THE SINNER Rock Solid

Article first published as TV Review: THE SINNER on Seat42F.

USA premieres THE SINNER tonight, an eight-episode miniseries based on the novel of the same name. The international best-selling book by Petra Hammesfahr is a different take on the crime drama, as is the show. Different because it starts out by introducing us to a protagonist who, midway through the pilot, we’ll see do something truly horrible and violent in full public view. There is no question as to whether she is guilty or not, but rather, the drama stems from why this seemingly normal wife and mother would do something so heinous?

There is definitely a reason, and THE SINNER lets us know that, if not the details of it, pretty early on. As we meet Cora Tannetti (Jessica Biel, 7^th Heaven, The Book of Love), she is acting strange. She doesn’t look happy or comfortable in her job, working for her husband’s family. Her marriage to said husband, Mason (Christopher Abbott, Girls), is strained, at least from her side; it’s not clear Mason really sees there is a problem. She is haunted by some bad memories, and even appears like she might be leaning towards suicidal.

But we don’t know why she’s so troubled. Things seem good. She and Mason have a little boy she adores, and their home and careers seem stable, childcare taken care of, food on the table. They may be around Mason’s family a bit more than Cora would like, but there’s nothing glaringly wrong that would drive an otherwise normal woman to act that way Cora acts.

I debated even mentioning that Cora snaps in this review, so unexpected was it to me, going in cold. But the show description on the official website gives it away, and this is the premise, so it had to be said.

Biel is fantastic as Cora, playing the lead in a way that is engaging and complex. My instinct is to feel sorry for Cora, sure there’s a good reason for her mental instability, rather than condemn her. What trauma has caused her to act like this? How can she get the help she needs, rather than rot away in a prison cell where she doesn’t belong?

Which begs the question, how close is something like this to real life? How many women are there even now sitting behind bars who should instead be in therapy to get better? How many men? THE SINNER really calls into question motivation and how life experiences shape a person. One cannot excuse what we watch Cora do, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel for her, and think there’s not a better path for her than a long stint in prison. She’s not a psychopath.

As much as I was sucked into Cora’s story, and to a lesser extent Mason’s, where THE SINNER slows down for me is any time it shifts to the third lead, Detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Independence Day). No offense to Pullman, whom I often enjoy, but I just don’t care about the law enforcement officer trying to understand Cora. What we do see of his character doesn’t paint him in a good light, and for some reason, I had less desire to understand him than I do Cora. Though presumably he recognizes something in her no one else does, which says something about him.

THE SINNER is being billed as a close-ended series, and I’m sure it will be. But it also seems like USA might like to continue it somehow. With True Detective coming back, I’m not sure we need another gritty crime drama like this. But if another protagonist as good as Cora can be found for a second outing, I might be up for it. And I haven’t even watched that much of Cora’s tale yet, which I would very much like to see through.

THE SINNER premieres tonight at 10/9c on USA.

GIRLS Not For "Females Only"

Article first published as GIRLS Not For "Females Only" on Seat42F.

HBO’s GIRLS makes a strong comeback this week with “Females Only.” At that start of the third season, a couple of the girls are starting to seem more like women and less like children, getting their stuff together. And the other two, one of whom previously was the most put-together, are practically in free-fall. But sometimes you have to make mistakes so that you can learn from them.

“Females Only” opens with a peaceful morning montage, which only lasts until the first dialogue-driven scene, moments later, which is quite messy. I love the contrast and the literal interpretation of ‘rude awakening.’ It just seems like such a smart way to begin the year.

The confrontation happens when one of Adam’s ex-girlfriends, Natalia (Shiri Appleby), shows up to chew out the man who she feels screwed her over. Actually, it’s more her friend Angie (Amy Schumer) that does the chewing out, but you get the picture. All of this happens in front of Hannah (Lena Dunham), who is actually feeling good about where she is with Adam (Adam Driver) at present.

Now, the Natalia / Angie / Adam scene could have been a way to tie up loose ends, or to bring back a familiar face, but GIRLS uses it for so much more than that. In fact, the scene drives the way Hannah and Adam connect later in the episode, which is well mixed with an amazing group dinner scene. This installment is really clever in the way the events support one another, and are used to illustrate a relationship.

