About ABOUT A BOY

Article first published as ABOUT A BOY Review on Seat42F.


NBC brings the acclaimed novel and film ABOUT A BOY to the small screen this week with a sitcom of the same name, previewing Saturday night after the Olympics. Having not seen or read that work, this review is solely about the “Pilot” of the new series itself. It’s the tale of two males, one old, one young, who form an unlikely friendship that helps them both to grow as individuals. And it’s totally not creepy.

David Walton (New Girl, Perfect Couples, Bent) stars as Will, a successful composer of a Christmas song who lives alone in a nice house in San Francisco. He has a friend, Andy (Al Madrigal, The Daily Show), but Andy has his own family, leaving Will alone most days to chase women and meander through life like an overgrown child. It’s a little pathetic. OK, maybe more than a little.

Then Marcus (Benjamin Stockham, 1600 Penn) moves in next door. Marcus is overly sheltered by his vegan mother, Fiona (Minnie Driver, The Riches, Good Will Hunting). Will’s a good son, dedicated to cheering her up with a song, as Fiona suffers from depression, even though she won’t let him eat ribs. Of course, a boy like this will be bullied, and is soon on the run from classmates who’d like to pound him to a pulp.

This has the makings of a mutually beneficial relationship. Marcus could use a male role model who can teach him how to loosen up and be cool, as well as protect him from bad boys, and Will needs to grow up, taking on a role as a mentor, and actually letting someone really get to know him. They also quickly appear to be layered individuals, both guys managing to keep what could very easily be stereotypical parts away from cartoonish territory.

The “Pilot” takes us through their first meeting, introducing the characters, providing illustrations of their starting points, and still manages to squeeze in a pivotal moment for their relationship. It does feel a lot like a full-length film condensed down to twenty minutes, which means the pacing is a little faster than it should be, and scenes pass by in a whiz.

That being said, ABOUT A BOY does do a great job of letting the emotion shine through. A montage makes the bond feel real, despite the brief screen time, and Walton and Stockham have amazing chemistry. Both being parts of failed series on multiple occasions before this one, ABOUT A BOY may just be the right vehicle to help them succeed.

There are definitely some cheesy parts in this first episode. For one thing, Marcus isn’t nearly as good a singer as the show pretends, and Will is a bit more devious than most viewers might be willing to overlook. Not to mention, Fiona is uptight enough to insist Will not grill meat unless the wind is blowing in a southeasterly direction. Ridiculous. The hope, though, is that this cast is good enough that the audience will see the talent in the writing, direction, and performances, and give it a second chance.

Even at its weakest points, I connected to ABOUT A BOY. There is something really authentic and joyous in the tone, something magnetic that should draw people to it. Don’t let the late, mid-season start fool you; ABOUT A BOY is better than pretty much any other new broadcast network sitcom this year, in my opinion, with the possible exception of The Crazy Ones. I can’t speak to the long-term viability of the premise yet, but Walton and Stockham have sold me on the project, and I’ve already happily set a season pass.

If nothing else, I’m really curious to see if the writers can keep Dakota (Leslie Bibb, GCB) around as a believable recurring character who might eventualy see past Will’s heinous lies. She seems poised to return at this point.

For fans of PARENTHOOD, which also airs on NBC, Will may seem familiar. That’s because the character already appeared in a January episode, meaning this series had a crossover before it even premiered! Pretty impressive.

Catch ABOUT A BOY late this Saturday night on NBC.

At the beginning of Once Upon a Time

Article first published as ONCE UPON A TIME Recap Season 2 Episode 17 Welcome to Storybrooke on Seat42F.

Grade: 97%

ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME takes us back to the beginning this week with “Welcome to Storybrooke.” As Regina (Lana Parrilla) plots to force Henry (Jared Gilmore) to love her by magic, a spell that requires Regina to kill Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) in the process, we see the earliest days of Regina’s curse, when she first brings her world into ours, and the issues that arise when two strangers visit the town.

After last week, it’s easy to think that Regina’s path to redemption is closed, and she will be completely taken over by evil. But unlike her departed mother, Cora, Regina still has her heart in her chest, and as long as it’s there, there is always a chance that she can allow it to rule her again. Not a big chance, mind you, but a chance, and we see this in the parallel stories taking place in the past and the present.

