Enlightened may not be the "Agent of Change" it hopes

Article first published as Enlightened may not be the "Agent of Change" it hopes on TheTVKing.

HBO's Enlightened brings its second season (and possibly series) to an end this week with "Agent of Change." The proverbial crap hits the fan as Jeff's (Dermot Mulroney) article about Abaddon becomes public knowledge. Amy's (Laura Dern) part in it is fully exposed, costing her her job. Before she goes quietly or triumphantly off into the night though, she burns a few more bridges.

Amy is a polarizing character you tend to either love or hate. Despite enjoying the show, I don't like the lead very much. I don't know if this is a testament to Dern for creating such a specific persona, one who is realistic and recognizable, even if not very likeable, or if they series' writers misjudge just how far Amy can be taken. I feel like this is why the show struggles to build a following.

That being said, I do still want Amy to have a happy ending. She is the protagonist, and we've spent enough time watching her. She is a pain and her self-righteousness causes more harm than good. But, at the end of the day, she should still find her niche. "Agent of Change" doesn't get her there, but it does leave her in a place of success, at least on certain fronts.

It's funny when Amy gets a meeting with the head of Abaddon, Charles Szidon (James Rebhorn, White Collar, Homeland). It takes no time at all for Szidon to convince Amy that he's a good guy who's trying his best. His earnestness and apparent sincerity could sway fans of the show, too. Yet, Amy should not be moved, given the evidence she's seen. She should be able to look past his words and remember his crimes, figuring he only offers her the dream job because it makes him look good. The fact that she doesn't, changing her mind at the drop of a hat, exposes the flimsiness and weakness of her personality, a lack of utter conviction about anything.

This wishy-washiness extends to Amy's romantic life, too. She is plenty willing to blow off Levi (Luke Wilson), a man who has gone to great lengths to get his life together for her, and whom she has strung along for awhile, when she is sleeping with Jeff. Yet, when Jeff asks for a break, whose house does she go to for comfort? Yep, Levi's. Her actions are not fair to either man.

I don't believe that Jeff doesn't care for Amy. I'm not convinced he's in love with her, but it does seem like he's asking for the time apart for professional reasons, not because he is using her for information. The glowing way in which he writes about her in his article, as well as his query as to whether she is OK after everything blows up, shows us this. If Enlightened does get a third season, it could be interesting to watch Jeff and Levi fight over Amy, especially when the "winner" who gets her could, in actuality, end up the loser.

The most uncomfortable thing Amy does in "Agent of Change" doesn't come from her guy troubles, or her final showdown with Szidon, where she grows a backbone at last. No, the worst scene is when Amy ruins her fragile relationship with Krista (Sarah Burns). Just when they rebuild a friendship, Amy storms into Krista's hospital room, not long after Krista gives birth, and lobbies angry accusations and profanity against an innocent woman. It's totally in character, but it's exactly why Krista has distanced herself from Amy in the first place. There is most likely no coming back from this for Amy.

The best moment of the episode, in my opinion, is when Dougie (Timm Sharp) tries to help Amy get out of the building with her evidence against Abaddon. He tells her that she's been a terrible employee, but he still wants to hang out with her, and he supports her mission. Friends can be found in the most unlikely of places, and to see them come together is heartwarming.

It's also nice that Amy salvages Tyler's (Mike White) budding arrangement with Eileen (Molly Shannon, Saturday Night Live), and, after kicking her daughter out of her home, Helen (Diane Ladd) finds something to be proud of Amy for. These are the touches that makes Enlightened worth watching, even at its most uncomfortable moments.

What would a third season of Enlightened look like? Obviously, Amy would not be at her job any longer, and that would make it hard to keep all of her co-workers in the cast. Tyler and Dougie, at least, lost their jobs, too, so maybe they would latch on to whatever Amy does next. But Krista would likely be gone, which, while I liked her, would not be a big loss, since her arc comes to a close so neatly this week. And obviously Amy would have another cause to go after in some half-thought out way.