Adam and Hannah’s relationship will never look like what many of us think of as normal. Yet, there is something real and special between them, something we can admire as sweet. The more the viewer gets to know Adam, peeling back the layers, the less weird he seems and the more sympathetic he becomes, despite his antisocial behavior. “Females Only” is a very good Adam episode.

At the same time that we’re learning about Adam, we also get a further look into the dynamic between Marnie (Allison Williams) and her mother (Rita Wilson). Marnie has everything on track except her love life, with Charlie (Christopher Abbott) having abandoned her. However, her mother sees only the negative things going on for Marnie, which explains some of how Marnie feels about herself. Very enlightening.

It’s shame Abbott departed the show under public and rocky circumstances last year. Charlie and Marnie are in a good place at the end of season two, and that could very well have continued. But it’s also kind of a good thing that he is gone because it gives Marnie more room to grow. Last year was a lot about finding herself, which she has now done on several levels. Now, she gets to explore another element of her personality without a guy present to distract her.

Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) has a new plan laid out in front of her, and while her part in the premiere is small, it is funny and extremely typical of what we’re used to from her.

I do feel like the enigma of Jessa (Jemima Kirke) is unraveling, which is a good thing. “Females Only” finds her in rehab, a situation that is not to her liking, and she quickly makes it miserable for everyone around her, too. Which is not to say it doesn’t do her any good. As much as she fights against this establishment, she does have a revelation or two about herself, and it helps fans of GIRLS to understand her.

The interesting thing about Jessa is that she’s not entirely wrong in her outlook, even when her approach is completely backwards from what it should be. She is a very honest person, and generally truth is a good thing, but she somehow manages to misuse it. It’s a defense mechanism, and one she will eventually have to shed if she wants to get along with the world. But she does make some valid points in the midst of her poor behavior. Or, at least she convinces us she does, which is sort of the same thing, and something to admire about her character.

The thing I am enjoying about season three of GIRLS, right from the get go, is that each character is finding out who they are, and we at home are doing so, too, at the same time. This show has always been about a journey, and we’re now far enough long to get a picture of the longer game. I think this first episode is very well done, and is a sign of good things to come.

GIRLS premieres with a double episode (this review only covers the first half) Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.

Girls still not getting it "Together"

Article first published as Girls still not getting it "Together" on TheTVKing.

As HBO's second season of Girls comes to an end in "Together," there are some resolutions, but there is also more mess. Which is par for the course. The girls at the center of this show are very flawed, but authentic, portraits of young women these days, who may not have been as prepared for the real world as they'd hoped, and, as the title of the show suggests, still straddle the line between child and adult.

Some have criticized this series from the beginning, and some who loved the first season have turned on it in the second year. I don't fall into either of those categories. It makes me uncomfortable to watch some of the plots Girls delivers, especially those that focus on Hannah (Lean Dunham) because I just want to shake her and make her make the smart decision, but I think it has kept the specific, unique voice is started with, and is inarguably unlike anything else on television.

Hannah is mostly a train wreck by the end of this season. Her OCD is coming back in spades, she breaks a Q-tip off in her ear, she has lost at least three friends, and she isn't going to meet the deadline for her ebook, which means she will be sued for the advance payment she already spent. Her physical appearance, and I'm talking about presentation, not weight, is sloppy. She can be pretty, and not that she has to be all the time, yay for feminism, but her utter lack of pride in putting herself together, even at the times when she should, says something about her that is not pleasant. Some of these things, just the OCD, really, aren't exactly in Hannah's control. But the rest are avoidable if she would just mature.

Hannah, more than anyone else in the show, is a kid, and is really having trouble with growing up. She fights it at every turn, almost as if she thinks she has to be immature in order to hang onto something. Her parents (Peter Scolari and Becky Ann Baker) haven't helped that much, being enablers. Finally, though, by "Together," they are cutting her off and forcing her to deal with things on her own.

I do think Hannah has the ability to get her life on track. She is definitely smart and talented, even if she frequently squanders both. It's going to be so much harder for her now, since she has burned some bridges and proven herself unreliable, but she still could succeed if she wants to. However, I feel like her immaturity is kind of an addiction, and she will probably have to bottom out, which she hasn't done yet, before she can get better.

