TRANSPARENT Show Something New

Article first published as TRANSPARENT Show Something New on TheTVKing.

Recently, Amazon released several new pilots, and I've been working my way through the dramas and comedies, reviewing as I go. The fourth of the five on my list, Transparent, is the first one this year I've found something good to say about. It's a dramedy, leaning more towards the heavy side, about a father with a secret and his three grown children. How will they cope when they learn the news he's trying to work up the courage to deliver?

The patriarch of the family is Mort (Jeffrey Tambor, Arrested Development), a caring individual who doesn't understand how he could raise three such selfish kids. He finds it hard to open up because they don't seem to care, more concerned with who gets what when he starts giving out things. It's hard to imagine how the trio grew the way they are under Mort, unless Mort has changed significantly in ways the viewer has not been made privy to, or just didn't enforce discipline.

The problems the children face could stem more from their mother (Judith Light, Who's the Boss?). We don't see a lot of her in this pilot, despite being one of the five names on the 'Starring' card, but what we do see isn't all that likeable a woman, scolding her daughter and sort of steamrolling her current beau, even as she tries to make it seem the opposite.

At the center of the show are Mort's kids. Josh (Jay Duplass, The Mindy Project) is a music producer who sleeps with the various artists he manages, a horn dog who acts soulful. Ali (Gaby Hoffman, Girls) has no house and no steady job, and has decided to get her body into shape in the hopes that it will help her overall situation. Sarah (Amy Landecker, Dan in Real Life) has a nice home, husband (Rob Huebel, Childrens Hospital), and kids in the suburb, but is tempted to betray them when she runs into former girlfriend Tammy (Gillian Vigman, Suburgatory).

I'm not sure exactly where the story would go if ordered to series, but since the main cast comprises only the five main family members, no spouses or friends or anything, one assumes it will be a character study of the particular clan. They all have their secrets and flaws, and so much time could be spent exploring those, perhaps growing them into better people, but only after much trial and suffering. More than likely, they won't change much, but that works, too, seeing authentic reaction to real issues.

The tone is definitely HBO-esque, and not just because of nudity (which there is plenty of) or the cursing. It's got an indie-vibe, including in the music selection, not fitting into a typical structure or formula, meandering, in a good way, through seemingly only loosely connected threads. It's pretty dark, with few laughs to be found, but evokes plenty of feelings from the viewer.

Tambor, as usual, is excellent, bringing a quiet dignity to the role, and evoking sympathy in his plight. He is surrounded by other excellent performers who are much less sympathetic characters, so the burden of likability will be on his capable shoulders. While Tambor has shown range in the past, never being one-note, I did feel like I saw something new yet again from him in the episode, exposing some raw vulnerability, and it made me want to watch more.

With only one more pilot to go, Transparent is the only new Amazon premiere I've been able to solidly recommend so far this year. Check it out, available streaming on their website now.

CLEAR HISTORY Appeal Is Murky

Article first published as CLEAR HISTORY Review on Seat42F.

For those missing Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO recently premiered CLEAR HISTORY. Written by, and starring, Larry David, the tone and humor is pretty much the same, with David inhabiting a similar character. This should tide fans over until David decides to make another season of his well-received comedy series.

The basic premise is of a man named Nathan (David) who gets into a silly argument with his boss, Will (Jon Hamm, Mad Men), leading to Nathan losing his job just before a massive launch of a new car that would have made him a billion dollars. Ten years later, Nathan is living as a drastically different looking guy named Rolly in Martha’s Vineyard, seemingly having escaped his past. That is, until Will shows up on the island, and Rolly begins plotting his revenge.

CLEAR HISTORY is inferior to Curb Your Enthusiasm, so don’t go in expecting an hour-and-a-half episode of the show. David still goes after silly, everyday gripes, but instead of harping on them for thirty minutes, with earlier events coming back full circle, most are dealt with in thirty seconds and then dropped. This is a shame, as there is certainly ripe material here that could fill many installments of Curb, wasted as throwaway gags.

What I don’t buy is that Rolly is considered the nicest guy around. At first, he seems to have turned over a new leaf, not harping on the little things that Nathan used to. But throughout the movie, Rolly makes more enemies than friends, and loses a few chums along the way. Has he turned just because of Will’s presence? It seems doubtful, especially as no character makes that observation.

The ending is contrived, and while a few threads seem to tie together, they don’t play into the final scenes, ruining the setup. Also, the story just can’t decide what it wants to be. For large stretches of the running time, it is a cohesive tale, but then it sometimes falls apart into a series of bits, and the ending is far from satisfying or complete. That is probably the biggest weakness of the project.