In both time frames, Regina is desperate and angry. In the past, she is mad because even though those she hates aren’t happy, neither is she. They are oblivious to their situation, and so not suffering as she’d like them to be. Everything in town is boring and the same every day, and she isn’t hailed as the ruler she will assume she will be, even in the job as mayor. In the present, Regina’s problems stem from Snow’s murder of her mom, and the fact that she has lost her son to his birth mother.

Each time, a boy is the one who saves her. Henry convinces her not to kill Snow in the present after she finds him with dynamite at the well. Blowing up the well would harm him, not end magic, and she is willing to stop her curse if it keeps Henry from being injured, as she truly does love the boy she raised as her son. In the past, she stops short of forcing a lad named Owen (Benjamin Stockham, 1600 Penn) to stay with her when she sees the pain it will cause him, showing tenderness again.

But I’m getting slightly ahead of myself.

“Welcome to Storybrooke” starts with a father, Kurt (John Pyper-Ferguson, Caprica, Alphas), and his son, Owen, camping in the woods in 1983. Regina’s curse roils through the forest, and the pair are left in a destroyed campsite, their truck crushed. They wander into the town that has appeared out of thin air, and encounter Regina, who is taken with Owen when he offers her a bit of kindness. She decides this will fill the gap in her life, so she tries to force them to stay. She ends up letting Owen go when she sees he won’t love her, but she has Sheriff Graham (Jamie Dornan) arrest and keep Kurt.

Even in this kindness, letting Owen go instead of locking him up as a prisoner, she still lets the darkness creep in. Only someone evil would keep a kid’s father in jail for no reason, especially knowing Owen’s mother is dead. All of these years, presumably, she’s had Kurt stashed away somewhere, leaving Owen on his own. No amount of redemption in small acts will make up for what she has done in his eyes.

And now, Owen has returned in the present, grown up and going by the name Gregory Mendell, the mysterious stranger that has been in Storybrooke recently. He manages to re-enter the town, even though it appears hidden from the road, and while he doesn’t seem evil, he is certainly back for revenge and to find his dad, whom I hope is still alive.

It’s interesting how the real world and the magic world deal with their problems differently. Gregory is making videos of magic to take back to the public, one can assume, and expose the town. Regina and Snow’s family are prepared to kill one another. There is definitely a different level of danger presented, and one way is much more permanent and harsh than another.

Which just goes to reinforce ONCE UPON A TIME’s theme that magic has its cost. Only Henry sees this, of all the characters that recognize the differences between the two worlds, and begs the adults to get rid of magic, rather than resort to execution. Regina is unwilling to do so because she can’t stand to lose her power, which would leave her defenseless and unable to influence others. I’m not sure the good guys have the ability to take away magic altogether, but neither do they seem all that enthusiastic to try, since magic has been part of their way of life for so long.

Snow is suffering quite mightily over her recent use of magic to kill Cora. She sits and stares out the window, unable to live with what she has done. She even goes to Regina and asks that Regina kill her. Regina considers it, but after ripping out Snow’s heart, she sees the blackness growing within and decides it’s better to let Snow suffer, slowly ruining herself, and so Regina puts the heart back.

One wonders if Regina’s heart looks like the polar opposite of Snow’s, black with a hint of red trying to take hold, or the red ember struggling not to die out amid the black smoke. Is there any hope for Regina? Or is Regina right that once the black infects the organ, the situation is hopeless? Maybe Regina has to believe that, rather than face the truth that her soul is lost.

I don’t think that Snow will lose herself completely. The black is a small part of her, and while it’s horrible that she experiences this, she has no intention of acting in a similar manner again. She’s so desperate to be rid of her darkness that she approaches Rumple (Robert Carlyle), of all people, for help, asking him how he lives with his own misdeeds.

Rumple’s response, tell yourself that you did the right thing until you believe it, isn’t the right one for Snow. After all, following this advice has only led Rumple to make the same mistakes over and over again. Snow needs to remember this time and how this feels, so the next time she is not tempted to repeat the mistake again. By doing that, knowing that she isn’t a bad person and won’t do evil things, then she may be able to begin to live with herself.

