact with the old.
Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, and the deep exploration we get of Cassidy (the troubled Marine), Malik (the teenager who wants more for the daughter he is raising) and Jack (the charming, blind singer), shows that the writers are investing heavily in fleshing these characters out before letting them loose on the rest of the established cast. I'm ultimately not opposed to this; longer running series often make the mistake of rushing in half-thought out, newer 'splashy' characters into established shows to keep them from going stale, so it is good to watch This Is Us trying not to fall into that trap.
This does mean that many of the existing characters, namely the triplets, are sacrificed and do not receive much screen-time. When you want to hook your audience back in to your show in a crowded premiere week, should you really sacrifice the characters they know and love right off the bat? Personally, I think it works, but from a commercial standpoint I can understand the 'risk' that was being taken here.
And it works because the three stories that introduce Cassidy, Malik and Jack to the show are strong and engaging, so it makes for an interesting episode. In addition, a powerful thread about Jack meeting Rebecca's parents anchor the show and help with that sense of familiarity. Although the show struggles sometimes to wade out of the melodrama of its own long speeches, the one Jack gives to Rebecca's parents at the country club dinner is powerful, in particular in his rebuttal to Vietnam 'not being a real war'. The writers were clever to utilize the built in emotion that audiences have of seeing Jack in Vietnam last season, and the resulting speech Jack provides as to why Vietnam felt very real to him hits the mark. It's a great example of a show, now four years on, utilizing their in-show backstory to provide an emotionally authentic and specific moment for Jack, that we can relate to. All in all, it was an episode highlight.
In addition, the ending montage which links the new characters to the established ones, is also satisfying. In a neat twist and call-back to the Pilot, one of the character's stories is revealed to be from the future, as we discover that Jack is actually Kate and Toby's son. The most interesting new character, Cassidy, gets the most tenuous link (for now), but it's mystery in how she will be further linked into the show leaves me wanting more. Also, her husband is played by former Revenge actor Nick Wechsler (hi!). One slightly off-note is that we didn't need to hear Jack sing, especially a song that isn't particularly engaging and heavily auto-tuned.
Overall, I would rate the premiere a solid B.
MODERN FAMILY: "New Kids on the Block" (Season 11, Episode 1)
Let's get this over with, shall we?
Now limping into its final season, the premiere offered more of the same issues that have plagued the series for several years now. There are two in particular; the huge number of principal cast members to service results in weak, badly fleshed out stories that miss their mark, and the over-reliance on lazy and predictable character beats to propel the stories forward. Both issues are out in full force in this episode, with a particularly disastrous story offered to Mitch and Cam. If anyone couldn't map out every story beat that this storyline offered us, then you obviously haven't seen the show before.
The Haley / Claire / Phil story had some neat potential as it was a classic story of differing parental approaches in caring for babies. This is the story where there was the most opportunity to pack a bit of an emotional punch, whether it's Haley realizing that she could learn a lot from her Claire and Phil or vice versa. Unfortunately, this was all squandered by cheap sight gags and cold and calculated behavior from Claire and Phil. It was just painful to watch, although the sight gag of Haley hurling her way up to the roof and through the window did elicit a smirk.
The Manny radio advertisement story also lost it's way very quickly. I can't even remember Manny's ex-girlfriend (I assume she was in the previous season?) and the gag of her responding positively to Manny's critics got old within about 30 seconds.
Finally, the thread of Alex interrupting the different stories with her tales from Antarctica added approximately nothing to the show, and the revelation that she was only staying there to make Jay proud of her feels forced and makes no sense. Since when has Alex been portrayed as someone that needs approval from her Grandfather?
I am really hoping that, as they chart their way through the final season of the show, that the writers can create some strong, pointed character/story arcs that see the show off the airwaves. However, I imagine they will try to do too much to service every character, and ultimately service none.
Sorry Modern Family, but I give you a D.
SUPERSTORE "Cloud 9.0" (Season 5, Episode 1)
Superstore did not disappoint in its premiere. Coming off the back of a truly gut-punching finale last season, there is always a little worry that Superstore would undermine itself by returning to the status-quo too quickly. However, it appears that we are in safe hands as Mateo appears only briefly in the premiere in a haunting little scene where he relays to Cheyenne how much he is struggling in the detention center. A little goes a long way in portraying such serious (and not to mention topically and politically relevant) issues, and the writers and producers appear to have recognized this. The treatment of Cheyenne's reaction to everything was also on-point, and authentic to her character. It was both funny and painfully sad, with the balance executed well.
And boy, was the show funny. From the opening tag where Dina belts out the end of the commercial to the antics of the robot floor cleaner, everything in this show just clicks.
The unionization thread is one that is particularly interesting to me about Superstore at the moment. It's a story thread that was once explored before (I want to say, end of Season 1?) but was crescendo'd too quickly and then dropped. However, Superstore has grown a lot in the resulting years, in both its confidence in the way it tells its stories to understanding what works and what doesn't with its characters. The union thread is a tricky story to tell, because you want your characters to win, yet winning in this context (whether that's through unionization and / or the recognition of it by Corporate) would be unrealistic because it is a story bigger than the one store, and ultimately bigger than the show itself. It's those exact types of risky stories that I love, and precious few shows are clever enough to do them justice. Superstore has always subtly used its comedy and platform to make social commentary on Corporations vs. the Little Guy, and the positioning of Amy between the two worlds I think will make for some fascinating developments, particularly if they anchor it in the Amy / Jonah relationship.
The robot cleaner, the fact that he is called Glen (with one N) and the sight gags of it pushing Glenn on the ladder, and recovering from being pushed off the roof, are hilarious. The character of Glenn had a bit of a rocky transition in Season 4 when the power-dynamics shifted between him and Amy, and sometimes Glenn was a bit too annoying or over-the-top in his interactions as they tried to re-work the character to fit into this new world. In my opinion, a little of Glenn goes a long way, and I think they found the right balance in this episode in his feud with the robot cleaner!
