Article first published as Moving Out of 1600 Penn on TheTVKing.
NBC's 1600 Penn is considered a long shot for renewal, and after viewing this week's season finale, I can see why. "Marry Me, Baby" finds President Dale Gilchrist (Bill Pullman) making a disparaging comment about marriage. The cable news frenzy and his political opponents latch one, and one of them discovers that Dale and Emily (Jenna Elfman) may not be legally married. Since the blunder is Skip's (Josh Gad) fault, of course, he helps Winslow (Rene Auberjonois) throw them a White House wedding.
How could a president possible get elected without someone discovering this before now? It's well established that some disapprove of his marriage to the much younger Emily. Surely, someone who doesn't like Dale would have dug up this nugget during the primaries or general election, which stretch for years, and twenty-four hour news cycles will report anything to fill the airwaves. Why does it only come out now?
Worse, all will be forgiven if they just have a ceremony now. Would Dale's detractors really just accept this? For reasonable people, a paperwork mix-up is understandable, and they would look past this. But in the modern age, those in the political arena and the pundits that report on them are often anything but reasonable. This "simple fix" in "Marry Me, Baby" feels completely inauthentic and hollow.
As if that isn't bad enough, Becca (Martha MacIsaac) goes into labor in the middle of the nuptials when Skip sings her birthing song. Dale and Emily still take a second to say "I do" before rushing her to the hospital, because every bad sitcom cliche must be touched upon before the half hour can be over. But one disaster piles on top of another to build to zany and unfunny antics.
That's the problem with 1600 Penn. Despite a charming cast, it plays way too much to convention. It has the chance to be something special, given its unique setting for a half hour comedy, and yet blows it to fit into the standard sitcom mold. It's a lot like the short-lived, hilarious That's My Bush, except that That's My Bush played to such stereotypes for effect, while 1600 Penn seems to think that's what it should be doing, rather than poking fun at itself. It needs the tongue in cheekness to work.
There are a couple of moments where it feels like this might happen. It's fantastic that Dale asks if he always hoses up traffic this much after trying to make it through the snarl caused by Becca's car. This is the sort of observational stuff that really works, and the spark of something that has kept me watching, even when I often don't want to. Unfortunately, such brilliant bits are few and far between.
The horribleness continues when Skip's long-time crush, Stacey (Susan Park), confesses to liking him in "Marry Me, Baby." Where does this come from? Stacey has been a poorly developed character since day one, willingly putting herself in situations that she doesn't want to be, with no depth given to explain the contradiction. This last minute connection between her and Skip feels tacked on and ridiculous.
That being said, there are a couple of good moments in the episode. I love when Emily and Becca connect, and admit their feelings for one another. They have been dancing around this issue for longer than the series has been on, and in such an emotionally-charged situation, it's nice to see them come together, rather than keep battling one another. They probably won't be best friends, but there is understanding and affection present.
I also like the surprise that Becca's baby is born black, meaning that Marshall (Andre Holland) is the father. I admit, I did not see this coming, since Becca never even considers the possibility that the infant could be Marshall's, which makes this twist even less believable. Shouldn't she have wrestled with the possibility at some point?
However, I like it because of the implication that D.B. (Robbie Amell) has no place in the cast going forward, his only connection to the family being that he's Becca's baby daddy, and dropping D.B. is a completely unexpected move. I applaud a twist that one doesn't see coming. Of course, in the unlikely event 1600 Penn does get renewed, they will probably stretch and find a way to accommodate him, no matter how dumb the plot gets to accomplish this, and so ruin any cred they've built now.
I watched this entire season because I adore most of the cast, and they seem to be doing their best at selling the crappy material they are given, which does make the series marginally entertaining. But 1600 Penn is not a show I would recommend watching to anyone else, and also not one I will miss. I hope the talent involved, and there definitely is some serious talent here, soon bounce back in projects that make better use of them.
