Grade: 80%
CBS has a new sitcom from the creators
of Will & Grace. Called PARTNERS, the show is about two male best
friends, one gay, one straight, who have been together through it all.
They started out as childhood friends, and now design buildings
together. Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) plays Louis, the gay one, who thinks
far too frequently about himself. David Krumholtz (Numb3rs) is Joe, the
straight one, who may finally be ready to settle down and get married.
In the “Pilot,” Joe is ready to break up
with his girlfriend, Ali (Sophia Bush, One Tree Hill), when she gives
him an ultimatum: put a ring on it or else. Joe doesn’t like being
pressured. Louis tells him to listen to his gut, and Joe agrees. But
when Joe goes to Ali to end things, she preempts his prepared speech by
apologizing for her words the other day, assuring him that she isn’t
trying to pressure him into anything that he’s not ready for, and
affirming that she loves him. This attitude totally changes Joe’s mind,
and he spontaneously proposes.
Unfortunately, Louis isn’t aware of this
when he runs into Ali the next day at yoga, and accidentally lets it
slip that Joe had been planning on breaking up with her. This not only
ruins Ali and Joe’s relationship, but also causes Joe to freeze Louise
out… permanently.
I have a big problem with this entire
scenario. Is Ali and Joe’s relationship really so rocky that both
consider calling things off? If so, how does that possibly make them
ready to tie the knot? These totally opposite attitudes are not the
makings of a healthy marriage, even if they are a staple of mediocre
sitcoms. Solving emotional problems this severe between a couple neatly
in half an hour can take viewers out of the fantasy, hurting the overall
impression of the series.
Even worse is Joe’s decision to cut
Louis off completely. This is his best friend whom he has known since
they were little kids. First of all, why didn’t Joe call Louis to tell
him the good news the night he proposed, considering how close they are?
That’s what a normal person would do. Second, anger is fine, but to
sever both professional and personal ties with him for a mistake that
was understandable given the circumstances? It’s not an auspicious
start.
PARTNERS has a very good cast. Krumholtz
and Urie do a fantastic job as Joe and Louis, even if their chemistry
is not one hundred percent solid yet, selling the parts as much as can
be expected, given the material. Bush is also good, and I love Brandon
Routh (Chuck, Superman Returns) as Louis’s ditzy boyfriend. Magic can
happen with this excellent cast, all of whom have developed interesting
personalities for their roles. Just give them something worthy of their
performances.
The set, music, and tone are similar to
Will & Grace. A couple of the performers get a bit cartoonish, in a
fun way. There is a light heartedness that doesn’t take itself too
seriously. In fact, when the series tries to dig too deep into drama is
where it falls short. Making this a more recognizable comedy, not trying
to push too much seriousness on it, would play to the strengths of
those involved.
The fault with the “Pilot” seems to lie
mainly in the writing. Reducing such characters to predictable,
unrealistic situations will kill the series. Given that PARTNERS is by
the Will & Grace people, it can probably recover, and maybe even
turn into something great. The “Pilot” just does not live up to what any
of the team on this show can do. Many good shows have sprung from bad
first installments. Hopefully, PARTNERS will be one of them.
PARTNERS premieres September 24th on CBS.
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