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.