SECRETS AND LIES and Crap

Article first published as SECRETS AND LIES Review on Seat42F.

ABC’s newest drama, SECRETS AND LIES, is based on the Australian miniseries of the same name. A man finds a boy’s body in the woods, and he soon finds himself the prime suspect in the kid’s murder, despite his insistence that he’s innocent. As friends and neighbors turn against him, can he clear his name and save his family?

First, it should be said that it is ridiculous how America finds the need to remake English-language series instead of just buying and airing the original versions, as is done in other countries. SECRETS AND LIES marks the third prime-time broadcast network drama this complaint applies to in this single television season, the first two being Gracepoint (copied from Broadchurch) and The Slap. At least this one doesn’t have any actors reprising their same roles, thus seems a little less repetitive.

When the U.S. remakes these shows, they almost always make an inferior, watered down product, often because the series is stretched out to more episodes, Americans not being used to limited series like other countries get. In this case, SECRETS AND LIES has been expanded from six hours to ten. But I have not seen the Australian version, so unlike with Gracepoint, I cannot lament over how American studios screwed up the program. Instead, I am judging this drama on its own merits, which, if not great, are surprisingly not terrible.

SECRETS AND LIES is a less complex version of The Killing, or a remake of Desperate Housewives with fewer characters and lacking humor. It does have some major plot holes, such as why the entire town turns against its protagonist before there’s any reason to, especially in a scene where he gets into the front seat of a police car. The DNA of the show, though, is a familiar case of a detective investigating locals, and thankfully the case will span the season, rather than be resolved in a single hour.

The lead investigator in SECRETS AND LIES is Detective Andrea Cornell (Juliette Lewis, The Firm TV series, Natural Born Killers), who is unfortunately the worst character in the first episode. She lacks any discernable emotion, other than supreme judginess, and has already made up her mind about the case before she sees any evidence. Her suspect, Ben Garner (Ryan Phillippe, Damages, Cruel Intentions), does have some holes in his story worth looking into, but he’s certainly not an obvious murderer, at least not right away.

Ben’s family is a central part of the tale, too. He is having problems with his wife, Christy (KaDee Strickland, Private Practice), and not just financial ones, though those are present and quickly worsen. His best friend, Dave (Dan Fogler, Man Up), is immature and crashes with them. His eldest daughter, Natalie (Indiana Evans, Home and Away), was the babysitter of the dead kid, and is being attacked by her friends for what her father is accused of doing. His younger daughter, Abby (Belle Shouse, Summer’s Shadow), may be the only one not turning against him, yet anyway.

Rounding out the cast is the deceased’s mother, neighbor Jess Mullen (Natalie Martinez, Under the Dome), who of course has some secrets of her own.

This is not a very original premise, and so my expectations were quite low going into episode one. Perhaps that’s why I ended up liking it, at least somewhat. It is far from the smartest show on television, but it has a solid cast of performers who handle the plot pretty well. Even where there are holes, they are smaller than in most of the recent premieres I’ve seen in the lack couple of years, and I’m drawn into Ben’s situation, sympathetic to his plight. There are a few surprises that don’t wholly feel like surprises, but there could be something here.

Of course, once we get to the middle of the season and the story has to tread water or add unnecessary subplots because Secrets And Lies seeks to fill more than the six hours it is based on, that opinion could quickly change, so I’ll take it week by week for now, rather than committing to the season pass. Still, this could be something, especially in the currently weak broadcast field.

SECRETS AND LIES premieres this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

It's time to Man Up

     ABC's newest sitcom "Pilot," Man Up, finds three guys wondering what defines masculinity in 2011. Will Keen (Mather Zickel, The Cape, Delocated) searches for a very special 13th birthday gift for his son, Nathan (Jake Johnson, Little Monk). Will's brother-in-law, Kenny Hayden (Dan Fogler, Balls of Fury) still lets his ex-wife, Bridgette (Amanda Detmer, What About Brian, Private Practice), get into his head. Which she loves to do, made easier by the fact that she remains best friends with Will's wife, Theresa (Teri Polo, Meet the Parents, The West Wing), and so is always around. Craig Griffith (series creator Christopher Moynihan, 100 Questions) would really like his ex back, but she's getting married.

     In 2011, many men are no longer defined in the way that their parents and grandparents were. For instance, Will's narration covers how his grandfather and father both fought in wars. Sure, there are still soldiers overseas, but without the draft, and with the implementation of drones, there seems to be less manpower needed. Instead, many men today have embraced more feminine traits, such as keeping good hygiene and pampering oneself from time to time. Even the more widely accepted "man-like" activities, such as playing video games, are tame. Thus, Will, Kenny, and Craig are left wondering how, without uprooting their entire way of life, should they demonstrate that they are men? This message is especially apt for Will, who must provide a standard of man for his son Nathan to look up to.

      Not all men will relate to Man Up, of course, but that applies to any other television series as well. For those of us that do identify with the "weaker" end of the spectrum, though, Man Up tries to show that there are new ways to be a man. In "Pilot," when Craig angers his ex's new guy, and some males arrive at Will's house to seek revenge, the central trio still head out into the yard, thinking that they must engage in violence to be manly. Yet, once Bridgette's date handles the physical end of the altercation, they are only too proud to claim they act in a manly fashion, even without throwing punches. This is a message guys who have no desire to fit into older generations' definitions can get behind.

     Arguably, Will is as manly as he needs to be. He provides for his family, sets a good example for his children, is a loving husband, and a good friend. Where all three men fall short, though, is letting women control them. This is not necessarily a great message, as equality is the more desired option. Will uses an offer of sex to get free time for video games, knowing his wife will turn him down, but compromise. Is this a sign that he is subservient, or merely that he can play the game?

     Kenny and Craig have it worse. Craig can't get over a woman that no longer wants him. Kenny lets Bridgette yank him around, even going and bailing her date out of jail, post-fight. Is Man Up saying that modern men have gone from patriarch to second-in-command of the household or relationship? If so, that's a sad state of affairs. And yet, the way it comes across in the story, these guys don't feel whipped, and are mostly satisfied with their lives.

     Questions of gender roles aside, Man Up proves far funnier than expected. From frequently replacing the f-word with fluffin' (this is network TV, after all), to holding Toby Maguire, of all people, up as the standard men should measure up to, the laughs keep coming. Bridgette is a wonderfully delicious drama queen, and Nathan is so un-manly, he cuts himself as soon as his father gives him a knife. With characters such as these, as well as delightful chemistry between the three main men, Man Up should prove to be a decent addition to the airwaves.

     Watch Man Up Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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