At least Hannah has Adam (Adam Driver). No matter what Adam may have said, his relationship with Natalia (Shiri Appleby, Life Unexpected) is a rebound. She does help him to grow as a person, and round off a few of the weirder edges of him that need softening. He still very much holds a torch for Hannah, though. Will his support be what she needs, or will he just be the latest to aid in her selfish ways, which will ultimately destroy her when he, too, steps back, like her parents did?

Adam's relationship with Hannah is not the same kind of enabling that her parents do. He really does focus on building her up, something the older pair seem to have forgotten, though who can blame them, after everything that Hannah has done? He loves her for who she is. The question is, will that be good for her, or reinforce the bad choices?

Jessa (Jemima Kirke), MIA in the finale, may not return to help Hannah out anytime soon. As much as Jessa dislikes her father's roaming ways, she has certainly inherited the lifestyle. When things get tough, she disappears, as unreliable as he is. It's sad, but like Hannah, Jessa is a snapshot of who her parents made her into at this point, and has yet to find her own way. I'm not saying that she will necessarily be a better person when she does, but maybe it will help somewhat, at least she will own it.

Marnie (Allison Williams) also falls right back into old habits, reconnecting with Charlie (Christopher Abbott) in "Together." Marnie has been directionless ever since their breakup, while Charlie has sold an app and gotten filthy rich. Yet, they both go right back to their old dynamic when given the chance. They like to think they have changed and are now ready for each other, but are they? Does Marnie drag Charlie down, and that's why he struggled while with her previously? Maybe the benefits of this relationship are one-sided, though I guess season three will tell us for sure.

Ray (Alex Karpovsky) actually seems to be doing the best at the end of the half hour. He may have lost Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet), but that's OK, because she is just a little bit too controlling for him. He is better when he pursues things on his own. Shoshanna is wrong that he is without purpose; Ray just has his own way of doing things. It sucks a bit he gets into his thirties without committing to a passion or career yet. However, many do, and I think Ray has a good head on his shoulders, a way to pay the bills for now, and still has time to figure himself out, which isn't helped by being around Shoshanna, who tries to do the figuring for him.

That isn't a slam on Shoshanna. There are plenty of men who would benefit from having a girl like her in their lives, and of the girls on Girls, she is the one who is soaring. She makes the smart decision, knowing Ray is just not the one for her, and also realizing that this isn't the time in her life to be tied down to someone like him. Shoshanna, surprisingly, who may seem the youngest at the series start, is the one who is also becoming older and wiser at a quicker pace than the others.

Girls sadly has been slipping in the ratings. Luckily, a third season has already been ordered. But unless people tune back in, year three could be its last. Considering the perspective it takes, which no one else does, that would be a shame.

Girls will return next year to HBO.

"It's About Time" for Girls

Grade: 93%

HBO’s GIRLS is back this Sunday, January 13th at 9 p.m. ET with “It’s About Time.” And while the titular characters may be slightly older, they are still far too immature to be called women, no matter what they do sexually.

Hannah (Lena Dunham) just cannot make up her mind about what she wants. Should she keep taking care of Adam (Adam Driver), who has been hit by a truck, and is now fully admitting his love for her, or should she hook up some more with the new guy (Donald Glover, Community) that she’s been seeing on the side?

Why can’t Hannah make a decision? She is plenty confident in picking a party theme idea, or stripping off her dress without hesitation, but she has no will to choose a man to be with. It’s not that she’s not getting enough sex with Adam, or that he’s still being mean; it’s more that she doesn’t know what she wants, so she can’t let herself be happy with what she has. Adam seems like a good match for her, but she isn’t willing to admit that, so she bed hops.

Unfortunately, it’s not fair to either of the guys. Adam has the biggest right to feel betrayed, considering how he has been sleeping with her for awhile, and has expressed his feelings. The newbie, meanwhile, seems to know about Adam, and doesn’t mind what’s going on, but only because Hannah presents the impression that she no longer cares for Adam. It’ll be interesting to see how Hannah eventually deals with being the unlikely (though I’m sure she expected it) center of a love triangle.

Thankfully, Hannah’s uncertainty doesn’t extend to her friends. She is careless with their emotions, as Marnie (Allison Williams) finds out when Hannah dismisses her feelings of loneliness. But Hannah does say she still loves Marnie, and wants to be good friends, despite their fight last year, so that’s something.

