Winning THE GOOD FIGHT

Article first published as THE GOOD FIGHT Review on Seat42F.

If you’re a fan of The Good Wife, as I am, you’ve likely eagerly been awaiting the spin-off, THE GOOD FIGHT, which finally premieres this Sunday on CBS. The series, which will only be available via CBS’s All Access streaming service after the pilot airs, is set one year after last spring’s series finale. While much of the show is the same, including plenty of returning faces, it also feels wholly different in both positive and negative ways.

I’m not going to lie, I was unpleasantly jarred when THE GOOD FIGHT fights first catches up with Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), whose firm is now called Lockhart, Decker, Gussman, Lee, Lyman, Gilbert-Lurie, Tannebaum, & Associates. Try saying that a few times fast. Not only has the name changed, but so have the sets. Gone are the familiar law offices we saw over seven seasons, and even Diane’s recognizable corner space. Instead, after merging with two other organizations, the digs are brand-new.

I can’t help but feel that change was unnecessary. While it makes for an easier separation between Diane and her practice, plot-wise, the same story could be accomplished without blowing up what came before. Given how much THE GOOD FIGHT keeps reminding us that this is set in the same universe, it feels very wrong to begin with the off-putting setting.

To play devil’s advocate, maybe this is done on purpose so that viewers aren’t sad when Diane does find the exit. Rather than hoping for some last-minute save that gets her back where we’ve come to think she belongs, by not having that home to return to any more, there’s no compelling reason to want her to go back. In that sense, it makes for a clean break.

In the first two episodes, Diane shares the central limelight with Maia Rindell (Rose Leslie, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey), her goddaughter. Having just passed the bar, Maia is excited to go to work for Diane and the rest. But she barely gets settled in before her father, Henry (Paul Guilfoyle, CSI), is arrested for stealing millions of dollars from wealthy clients, including Diane. With her girlfriend and lawyer telling her to stay away from her mother, Lenore (Bernadette Peters, Mozart in the Jungle), until things get settled, which could take years, Maia is suddenly left with no job or family to speak of.

In a way, Maia is kind of like the new Alicia. Diane is somewhat of a mentor to her, but they aren’t super close friends. Maia is going through rough scandal because of what a loved one did, which makes her presence in a court room a distraction, welcome or not. She is young and strong and building her life, like Alicia was doing for the second time when The Good Wife started.

However, there are some very stark differences in THE GOOD FIGHT, too. The firm for which Diane and Maia go to work, where Lucca (Cush Jumbo) has already relocated prior to the series begins, is quite different from any seen on The Good Wife. THE GOOD FIGHT has different music, different lighting, and different direction, too, making it feel like its own thing right away. Plus, it’s hard not to mention the cursing, which feels natural to the characters, more so than avoiding it did in certain parts of The Good Wife.

Once THE GOOD FIGHT settles in to what it is, getting past the initial event, it quickly gets very good. It has solid cases and interesting ongoing narrative arcs. It isn’t a copy of its predecessor, but there are a LOT of returning characters, including Sarah Steel in a welcome lead role as Marissa. It also has a lot of new roles, such as Adrian Boseman (Delroy Lindo, Blood & Oil) and Barbara Kolstad (Erica Tazel, Justified), partners at Diane’s new job. It has something to say, as The Good Wife did, but is fresh in its approach to it. This balance of continuation and completely new is effective, and I wish I’d had more than two episodes to watch ahead of time.

Of course, the big question is whether to shell out for CBS All Access. As someone who canceled cable, I went ahead and got my subscription. It’s how I’ve continued to watch CBS shows. However, were I still getting a strong cable signal into the house (my antenna is unreliable), I’m not sure I’d want to pay $10 for a single show. (As someone who’s had a DVR since 2005, the cheaper subscription that includes commercials is not even something I’d consider.) The network doesn’t have enough offerings to fully justify the expense, even for someone who has cut the cord, but I do it begrudgingly for now, especially with Star Trek: Discovery joining THE GOOD FIGHT later this year. While I want people to subscribe and watch this show so it can continue, I can’t blame anyone who doesn’t, as the network has not made a compelling case for its ridiculously high fee. So I won’t recommend signing up, though I selfishly hope lots of people do.

THE GOOD FIGHT begins this Sunday on CBS and CBS All Access, continuing only on the latter from week two onward.

MOZART Such Sweet Music

Article first published as MOZART Such Sweet Music on TheTVKing.

After having watched thee of the five new Amazon drama and comedy pilots, I was very disappointed with this year's crop. Luckily, the last two in the line up have been quite good, redeeming the website a bit for its content. The final pilot I viewed, Mozart in the Jungle, is a look "behind-the-scenes" at symphony members in New York, certainly something not seen before in a television show. Add to that the promise of great music and some really good casting, and I'm sold.

The central character of Mozart in the Jungle is Hailey (Lola Kirke, sister of Girls' Jemima Kirke). She's an oboist stuck teaching music lessons to pervy kids and filling in for pit orchestras, such as the one she is currently doing for Oedipus (American Idol's Constantine Maroulis). At that gig, she befriends Cynthia (Saffron Burrows, Boston Legal, The Bank Job), an experienced musician happily willing to give advice to the younger girl, and whom even gets Hailey an audition with the New York Symphony, the dream job.

It's easy to see the relation between Lola and Jemima, especially when Hailey has to deal with her student, whom she forgives for his dirty text messages about her when he helps her out. But Lola also stands on her own, finding a fun, soulful quality to the role. She plays Hailey in a very realistic, fully-formed way, someone we can relate to, but also someone unique. This is a good protagonist to have.

