Article first published as THE GOODWIN GAMES Review on Seat42F.
Grade: 92%
Grade: 92%
FOX’s new comedy THE GOODWIN GAMES
premieres tonight at 8:30 P.M. EST. The “Pilot” finds three grown up,
estranged siblings returning to their hometown upon learning of their
father’s death. After the funeral, they learn he secretly has more than
twenty million dollars tucked away, and, rather than split it among
them, has set up an elaborate series of contests to determine with child
should inherit the fortune.
THE GOODWIN GAMES was originally ordered
as part of FOX’s lineup for the television season that is just ending,
but has now been reduced to a seven-episode order intended to be burnt
off this summer. Even being programmed with reruns of popular comedies,
the show doesn’t stand much chance of a future.
But don’t let that scare you aware. It
has a great cast and a fun concept, one that should hook in viewers,
even if it failed to find support at the network. It’s charming, and
it’s time-jumping story will remind sitcom fans of How I Met Your
Mother, which isn’t coincidence, since this show is from the same
producers. As such, it retains some of the tone and jokes that make How I
Met Your Mother so entertaining.
In THE GOODWIN GAMES, we are introduced
to: Henry (Scott Foley, Scandal, True Blood), whom is a successful
surgeon; Chloe (Becki Newton, Ugly Betty, How I Met Your Mother), a
highly intelligent aspiring actress; and Jimmy (T.J. Miller, How to
Train Your Dragon, Cloverfield), a screw-up freshly out of prison
(again), and indebted to some very bad people. Each have their
eccentricities and good and bad qualities. They are all easy to root
for, even when bickering, because there is familial affection present in
their rivalry.
It’s no wonder they’re a little weird,
given their upbringing by single father Benjamin (the great Beau
Bridges). He always pitted them against each other, making them jump
through hoops for treats and his approval. Viewers get a chance to see
just how Benjamin treats them as kids, which informs quite a bit about
who they are today, and it’s apparent just where their relationships go
wrong.
Now, it’s clear almost right off the bat
that the main goal Benjamin has is to bring the three back together as a
family, one that is very sympathetic, and likely to happen, based on
early interaction. It would not be surprising if, in the end, should an
end ever be shown, that he’s not rich. After all, the house they return
to isn’t super ornate, though it is quite nice, and maybe the fourth man
who plays the game in the first episode and is gifted one million
dollars is a decoy to motivate them into participating. This would make
sense, given the premise. But, if the money is real, surely they will
share it in the end.
However, as in How I Met Your Mother,
knowing how things will turn out, generally speaking, doesn’t detract
from the enjoyment of the show. The draw is the journey, how the
characters will get from Point A to Point B. Their interactions with
each other, buoyed by excellent casting choices and great chemistry, are
what makes THE GOODWIN GAMES worth watching, and the scenes where all
three siblings are together are easily the best moments of the “Pilot.”
The only small complaint I have about
THE GOODWIN GAMES is that Chloe, Henry, and Jimmy get along to well too
quickly. Sure, mid-episode they argue so much that they can’t finish a
single game of Trivial Pursuit. But by the end of the half hour, they
seem to have found some common ground and begin to rebuild things
between them. In order for Benjamin’s scheme to take up some time and
continue for awhile, a little more conflict and a slower warm-up would
be appropriate.
Had it been known that THE GOODWIN GAMES
would only get seven installments, it’s likely the story would stay
confined to this premise. However, designed to run much longer, each of
the trio also has their own subplot, too. Chloe is ex-best friends with
the lawyer Benjamin tasks with handling his children, April Cho (Melissa
Tang, Beginners). Henry, soon after arriving in town, runs into his
ex-girlfriend, Lucinda Hobbes (Kat Foster, Weeds, Royal Pains), who is
now a minister, and whom Henry still has feelings for. Jimmy has a young
daughter, Piper (Kaitlyn Maher, America’s Got Talent), who he tries to
do right by, and who is wise enough at her young age to encourage Jimmy
to stay on the straight and narrow. These characters are fun, and they
do add depth to the proceedings, but while they would work great for a
longer-running show, seem extraneous to a limited series.
There’s always a chance THE GOODWIN
GAMES could find an audience and continue, slim as that might be.
Because I’m a big fan of Foley and Newton’s work, and these are
interesting, funny roles for them to play, I really hope that this
happens, and will definitely be watching as many episodes as FOX will
air, having loved the “Pilot.” But if THE GOODWIN GAMES would fail, as
it is expected to, at least I’m confident that the cast won’t be
unemployed for long.
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