Grade: 89%
All in all, THE NEW NORMAL looks to be a
fun new series that feels fresh and different from the standard fare.
This opinion could change as the season unfolds, but it has made a good
first impression, and on television, as in life, that is extremely
important, and not always easy to do.
Coming to NBC next week is a different
kind of family sitcom. THE NEW NORMAL is from the minds of Ryan Murphy
(Glee, American Horror Story) and Allison Adler (Chuck, No Ordinary
Family), and takes what Modern Family does a step further, with an
edgier, less traditional clan.
In 2012, we all know that not all
families look the same, but our television shows still do not reflect
the large diversity that is out there. THE NEW NORMAL may be quite
specific, making their situation less relatable, but it’s the oddness
and quirkiness that should prove entertaining. Also, seeing a group of
people in such an untraditional situation may help many find this
familiar, even if their circumstances don’t mirror exactly the mixture
shown on screen.
The premise is this: A young mother
named Goldie (Georgia King, Little Dorrit), who had daughter Shania
(Bebe Wood) as a teenager, is tired of putting her dreams on hold and
relying on her bigot grandmother, Jane (Ellen Barkin, Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas, Drop Dead Gorgeous). Jane raised Goldie after Goldie’s own
mother, who also gave birth young, split. After Goldie catches her
boyfriend cheating on her, she gets the courage needed to make a change.
This leads her, with Shania in tow, to the strange land of California.
At the same time, a gay couple named
Bryan (Andrew Rannells, Girls, The Book of Mormon) and David (Justin
Bartha, The Hangover), are ready to start a family of their own. Armed
with eggs provided by Abby (Gwyneth Paltrow, Glee, Iron Man), their
first attempt is a misstep. But then they meet Goldie, and decide she is
perfect. After she agrees to serve as their surrogate, they offer to
help her with her goals, much to the dismay of Jane, who has by now
tracked them down.
The writers of this show clearly know
what they’re talking about. Adler, herself, has gone through the
surrogate process, and both creators are gay. The situations and
characters they’ve created here feel only slightly exaggerated for
television, and are definitely well-defined enough to tug the
heartstrings. Bolstered by a terrific cast, the first episode, at least,
is a sweet story with a lot of potential.
THE NEW NORMAL does not play to
stereotypes too much. While sometimes the characters act exactly as one
might expect they would, this isn’t always the case, and there are
layers and motivations behind the various decisions they make. For
instance, Jane isn’t just a bigot because she’s old. Her husband cheated
on her with another man. It’s no wonder, then, that she is
uncomfortable around gay people, her personal experiences clouding her
overall opinion.
As to why she also is racist, well, that
isn’t clear yet. We do know that the guys have a gal named Bryan has an
assistant named Rocky (NeNe Leakes), and Jane doesn’t like her, either.
But that’s something to explore another day.
Those familiar with Murphy’s other
recent work may be expecting a song-less Glee, but hopefully this will
not be the case. Glee proved that even if a good pilot is delivered, the
story can still be wildly uneven, airing terrible weeks right after
great ones. It will be interesting to see if, with a smaller cast, and
without the structure that songs necessarily build into the story,
Murphy can maintain a high quality. He did it with American Horror Story
last year, albeit in a different genre entirely.
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