"Agent of Change" is nice because it really brings things to a close in a way that makes sense. There may be some things that end uncomfortably, and plenty of balls left up in the air, but if Enlightened should be done, there is enough finished to not be too disappointing.

New Trend: Parents Playing Parents?

Article first published as New Trend: Parents Playing Parents? on Blogcritics.

Acting is a craft honed with many years of practice and a large degree of talent. But talent alone may not be enough if the actors have to work with other performers with whom they just do not have chemistry. One of the greatest challenges in casting a series is picking people who have the right fit with one another, who can make it seem like their relationships go back way further than the show's timeline.

Hollywood seems to have a new solution to that problem. Why fake a relationship, when you can use one that already exists?

In HBO's Enlightened, which just began its second season, the main character of Amy is played by Laura Dern. Amy's mother is played by Diane Ladd. What may not be obvious to those who haven't bothered googling the two women is that Ladd is Dern's actual mother. They don't look a lot alike, but considering that Ladd is the person who raised Dern, it's no surprise that they can pull off a great dynamic on screen.

Their characters are antagonistic towards each other in the series, and this isn't too far-fetched to believe. Dern once sued her mother for emancipation so that she could do a movie to which her mother objected. Clearly, the two have a rocky back story, and have some real life material to draw upon for their mother-daughter roles, and this isn't the first time they've played opposite one another.

Maybe they've worked past those differences; everyone grows up. Everyone spats with their parents; not everyone sues for emancipation, but not knowing the family, I couldn't say what what motivate such an action, or how it was received. Those of us on the outside can only guess at Dern and Ladd's actual relationship.

That isn't really the point, though. The point is, these two women, both terrific actors in their own right, have found a way to use their relationship in their careers. Being on set together gives them an opportunity to spend time together. It also gives them a very authentic feel for their characters.

I wonders how much of their real relationship goes into the parts? Do they work better if they keep the characters purely on a fictional plane, or do they have no trouble pulling things from reality, in order to make the scene even more realistic? This is personal choice, of course, and there is not formula that will work for everyone.

Thinking about how it would be to work with my parents, I feel like it risks quite a bit of unprofessionalism while filming. I mean, I can't see my parents willing to set aside the fact that they are my parents, even if they are happy to help and work together. It would definitely make for a different dynamic once the cameras stop rolling, and with Dern having some creative control over the series, does that cause any tension between them?

I guess what I'm trying to say is, whether this will work or not depends on the individuals, how they feel about one another, and what the established hierarchy is in the project. It's not a choice everyone can make, even if both parent and child happen to be in the same industry. But it works for others outside of acting, too, such as when a kid takes over a retiring parent's business, and spends years training to prepare for that day, so it's about time that this is tried in the world of television.

Dern and Ladd are not alone in this arrangement. Recently, after guesting once last summer, Martin Sheen has joined the cast of FX's Anger Management, which also just began a second season. He plays Martin, the father of real-life son Charlie's character, also called Charlie. Keeping the same names blurs the lines even more. Is this a play for ratings, or did the pair really just decide they wanted to work together? 


Not so long ago, Charlie (the actor, not the character) had a huge public meltdown, which few could have missed. Martin got involved then, too. This will only fuel rumors about why Martin is now on set, and what might be going on. It could also potentially be disruptive to the filming process down the line, so it seems like a tenuous pairing, especially on a television show committed to cranking out 90 episodes over the next two years, making for a high stress, very busy environment.

Then again, maybe it's not a problem. As I said before, we can't know for certain what their relationship is, and as long as their bosses trust that whatever happens will not interrupt the production process, and it works for the network, good for them. I am certainly enjoying both casting choices so far.

There are all sorts of implications if this should become a full-blown trend. Will it be one that works, making for better television and films. Or are these two pairings just anomalies, a footnote in the history books? Could one or both of them flame out miserably because adults don't always work well with their parents? Or will it lead to them having even better relationships and more respect for one another? These four could be a bell weather if others are considering the move.

Or I could be making something out of nothing.

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