Which is not to say CLEAR HISTORY isn’t enjoyable. There are some brilliant turns by wonderful comedic performers, and those alone are worth tuning in for.

The most stand out performance is that of Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) as Tibor, the Czechoslovakian man who sells Rolly an ignition switch, and then gets in a car wreck with him. Tibor’s look and accent are humorous, but it’s more the absolute confusion that he has towards Rolly, not understanding what’s going on when Rolly is involved, and not getting why Rolly isn’t afraid of him, that plays so darn well. Sadly, it is an uncredited role, as Schreiber stars in a series for a rival pay channel.

Among the rest of the cast are familiar faces like Michael Keaton (Batman, Toy Story), J.B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Amy Ryan (The Office), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down), Eva Mendes (Hitch), Amy Landecker (Dan in Real Life), Patty Ross (The Heat), Paul Scheer (The League), Chicago (the 25 or 6 to 4 band), and many more. Each, without fail, not only fits well into this contrived world, but does an outstanding job of selling the scenes they are involved in. They are not the weakness of the piece, and each is not only funny, but also seems to be really glad to have this job, a definite plus.

A particular element I really enjoy is that of Will’s wife, Rhonda (Kate Hudson, Glee, Almost Famous). At first, she seems a pushover whom Rolly can worm his way in with. But the direction the script goes with her as things play out not only fits with her character nicely, even after a few turns, but also rises above the predictable and expected.

Overall, while not as impressed with CLEAR HISTORY as I have been with other David works, it is a nice little snack as we await his next great project.

Revenge engages in "Duplicity"

     ABC's Revenge continues its mission to get even with "Duplicity." This week, Emily (Emily VanCamp) turns her attention on Dr. Michelle Banks (Amy Landecker, A Serious Man, Dan in Real Life). At a mother / daughter charity benefit, a video plays of confidential taped sessions between Dr. Banks and her patients, including Emily and Victoria (Madeleine Stowe). This ruins the doctor's practice, and she is locked in a shed for awhile which terrorizes her on a personal level. Of course, Emily is behind the whole thing, but by putting herself in the video, does she keep suspicion away?

     The episode title is meaningless, as in other installments. Issues of "Duplicity" occur in every episode, as do "Trust," "Guilt," "Betrayal," "Intrigue," and "Charade" which are all other episode titles. There is no discernible quality in each episode that chooses which of these go with each outing. This makes for a less than satisfying lineup, and gives no clue about what will happen in the upcoming weeks. Plus, there are only a finite number of such words that will fit the show, so someone is going to have to rethink this strategy soon.

     Of the many things expected from Revenge, a procedural element is not one of them. Yet, for four episodes now, Emily has taken down four different people connected to the trial of her father, David (James Tupper). Is this the formula Revenge will be following? If so, certainly they will run out of targets for Emily to go after soon. Yes, David's ordeal is large and complicated, but by two or three seasons down the line, she has to have gone after all of the people who were involved. More likely, the procedural format is a first season gimmick to hook lazy television viewers who want their stories wrapped up in an hour, and the series will grow out of it relatively soon.

     Banks is a more personal attacker of Emily than previous guest stars have been. Victoria actually pays off Banks to institutionalize young Emily / Amanda (Emily Alyn Lind), so that Emily can't spoil the case against David. As such, Banks does something bad to Emily, not just David. Perhaps that explains why Emily steps the game up a notch, kidnapping Banks instead of just humiliating her. Emily doesn't go as far as hurting Banks, but she does want her to suffer more than the previous offenders.

     All of this casts doubt on whether or not Emily is involved with the shooting at the beginning of the series (which is set a few months in the future from the main storyline). Up until now, Emily only engages in personal attacks. But in "Duplicity" Emily does something highly illegal, and causes more than just a little embarrassment or career ruination. However, Emily stops short of physical harm. Will she continue to escalate things, culminating in a murder or attempted murder? Or, will Emily be shown to have limits, and will someone else be responsible for the gunshot?

     As for Victoria, she gets a little more sympathetic as Revenge goes on. Yes, she commits horrible actions, such as getting Emily locked up and stealing a laptop, but she also tries to get David's name cleared because she truly is in love with him. This adds a layer to every one of Victoria's moves. It is probably not enough for Emily to leave the woman alone; Victoria seems to be the ultimate target. It may be enough that Emily could find an ally, rather than an enemy, should she give the older woman a chance. If Emily does, it will be because of extenuating circumstances that force the two together, or Victoria uncovering the plot and blackmailing her way in. Either way, a team up would be delectable!