Marnie is sad because she has no guy and no job. Things aren’t made any easier when Hannah doesn’t have time for her and her ex, Charlie (Christopher Abbott), brings his new girl to Hannah’s party. This excuses Marnie’s almost hook-up with Hannah’s gay roommate, Elijah (The New Normal’s Andrew Rannells), which fails to happen because of him, not her. One cannot help but feel sorry for her, being in as depressing a place as she is in “It’s About Time,” and with no end in sight.

Still, is that an excuse for her to crawl back into Charlie’s bed? As unhappy as Charlie may be with his current girlfriend, he should never let Marnie sleep over until a break up happens. And Marnie should know better. But I guess that’s the folly of the young, and why they are still called GIRLS.

One thing that does seem odd in the episode is that Marnie continually makes a point to keep her boobs blocked from the camera during her semi-sex scene with Elijah. I respect that the actress doesn’t want to do the nude scenes, and no one is asking her to act like Dunham, completely free-wheeling. But when she holds her arm a certain way, then pulls her dress back up, as Elijah commits fully to the moment, and her character  is portrayed as wanting the intercourse, her modesty just feels awkward and wrong. Either she needs to show more skin, or her character shouldn’t have these types of scenes.

Speaking of sex, Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) has been trying to get over her one night stand with Ray (Alex Karpovsky), even though, to paraphrase, she feels like something is missing without her hymen. Her resolve to avoid him, though, predictably breaks down when they meet in the bedroom during the party, and they end up making out.

What is the hesitation here? Yes, Shoshanna works best on the series in small doses, but Ray doesn’t seem to mind her personality. Why not let them be a couple? It would be very interesting to see how Shoshanna behaves when she begins to get regular sex, and we could use a little more Ray (or any decent guy) on screen.

If you’re a fan of Jessa (Jemima Kirke) and Thomas-John (Chris O’Dowd), I’m sorry to report that there’s really nothing to say about them in “It’s About Time.” However, given the end of the episode, that probably won’t be the case for long.

I admit, I was missing GIRLS, and “It’s About Time” it came back! It’s a quirky, unique, certain-of-itself show that doesn’t hold back, and always entertains. Even when a scene ventures too far into something I don’t really want to see, I don’t regret watching because the pay off is fantastic. The characters are authentic and more real than what exists in most of television. Overall, few complaints can be made. Welcome back, GIRLS!

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

"She Did" it Girls

HBO's Girls has gotten a lot of attention this season, some positive, some not so much. As the freshman run draws to a close with "She Did," it's hard to see where the attacks come from. Jealousy? Insecurity? Lack of a frame of reference? Yes, the characters may not be completely likeable, but what a bold, fresh, realistic perspective! Girls may very well be the voice of a generation, and I don't make that claim lightly.

Maybe there are those that dislike the series because they are trying to compare it to other television. This is folly, as the writing and direction of Girls is not like anything else. Trying to pigeon-hole it, or compare it to non-exist peers shows a lack of understanding of what the show is going for. It isn't trying to be another series. It is, like the characters, true to itself, even if no one else understands.

At the center of the series is Hannah (Lena Dunham). She still expects her dreams of being a professional writer to come true. She just doesn't put that much effort into making them happen, whines quite a bit, and is pretty selfish. Yet, as the type of person that everyone knows, narcissistic but not malicious, she is an identifiable character, and one not represented very well on television. Until now.

In "She Did," Hannah gets the chance to complete one of her goals: have a serious relationship. Adam (Adam Driver) is willing to fully commit to her, even wanting to move in. Hannah just doesn't take him seriously, and ends up insulting him, which may spell the end of their time together. Is it because she is scared, as she claims in a raw confrontation in the street? Or does she not know what she wants? Maybe Adam is the type of guy she thinks she should desire or deserves, but isn't sure that she is ready to be with him. Is she trying to live her life as if from a script?

This is kind of the conundrum of everyone in Girls. Marnie (Allison Williams) has a great guy in Charlie (Christopher Abbott), whom she doesn't appreciate until he's gone. Then she could get him back, but she still resists, ending up making out with someone unexpected (Saturday Night Live's Bobby Moynihan). One would like to think that she appreciates her hookup's personality, but really, she's probably just drunk and desperate. We'll see if it lasts past a single evening.