The plot to break Mateo out yielded some laughs, and the conclusion, where they have Dina justify her guilt at not finding an escape route for Mateo to the fact that she was upset that her birds were let out by Garrett, and thereby pinning it on him to make herself feel better, was very satisfying. I love that they haven't dropped the bird plot, it's the gift that keeps on giving.
And of course, who could forget about Sandra! The thread about her never being quite able to announce her engagement, and that stellar scene with her nemesis provided a little bit of intrigue as to what will happen next.
In conclusion, a great start to the season: A.
THE GOOD PLACE "A Girl from Arizona (Part 1)" (Season 4, Episode 1)
I must admit, I was a little disappointed in The Good Place premiere. It felt a little too busy to really hone in on any story effectively and the result felt a bit flat. In addition, I'm not really sure why this was made a two-parter, if not only to almost apologize that this does not work as a stand-alone episode. I'm interested to see how the second episode fairs, but I suspect this may have worked better as an hour-long premiere (and perhaps, based on how this was written, this was how it was intended).
The emotional sucker-punch of the Elena / Chidi relationship being destroyed in the finale is not really picked back up and explored here, although one must imagine the devastation Elena is feeling must be hugely significant. However, we move swiftly onto Elena introducing three new humans into the Good Place.
The introduction of these humans provide some light comedy; the beats with the un-enthused Linda were hilarious and the introduction of the bigot Brent and Simone convincing herself she is making up the world in her mind were satisfactory.
The Good Place often makes the misstep of stagnating on certain jokes, characters or concepts in its storytelling, and in this episode the character of Derek outstays his welcome. Derek is one-note, and the plot point exploring the triangle between Derek, Jason and Janet is too inconsequential to be interesting.
The revelation of Linda as a demon in disguise and the resulting replacement of Linda by Chidi makes sense, although I sort of though Chidi was already one of the four in the experiment? But that's just my lapse in memory more than anything.
It's difficult to try and establish what the arcs will be on The Good Place, because in particularly Seasons 2 and 3, the plotting moves to quickly and jerky for anything to really become too established in its narrative. However, the idea that the team have to work to really understand the four humans in the experiment and then use that knowledge to make them better people has potential.
All in all, I would rate this episode as a C.
MOM "Audrey Hepburn and a Jalapeno Pepper" (Season 7, Episode 1)
How are we already on Season 7 of this show!? It feels like a much younger show, and that is nothing but a compliment. When you think about it, because of the significant re-tooling of the show in its first 3 years, this version of MOM has really only been around for 3 seasons.
New this season is Kristen Johntson's promotion to the principal cast. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Oh sure, Tammy is a funny character, yet her arc was her rehabilitation from prison. Now that she is sticking around, what is her role in the group? I wonder what the value is in having yet another character to service. I would prefer more screen-time with Wendy, as her more quiet nature brings something a bit different to the group.
This episode provides two chunky stories for each of the main leads. Bonnie's story works best. It is very funny to hear her inner monologues as she struggles to enjoy herself on her honeymoon in the mountains, and the beats with Adam's glasses really worked for me. As they often do on MOM, this story feels very authentic and specific to these characters. The transition of Bonnie into a mentor for new character Patty also felt fresh and exciting for the Bonnie character, particularly when Bonnie advises Patty with the same piece of advise that Marjorie imparted on her near the beginning of the episode. It's an implicit acknowledgement of how much Bonnie values that relationship, without hitting us over the head with it.
Christy's plot worked less well. Contrary to Bonnie's story, this one could be placed quite neatly into episodes of many shows airing today. The confusion around the new clockwise system of numbering the tables, and the counting to 4 when pouring measures were written and delivered well. However all in all, it really just served as a way to keep all the other characters busy while Bonnie's story delivered the classic 'MOM' brand of storytelling.
Overall, a solid B.
FRESH OFF THE BOAT "Help Unwanted" (Season 6, Episode 1)
A somewhat unexpected Season 6 (especially for Constance Wu) for this little gem of a show starts off on a relatively typical note. There are some funny moments, including pretty much anything that comes out of Jessica's mouth (again, not too surprising) and the adorable Evan beats, complete with blinky eyes of his beanie babies.
The Evan story is a strong one, acknowledging Evan's advancing age but in it's own FOTB way. The pairing of Louis and Eddie works as they both try to talk with Evan about the hormonal changes in his body as he starts to develop 'the tingles' for the opposite sex. As I mentioned, the blinking eyes of both Evan and his beanie babies is extremely funny, and continues to hold up even though when Eddie walks in to the room to try and accomplish what Louis couldn't, you know what's coming. The conclusion, where Evan educates himself on what's going on with him from books and the involvement of Grandma Jenny elevates the story further. A personal highlight was the use of the familiar "Yeahhhh" sound when Evan explains Eddie is approaching his sexual peak, which then changes into a "Noooo" when Evan explains to Eddie that it's all downhill after that.
The other main story is more typical and less effective. It's a Honey / Jessica pairing and deals with the two at odds when a conflict (Honey advising Emery to pick drama as his elective) results in them giving each other permission to meddle in each other's lives if it is for their own good. As typical with this sort of story, the meddling by both escalates into ridiculousness that is somewhat predictable. Although, Honey buying the Grandma a megaphone, and the continued use of that megaphone provides a couple of laugh out loud moments.
Overall, not bad: B-.
So there we have it, welcome back to the season all!
Episode Rankings:
Superstore: B
Mom: B
This Is Us: B
Fresh Off The Boat: B-
The Good Place: C
Modern Family: D
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