     Emily's love triangle with Daniel (Joshua Bowman) and Jack (Nick Wechsler) continues. Obviously, Emily is after Daniel for less than authentic reasons. But, Daniel is actually quite a good guy, who deserves a little happiness. Maybe Emily will soften towards him? He may be sympathetic to Emily's machinations and willing to help. However, the reveal that Daniel is responsible for injuring a girl might be enough to harden Emily for falling for him that much. Considering the fact that she will soon be getting engaged and marrying Daniel, as shown in "Pilot," there are a number of questions to be answered before making any conclusions.

     Daniel's roommate, Tyler (Ashton Holmes, Nikita, The Pacific), screws up things between Daniel and Emily in "Duplicity."  It is hard to see what happens as more than a small, and admittedly fun, stumbling block to keep the story going a little longer. It is possible that Victoria even put Tyler up to it to try to break Daniel and Emily up.

     Jack is a much more suitable suitor for our heroine. Or is he? He carries a torch for Emily / Amanda, caring for a childhood dog, and naming his boat after her. He also has an interest in her as an adult, even if he doesn't realize he's falling for the same girl a second time. He decides to keep his father's bar open, in part so he can stick around town and keep open the possibility of being with her. But Jack is a very good man, a family man, and surely he will eventually learn of Emily's revenge tactics. This could kill any chance of them being together. Despite being sympathetic for what happens to David, it is unlikely Jack would condone Emily's behavior. More likely, as with David, Jack would argue to forgive and forget. If Emily did that, there would be no series. But it's probable that Jack can't be with her, long-term anyway, unless she does.

     The really sweet love story unfolding in Revenge involves Daniel's sister, Charlotte (Christa B. Allen), and Jack's brother, Declan (Connor Paolo). Charlotte has a sort-of boyfriend, who is a real jerk, and cheats on her. Declan offers innocent overtures of real romance. Even when the other guy beats Declan up, and Declan gets evidence of the jerk's cheating ways, Declan holds off on giving this information to Charlotte. It would cause her to dump the boy, but it would also hurt her. Declan is far from perfect, and he has the rebellious nature of some youths, but he is not cruel, and will not hurt Charlotte when he doesn't have to. He's playing things smart, which is probably why he will win her in the end.

     Nolan's (Gabriel Mann) part in the situation is still quite murky. Why does he want to be involved in Emily's plot so badly? Yes, he has affection for David. But that would only go so far. Might he be interested in Emily? If so, he isn't showing it. He's offering help, but no real flirtation or overt moves on her. Maybe Nolan has some personal, hidden reason he wants to see the Hamptons elite crowd go down? If so, that would explain why he is willing to throw his money at the problem. What did they do to him?

     The only serious (slight) complaint I have about Revenge thus far is that it seems awfully convenient that Emily is rich, as is Nolan. Might it not have been neater, albeit harder for the writers, if these people were poor, a condition they would more likely be in? I like the fact that David seems to trade his innocence to buy Emily a life, a clever twist, but would it have been one as luxurious as the one she is living? Would any pay out really be that large? Perhaps there is further explanation coming on this front, but for now, it just seems like an easy way to get the story going.


     Watch Revenge Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Article first published as TV Review: Revenge - "Duplicity" on Blogcritics.

Curb Your Enthusiasm battles over "The Bi-Sexual"

     Last night's episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm finds Larry (Larry David) meeting a very nice girl named Jane (Amy Landecker, Dan in Real Life). The two are mutually attracted to each other, but as Larry soon finds out, Jane has a similar connection with Rosie O'Donnell (playing herself). Rosie and Larry are soon competing over the bi-sexual woman. Also, Larry blows off an acquaintance for lunch, resulting in the man ending up hospitalized after choking with no one around to help him.

     Larry and Rosie have amazing chemistry. Curb Your Enthusiasm works because Larry brings in people who are his equals, comedically, and usually puts them in the right in any argument. The beauty of "The Bi-Sexual" is that neither Larry nor Rosie should win. They begin to treat the beautiful Jane as a prize, possibly caring more about winning against each other, as they begin to see it as a competition of man vs. lesbian for all women, than actually being with her. Which is too bad, because she's a great match for Larry, and they really do seem to click. Though, given Larry's hangups, it would never last long-term.