News of a cancellation of renewal for 1600 Penn is expected soon.
NBC's 1600 Penn is considered a long shot for renewal, and after viewing this week's season finale, I can see why. "Marry Me, Baby" finds President Dale Gilchrist (Bill Pullman) making a disparaging comment about marriage. The cable news frenzy and his political opponents latch one, and one of them discovers that Dale and Emily (Jenna Elfman) may not be legally married. Since the blunder is Skip's (Josh Gad) fault, of course, he helps Winslow (Rene Auberjonois) throw them a White House wedding.
How could a president possible get elected without someone discovering this before now? It's well established that some disapprove of his marriage to the much younger Emily. Surely, someone who doesn't like Dale would have dug up this nugget during the primaries or general election, which stretch for years, and twenty-four hour news cycles will report anything to fill the airwaves. Why does it only come out now?
Worse, all will be forgiven if they just have a ceremony now. Would Dale's detractors really just accept this? For reasonable people, a paperwork mix-up is understandable, and they would look past this. But in the modern age, those in the political arena and the pundits that report on them are often anything but reasonable. This "simple fix" in "Marry Me, Baby" feels completely inauthentic and hollow.As if that isn't bad enough, Becca (Martha MacIsaac) goes into labor in the middle of the nuptials when Skip sings her birthing song. Dale and Emily still take a second to say "I do" before rushing her to the hospital, because every bad sitcom cliche must be touched upon before the half hour can be over. But one disaster piles on top of another to build to zany and unfunny antics.
That's the problem with 1600 Penn. Despite a charming cast, it plays way too much to convention. It has the chance to be something special, given its unique setting for a half hour comedy, and yet blows it to fit into the standard sitcom mold. It's a lot like the short-lived, hilarious That's My Bush, except that That's My Bush played to such stereotypes for effect, while 1600 Penn seems to think that's what it should be doing, rather than poking fun at itself. It needs the tongue in cheekness to work.
There are a couple of moments where it feels like this might happen. It's fantastic that Dale asks if he always hoses up traffic this much after trying to make it through the snarl caused by Becca's car. This is the sort of observational stuff that really works, and the spark of something that has kept me watching, even when I often don't want to. Unfortunately, such brilliant bits are few and far between.
The horribleness continues when Skip's long-time crush, Stacey (Susan Park), confesses to liking him in "Marry Me, Baby." Where does this come from? Stacey has been a poorly developed character since day one, willingly putting herself in situations that she doesn't want to be, with no depth given to explain the contradiction. This last minute connection between her and Skip feels tacked on and ridiculous.
That being said, there are a couple of good moments in the episode. I love when Emily and Becca connect, and admit their feelings for one another. They have been dancing around this issue for longer than the series has been on, and in such an emotionally-charged situation, it's nice to see them come together, rather than keep battling one another. They probably won't be best friends, but there is understanding and affection present.I also like the surprise that Becca's baby is born black, meaning that Marshall (Andre Holland) is the father. I admit, I did not see this coming, since Becca never even considers the possibility that the infant could be Marshall's, which makes this twist even less believable. Shouldn't she have wrestled with the possibility at some point?
However, I like it because of the implication that D.B. (Robbie Amell) has no place in the cast going forward, his only connection to the family being that he's Becca's baby daddy, and dropping D.B. is a completely unexpected move. I applaud a twist that one doesn't see coming. Of course, in the unlikely event 1600 Penn does get renewed, they will probably stretch and find a way to accommodate him, no matter how dumb the plot gets to accomplish this, and so ruin any cred they've built now.
I watched this entire season because I adore most of the cast, and they seem to be doing their best at selling the crappy material they are given, which does make the series marginally entertaining. But 1600 Penn is not a show I would recommend watching to anyone else, and also not one I will miss. I hope the talent involved, and there definitely is some serious talent here, soon bounce back in projects that make better use of them.
News of a cancellation of renewal for 1600 Penn is expected soon.
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