The oddest plot in the finale is when Jessa (Jemima Kirke) throws a surprise wedding for herself and the creepy guy (Chris O'Dowd) who wanted to have a threesome with Jessa and Marnie. Jessa didn't even like him then, but her bizarre vows are actually sweet. Perhaps they do make a good pairing, as out of nowhere as the union seems to come from. Of course, with Jessa, no traditional courtship would ever be in the cards, which might make this one more acceptable.

Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) would like to loose her virginity, and weirdly does so with Ray (Alex Karpovsky). It almost seems like this happens because these are the two major characters with the least development, and the only ones who aren't paired up before now. And yet, there is something really nice between them. Both deserve more screen time, and maybe as a couple, they will get it.

Shoshanna's frustrated statement, "Everyone's a dumb whore," rings kind of true on the surface. But the girls are more than that. Someone who is over the age of thirty might have a hard time understanding what is going on in Girls. Yet, those of us who were in college in the previous decade see an authenticity that is surprising for television. Every flaw and stupid action of young gals that are not yet mature enough to qualify as women are laid out, without shame. It's a brave series with interesting writing. And no matter what these girls do, there is an allure about them that keeps people tuning in week after week.

Nope, not everyone gets them. That's the way they like it. One day they will be normal, contributing members of society. But for now, they are still just Girls.

Girls will return for a second season on HBO.

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Girls just wanna have fun

HBO's newest series is Girls. Produced by Judd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up), and created by series star Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture), Girls follows the exploits of twenty-something females in New York. But Sex and the City this is not. These girls are cash poor, less focused on men, and much more realistic. In fact, when one of the characters relates herself and her cousin to Sex and the City characters, it comes across as cheesy and dumb. This is the gritty, more authentic version of Sex and the City, or at least an example of where those girls might have been before they found successful careers.

Hannah (Dunham) begins the "Pilot" by learning that her parents will be cutting her off financially. This is terrible news, because Hannah works an unpaid internship and is writing a memoir (yes, at her age!) that might just be the "voice of a generation," or so she says while high on opium. Thus, left with no source of income, Hannah has to quit her internship and seek actual employment. She is offended and angry, begging for just two more years of support. Her parents decline.

Hannah is the voice of a generation, in that many young people today count on their parents to pay for everything. Those who come from well-to-do families might get that, and have the resources to begin life as an author or working on another creative project. Most of us, though, have to work hard, sometimes multiple jobs, to take care of ourselves, and shove our ambitions into projects accomplished during scant free-time. Hannah isn't exactly likeable in this regard, but she is a familiar character, as every young person knows plenty like her, who expect, rather than are grateful, to be taken care of.

Luckily, that isn't all there is to Hannah. She's feisty, and she's a free spirit. She is determined, and viewers are definitely left with the impression she will overcome these stumbling blocks. She is funny and honest. She has casual-ish sex with a struggling actor named Adam (Adam Driver, You Don't Know Jack). All of these combine to make her a good character, despite the whiny qualities that come out when dealing with her parents. And really, who doesn't revert to childish behaviors a bit when dealing with the adults who raised you?

Hannah is surrounded by other interesting, seemingly layered, people. Hannah's gorgeous roommate, Marnie (Allison Williams, Will & Kate: Before Happily Ever After), is in a relationship with Charles (Christopher Abbott). She feels smothered by him, but won't break it off. Again, everyone knows a girl like that. Marnie's British friend, Jessa (Jemima Kirke, Tiny Furniture), just blows into town in the "Pilot," and is someone who lives in the clouds. Surely, though, she has some grasp on reality, and just pretends not to, or she wouldn't have survived thus far. Perhaps it's a coping mechanism? Lastly, Jessa crashes with younger cousin Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet, Mad Men, United States of Tara), who naively believes her life can be explained by Sex and the City. It's annoying, but she'll mature soon enough.

The "Pilot" leaves one feeling like Girls is more than the sum of its parts. What this review contains is a sketch of what the show is about, but it's impossible to convey in words the quirky charm that comes across on screen. The success of Girls is all about tone, subtlety, nuance, and irony. It has that certain something not easily pinpointed. It will surely resonate with the generation it portrays.

Watch Girls Sundays at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO.

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