     A running gag throughout "The Bi-Sexual" is comparing baseball to dating. Larry wins Jane over from Rosie completely when he "juices," meaning, takes Viagra. Jane feels like Larry is cheating when she learns this, as an avid baseball fan, and still very sensitive about the whole steroid scandal. Plus, Rosie takes Jane to a ball game on their date, Jane goes with Larry to a baseball museum, and Larry and Rosie compete in a softball league. As such, the connections are strong in the comparison.

     It is interesting, however, that while Larry is only in town for a few months, and it is an unplanned trip, that Larry is on a softball team. There are jerseys and everything, so it's not just a casual game among friends in the park. How does Larry integrate himself so quickly into the social calendar of the city? Is this how the rich and famous live? At home wherever they go because of their connections? Must be nice.

     Not really sure what that second plot about the man choking adds to "The Bi-Sexual." While it is not unusual for Curb Your Enthusiasm to juggle a couple of plots in a single episode, the B story felt forced in, and never ends up having hardly any connection to the A story, unlike in most of the series. As such, while it is a somewhat funny situation, the show would have been better off to leave it out until it could mesh more fluidly into another episode.

     On a final note, Larry's pairing with Leon (J.B. Smoove, 'Til Death) is a match made in heaven. Smoove has been on Curb Your Enthusiasm for several seasons now, but as Leon travels to the city to reconnect with Larry this week, their chemistry becomes obvious all over again. They have a scene where they discuss bi-sexuality, and as they compete and insult each other, both enjoying the exchange immensely, it's hard not to be caught up in the fun. While from two seemingly drastically different worlds, Leon and Larry have a deep friendship that transcends the short time they've known each other. Soul mates, indeed.

     Curb Your Enthusiasm airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.

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     To catch up on Curb Your Enthusiasm with DVDs and streaming episodes, please click here.

Article first published as TV Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - "The Bi-Sexual" on Blogcritics.

Paul Reiser returns to television with self-titled series

     Years after Mad About You has left the airwaves, NBC brought Paul Reiser back last night in his new series, The Paul Reiser Show. The series is about Paul (playing a fictionalized image of himself) being a dad post-TV career, and hanging out with his kids' friends' dads, whom he now reluctantly calls friends. Besides Reiser, the other main characters are four fellow fathers and Paul's wife (the lovely Amy Landecker, A Serious Man), so despite the concept, kids do not appear as major screen presences. The pilot, "The Father's Occupation", delivers some funny moments, but having spoken with people who have seen more than one episode, it's apparently quite a disappointment.

     Factor number one against The Paul Reiser Show: it is incredibly similar to Curb Your Enthusiasm. So much so that CYE star Larry David (playing his CYE version of himself) has lunch with Paul in episode one and tells him he should have his own version of CYE. He does, tongue in cheek, and its The Paul Reiser Show. If you do not get HBO, or are missing David because of the nearly year and a half hiatus CYE has been on (it went out November 2009 and returns in July), last night's entry may be an acceptable placeholder, if the show maintains the quality portions of the premiere, which word is, it does not.

     The best part of last night's episode is Reiser's lunch with David, where they argue about doing a game show. Reiser isn't interested in hosting, until he learns that David is being considered, and then suddenly he wants the series. The scene could easily have been shot for HBO, with the editors even bleeping David's profanity. Will the scene appear again when CYE returns? The second best part is Reiser's actual audition for Mark Burnett's (appearing as himself) game show, where Reiser gets annoyed with the contestants and tells them so. Burnett loves it, and wants to hire him immediately. Reiser refuses, knowing he would be miserable with the gig. But his misery is the whole reason Burnett loves him! Reiser is his own worst enemy.

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     Should the show stick with Reiser and his grumpy, neurotic run-ins with others, the series would be pretty good, albeit a clone. Instead, there are the four other fathers, who try to make it into a buddy comedy. Reiser considers himself mostly seperate from them, and so it feels like two different shows are being forced to mesh together awkwardly. The four actors who play the dads, Andrew Daly (Eastbound & Down), Omid Djalili (The Mummy), Duane Martin (All of Us), and Ben Shenkman (Damages) are capable enough, but the material given to them is trite and stale. It's been done a hundred times before on other sitcoms. They easily bring to mind when Raymond would occasionally sneak away to a friend's garage on Everybody Loves Raymond. So it really doesn't work.

     Since NBC waited until April to premiere the show (originally scheduled for summer, but replacing ratings-challenged, yet hilarious, Perfect Couples), chances are not good for a long run. If you're curious, check it out now while you have the chance. The Paul Reiser Show airs Thursday nights at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC.


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