I was disappointed that Burrows is stuck doing an American accent. It's not that she's bad at it, it's just that it's so much more satisfying to hear her in her native tone, and it seems like an English lilt would match a sophisticated musician quite well. Either way, though, she excels at playing the kind diva, someone hard to pigeonhole, but who does not disappoint.

Hailey is going to have a lot of adjustment joining the group because the symphony itself is undergoing change. Seasoned conductor Thomas (Malcolm McDowell, Franklin & Bash, A Clockwork Orange) is pushed into an emeritus position by Gloria (Broadway star Bernadette Peters), a post that is supposed to give him continued influence, but allows her to steamroll him a bit. The new conductor, Rodrigo (Gael García Bernal, The Motorcycle Diaries), intends to clean house, much to Thomas' dismay. At least Thomas still has Cynthia, for sex anyway.

These power struggles are familiar, but like the canceled Smash, it seems novel to see them unfold in this new setting. It could be that the stars inhabiting these parts are just so good, but this dynamic does not seem stale. This will be a driving drama factor, should the pilot be ordered to series, that should make the plot quite compelling, above and beyond the story of Hailey herself.

Hailey should still figure prominently, though. Besides the new job, she also has a new beau, dancer Joshua (Peter Vack, I Just Want My Pants Back), which causes friction between Hailey and her roommate, Lizzie (Hannah Dunne, Frances Ha). This is a young-person problem, and Hailey is still a young person, allowing herself to be pulled out of bed to get drunk and party, though she knows she shouldn't. Mozart in the Jungle should chronicle her growth into adulthood, a necessary development as a symphony member, and that will be interesting, too.

These types of different facets to the characters make Mozart in the Jungle more than just one thing, which is always a plus when developing a TV show. On one hand, we have the silly party scene with the shot-and-play competition. On the other, Joshua Bell guest stars as himself, playing with the symphony. And, to someone who was music minor in college and who participated in bands and ensembles for a decade, it appears McDowell and Kirke can fake it quite well as professionals in the field, which lends credibility. Overall, Mozart in the Jungle seems to be the total package.

Mozart in the Jungle's "Pilot" is available now for streaming on Amazon.com.

The Curtain Closes on SMASH

Article first published as The Curtain Closes on SMASH on TheTVKing.

NBC's Smash is canceled too early, after a mere pair of seasons, presenting the two hour series finale "The Nominations" and "The Tonys" this week. In these installments, the casts of Hit List and Bombshell find out what awards they are nominated for, and what they win. Relationships are repaired, and everyone finds their purpose. It's a neatly tied up ending, perhaps a little too neatly.

Conscious of their impending demise, Smash seeks to leave everyone in a good place. This begins with the Tony Awards themselves. The honors are split between the two Broadway shows at the center of this series, and practically every major player wins a trophy. Jimmy (Jeremy Jordan) accepts a posthumous one for Kyle (Andy Mientus), Julia (Debra Messing) and Tom (Christian Borle) are honored for their writing, Derek (Jack Davenport) picks up a statue for choreography, Ivy (Megan Hilty) takes Best Actress, and Eileen (Anjelica Huston) is triumphant when Bombshell scores the big one.

Now, this means Karen (Katharine McPhee) loses for Best Actress, but at this point, that seems fine. She gets to be credited for the success of Hit List, and she seems happy enough, celebrating with everyone else. Besides, she ends up with Jimmy, who may serve some jail time for his past crimes, but is committed to her and a clean act, so she's doing just fine.

In fact, Karen and Jimmy aren't the only couple that find themselves in a happy place as the series concludes. Eileen reunites with a recently released Nick (Thorsten Kaye). Julia admits her long-held feelings for Michael Swift (Will Chase), ending her marriage once and for all with Frank (Brian d'Arcy James), whom she apparently no longer wants back (though what about Michael's family?). Derek finds humility and a conscience, without spoiling his character, allowing Ivy to see the good in him so that she can tell him about her pregnancy and they can be together. Tom even finds a spark with "straight" actor Patrick Dillon (Luke MacFarlane, Brothers & Sisters).

If all this sounds too good to be true, it's because it is. For a show that has thrived on excessive drama and the ups and downs of its stars, this is their dreams all come true, wrapped up in a tidy bow. No one stops in a bad place, with Derek even somewhat making up firing Ana (Krysta Rodriguez) to her. This is the best possible outcome for everyone.

Which is why it rings a little hollow. Don't get me wrong, I see what's going on, and I appreciate it. Had Smash been renewed for season three, there would have been disappointments and cliffhangers. Knowing they would not be coming back, the show tries to give fans what they want. After six or seven years on the air, this sort of outcome would feel earned and natural. With only two seasons under their belt, and everything falling apart just a short hour or two ago, this type of finish rings false.

There is a lot to praise in this final two hours. I love the opening "Under Pressure," which incorporates all of the major players, even if some only sing a little bit in it. I laugh when Leigh (Bernadette Peters) loses her Tony, which kind of feels like a win for Ivy, though she doesn't take home the statue either. I love Tom and Julia missing that they have won. I really enjoy the late addition of Patrick, and the redemption of Jimmy, as quick as both of those seem. The final song with Ivy and Karen singing together is just what the viewers need.

It's just, when all is said and done, this ending is too perfect. Even if Smash wants its characters to ride off into the sunset satisfied, they didn't need to go quite so far to do so. A few losses could have been balanced with romantic reconnections. Not everything has to be a personal and professional victory. A little tone down would have made for a better ending.

That being said, I really enjoyed both seasons of Smash, and am going to deeply miss it. There is nothing else like it on television. It's so much more realistic than Glee, and the drama and setting feel fresh and different than the gluttony of cop, lawyer, and doctor series. It's a shame something like this can't succeed, but I thank NBC and all involved for two wonderful years that I will definitely re-watch again in the future.