Craving for SWEET TOOTH

 Article first published as SWEET TOOTH TV Review on Seat42F.

Note: This review only covers the first episode of the series.

Netflix recently released SWEET TOOTH, a series starring a young boy who is half deer. Based on the comic series, SWEET TOOTH follows the child as he ventures out into the world, dodging hunters and searching for his mom. He isn’t alone, thank goodness, but he does have to rely on himself a fair amount. Surely, the story have a happy ending, though probably not the one the boy hopes for.

SWEET TOOTH takes a little time to get going, providing exposition through the eyes of Dr. Aditya Singh (Adeel Akhtar, Enola Holmes). We see a plague overtake his city, and are told it’s widespread. This could be a bit traumatizing for some who just lived through a pandemic, especially if you lost someone. But it really isn’t too graphic, focusing on Singh’s emotional journey, including as his wife, Rani (Aliza Vellani, Little Mosque on the Prairie), becomes one of the infected. Listed as a lead, it’s certain we’ll come back to Dr. Singh’s tale in later episodes. This is a good way in for those who aren’t already drawn to post-apocalyptic fare. In all, especially with the accompanying narration by James Brolin (Life in Pieces), it’s a strong opening.

From there, it quickly moves to a man (Will Forte, Last Man on Earth) carrying a baby into the woods. We know from the hospital scenes that there are many animal-human hybrid infants, though we don’t know why, and this guy has one with him, a little boy with deer features. The man, known to the boy as Pubba (sounding like Papa), raises the child for nine years, and this extended sequence, making up about half the episode, is phenomenal. It is incredibly moving, if a little tame, and the love the father has for his son is palpable. Forte ditches the goofiness and really brings home the feelings.

It isn’t surprising when that happy time comes to an end; the trailer and poster spoil that it will. But like the beginning of the film Up, it could make a fitting stand-alone short that would be worth watching repeatedly.

The rest of SWEET TOOTH’s pilot sets up the premise. Pubba makes the boy, Gus (Christian Convery, Legion), promise not to leave their home, but it’s a given that he won’t listen. Gus does stay  for awhile, but this story needs a journey, and you can’t get that hiding away. There is an arc, quickly gone through, developing the kid, and it’s just as moving as the stuff with his dad. Gus is a compelling protagonist who will immediately have you rooting for him.

The second lead, Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie, Game of Thrones), is barely introduced in episode one, but already demonstrates plenty of complexity to attract interest.

SWEET TOOTH isn’t for little kids, even if it looks like it might be. But older children can watch it with their parents, as the deaths aren’t gruesome and the terror isn’t intense. It has a magical and hopeful spirit about it that is sure to intrigue many viewers, feeling like a heart-warming story that is sanitized, but not so much that it distracts. The acting seen so far is solid, and the story is interesting. Set in the woods, it also looks beautiful. There’s lots to praise SWEET TOOTH on.

I would be surprised if this series doesn’t have legs. Reviews have been good so far, deservedly so, and I was easily sucked into the story. I’m sure I’ll watch further installments before the end of the day. With a first season of only eight episodes, it should be an easy, enjoyable binge.

SWEET TOOTH’s first season is available now on Netflix.

GHOSTED Thin Enough to See Through

Article first published as TV Review: GHOSTED on Seat42F.

Tonight brings the premiere of FOX’s GHOSTED. A disgraced scientist, now book store clerk, who studied the theoretical multi-verse and claims his wife has been abducted by aliens, is kidnapped and partnered with a once-great detective, who blames himself for his former partner’s death and now serves in mall security, by a top-secret organization known as the Underground Bureau. Together, they are tasked to find a top agent who has gone missing. It’s going to take all their skills and more in this paranormal twist on the buddy cop genre.

The lead characters in GHOSTED are Max Jennifer (Adam Scott, Parks & Recreation), the scientist, and Leroy Wright (Craig Robinson, The Office), the detective. Both are brilliant men who have fallen from grace, but not lost any of the things that made them so good in their chosen professions. Max is the believer, and Leroy is the skeptic. It’s sort of like The X-Files mixed with Lethal Weapon mixed Men in Black with a large dollop of I don’t even know what.

Casting Scott and Robinson is the best thing GHOSTED has going for it. Both are vastly funny, almost as if by second nature, skilled and experienced in the art of sitcom. They have terrific timing and solid chemistry. All the best moments from the pilot involve their interactions. They strike the right balance between acting the story and going for the gag, and I find no flaw in their performances.

I also really like the supporting cast. Ally Walker (Profiler, Colony) has a fantastic spirit as the hard-nosed boss, Captain Ava Lafrey. Amber Stevens West (The Carmichael Show) balances things as the sweet, technologically gifted Annie. Adeel Akhtar (The Night Manager) is just plain bizarre as co-worker Barry, a good energy for a show like this. While the focus will likely stay on the partners, these three do make things entertaining when the action shifts back to the workplace, nicely fleshing out the world of GHOSTED.

Where I have to stop heaping praise is when we get to the writing. The pilot contains numerous plot holes or unrealistic stretches. GHOSTED decides to get right into the story as early in the running time as possible, which means the characters don’t have enough time to bond before they have to start acting like a team. There’s a lazy attempt to right this with a 48-hour window Leroy and Max are initially given, but there’s no real effort to stick to that premise, tossed out as soon as it’s convenient. The investigation itself proceeds very weirdly, and the time line doesn’t quite make sense if you stop and think about it. Concepts are introduced and then quickly moved past without explanation.

I wonder about the decision to do this, knowing that going the other way is also risky. Sometimes a series takes too long to set up the premise, or just does it in episode one, which feels very generic. But I feel there has to be a middle ground. Events must feel fluid and natural, not just jammed in. The coincidences, such as a big reveal at the end of the pilot, are even OK in this context. I just want GHOSTED to catch its breath and make sure everything adds up before they jump into filming the episode. Hopefully that happens in subsequent episodes, as there is mega potential here.

I’ll end with another bit of praise, and that’s that the special effects look great. Technology has bounded ahead in recent years to the point where even a broadcast network sitcom can do zany, supernatural and otherworldly stuff and pay for it to look good. I have nothing bad to say about the production design and SFX.

GHOSTED premieres tonight at 8:30 ET on FOX.