Rumple’s anger and feelings that he does not need to help Snow and her family, only doing so out of reluctant obligation and in the hopes that it will settle their score, sucks. He has a family again now, being connected to them through Henry. Family is what can help Rumple save himself. He needs to stop fighting it or acting like he doesn’t know how to be part of the group. It’s the only way he will be able to keep his son and his love in his life.

I absolutely adore the part of “Welcome to Storybrooke” when Emma (Jennifer Morrison) scolds Neal (Michael Raymond-James) for not realizing that Henry takes his backpack with him to the bathroom. Her accusation of “He’s your son!” gives us a glimpse of what parts of Neal Henry has inherited, and the scene is sort of a callback to the Neal / Emma flashback episode, when we see them as con artists. Fantastic!

“Welcome to Storybrooke” is a terrific tale that fills in some important holes in the past, shows us Storybrooke at a time we’ve never seen it before, answers some major questions that have been posed this season, and provides a showcase for the immense talents of Lana Parrilla, which is always welcome. Plus, even though his role is small, it’s terrific to see Sheriff Graham again. It’s a great, memorable installment!

ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

1600 Penn the wrong address for this comedy

Grade: 71%

NBC’s latest sitcom is 1600 PENN. It’s a family sitcom, following a father, Dale Gilchrest (Bill Pullman, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Independence Day), his four children, and his new trophy wife, Emily (Jenna Elfman, Damages, Dharma & Greg). Their relationships are about what you’d expect in a clan of this type. The kids, especially the eldest son, Skip (Josh Gad, Book of Mormon), want their father’s approval, and Emily would like to win her stepchildren’s trust.

The twist is, Dale is the President of the United States, and the family lives in the White House.

Some might expect that this may change the circumstances a bit. And it does, but only to a small extent. Instead of relatives or friends visiting the family, it’s foreign dignitaries. Instead of wondering what their neighbors will think about personal developments, the entire population of the U.S. is watching the Gilchrests. Instead of breaking grandmother’s dish in a predictable accident, it’s priceless China that people lost their lives transporting that is destroyed.

But basically, 1600 PENN is a family comedy like many others. The relationships are relatable and typical, and the characters are usually more concerned with how they feel about each other, than how the world at large views them. Sure, oldest daughter Becca (Martha MacIsaac, Superbad, Greek) isn’t happy when the press speculate on her unplanned pregnancy. But she is more concerned with her father and younger siblings’ reactions.

One would think that this is a recipe for success, taking a household that typically sits out of reach of the average person, and opening it up in a way that we can find accessible. But that’s not quite how it plays out.

The problem is, the humor of 1600 PENN is far goofier than it should be. Whereas, a series like Modern Family may look at how people actually act, 1600 PENN makes every disaster and stunt over-sized, until it becomes completely unrealistic. In the “Pilot,” Skip sets a frat house on fire, and gets away with it with no discernible consequences. Then he solves global issues by drinking and joking. Emily and Becca bicker in front of the press. In episode three, Dale uses a meeting with the joint chiefs of staff to discuss parenting. It’s just too much to accept.

I’m not saying the characters aren’t interesting. Emily is earnest, for sure, and everyone cares about each other. Younger daughter, Marigold (Amara Miller, The Descendants), is a budding lesbian, and youngest son, Xander (Benjamin Stockham, Sons of Tucson), is worried about meteors hitting the earth, so they have stories to tell, too. There is a love triangle set up between Becca, her baby daddy, D.B. (Robbie Amell, Revenge), and Dale’s assistant / press secretary, Marshall (Andre Holland, Friends with Benefits). Even Skip, screw up as he is, has his positives, and loves his family.

But the situations just go too far. Should it be scaled back, there could be something here. Instead, this one seems destined for a quick cancellation, without even being given time to build up an audience, or address the problems. It’s too bad, as with a cast like this, and an intriguing premise, it could have been good.

One final complaint, I am just not sure what Marshall’s job is. He is the only main character who isn’t part of the family, and is constantly seen giving briefings and helping out Dale. The other White House workers hover around, but none are shown to have any importance. Instead, Marshall seems to be the representation for the entire staff, which may save on budget and logistics, but makes the world in which the show is set seem even less fleshed out than it already does.

While 1600 PENN may be a curiosity that some may want to check out, you won’t miss much by skipping it, and likely won’t regret that decision.

1600 PENN premieres Thursday, January 10th at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first posted on Seat42F