No DOUBT

Article first published as DOUBT Review on Seat42F.

CBS’s latest drama is DOUBT. It’s a legal procedural that follows a group of lawyers in a firm as they defend clients and undergo personal drama. That synopsis is not particularly memorable or distinctive, but neither is the show, which offers little to set it apart from a hundred other television series. Even when only taking into account this single network’s offerings, it’s one of the weaker ones.

Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy), polarizing as she can be, actually does a pretty decent job as Sadie Ellis, the main protagonist of DOUBT. I found her believable and capable, much as I have in previous work. While her inclusion had me unenthusiastic about this project, I can’t fairly or honestly blame her for my distaste of it.

However, Sadie herself is a large part of the problem with DOUBT. She is not only defending Billy Brennan (Steven Pasquale, Rescue Me), a charitable doctor, for a murder from two and a half decades ago, but she’s also sleeping with him. This is ridiculous in its blatant play for soapy melodrama, with little regard for realism. I’m not saying a lawyer never sleeps with a client, but she is risking being disbarred by doing so, and such a story would seldom end well in real life. This overshadows the more interesting parts of Sadie, her relationship with her parents in particular, and ruins things before they even get started.

That isn’t the only thing wrong with DOUBT, though I feel that alone sinks it. The dialogue is hokey and trite, and that’s even when it’s not super predictable. None of the characters feel like actual people, and much of what they say is inconsistent with even the little character development we get. Either the roles are miscast or the writers don’t understand the roles they’ve created. Too many times, it yanks the viewer right out of the moment.

That’s a shame because the show has a pretty strong ensemble. Then again, I could say the same for lots of bad shows these days, it being easier to find good talent than to utilize it.. This particular line up includes Elliott Gould (MASH, Ray Donovan), Dule Hill (Psych), Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black), Dreama Walker (Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23), and Kobi Libii (Alpha House). Each of them are great performers in other works, but if this was the only thing I had to judge them on, I wouldn’t know it. This is by far the worst series any of them have done, at least that I’m aware of, which leads me to believe it isn’t entirely, or at all, their fault.

The guest star line up is similarly over qualified and poorly utilized. Judith Light and Donna Murphy are among those in the pilot that I wish better for.

Now, while I often berate cop procedurals, I tend to find the ones focusing on lawyers much more interesting. There’s something about the court room drama that I find compelling, and it makes me more forgiving of the flaws. This, however, defies that trend by spending way more time on unimportant stories and failing to make any of the cases interesting. Instead, the series continuously focuses on the wrong things.

Unfortunately for DOUBT, the glow of The Good Wife, a far superior show of this genre, has not been away from CBS long enough to fade. With The Good Fight spin-off premiering later this week, even if it will be online-only after episode one, there’s an immediate replacement that is sure to be much better than this. As such, I don’t see any reason why anyone would want to tune into this program when the immediate comparisons will make it seem so poor by comparison.

DOUBT premieres this Wednesday at 10/9c on CBS.

The B in Apt 23 still deliciously untrustworthy

ABC's Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23 returned for a second go-round last week with "A Reunion..." James (James Van Der Beek) is happy to once more blow off his former Dawson's Creek co-stars' request for a reunion show. That is, until June (Dreama Walker) tells him how much it will mean to millions of girls, and probably bring him new, young female fans. The problem is, as James soon finds out, Chloe (Krysten Ritter) is the one who has been sending the letters to manipulate her pal into giving her things, and James' cast mates want nothing to do with him. What is a washed up television actor to do?

It's a shame that more Dawson's Creek stars aren't available to appear in "A Reunion..." Busy Philipps (Cougar Town, returning on TBS in January) drops by to break the bad news to James about why he is hated, which is great, but as she says, she was only on the show for two seasons. There would be a little more weight to the story if we got to see Joshua Jackson or Michelle Williams or Katie Holmes, even just in a quick cut-scene.

Alas, Don't Trust the B---- is just starting what will hopefully be a many-year run. It's a little too early to bring in those types of cameos, especially considering the success that they have found post-DC. Which means, this plot may have just been done too early in the series' run to fully live up to its potential.

That being said, "A Reunion..." is pretty darn funny. James Van Der Beek is as excellent as he has been in every episode so far, and focusing on him is a good idea. We get a bit of Chloe being ridiculously mean and self-absorbed, shooting people with a tranq gun, and a bit of June being starry eyed and naive, and then the meat of the episode falls onto James' shoulders, with nary a peep from the other side characters, save some gold from Luther (Ray Ford). This is the winning formula the show should stick with.

The guest stars they do have are well used, too. Besides Busy, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle) gets to do a JVDB-style version of himself when a reunion-obsessed James tries to force his way into a Malcolm special, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar is fantastic in setting James on the right course, though I do wish some mention had been made of Gosselaar's more recent TV effort, Franklin & Bash. Stars playing unflattering versions of themselves has become the new chic (see Showtime's Episodes), and when talented people are allowed to act in this manner, leaving their pride at the door, they can really shine, both because of the delightful results, and because it shows they are people who aren't afraid of being the butt of a joke, a wonderful quality.

Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23 may still be trying to find its audience. But if any of the above sounds appealing to you, and it should, check out the show Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 still not trusthworthy

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 brings its super short, seven episode, freshman run to an end this week with "Shitagi Nashi." It's an interesting end to the initial arc, with June (Dreama Walker) finally finding her new, hard-hitting lifestyle catching up to her. See, since she has befriended Chloe (Krysten Ritter), she has taken to doing what the cool kids do, which involves a lot of drinking. And poor June's liver isn't equipped to handle such copious amounts of alcohol. In a surprisingly realistic development, this lands June in the hospital, where she has to get her stomach pumped.

Many shows would not take the time to do this plot. At first, it may seem strange that Don't Trust The B---- is the type of series that would pay attention to what would really happen, when plenty of others let their characters do whatever they want without consequence. Then again, a large part of the draw of Chloe's character is her outrageousness. Seeing June go down trying to follow in her footsteps makes total sense, from that perspective, and helps play up who Chloe is.

Even better, Chloe and James (James Van Der Beek) continue throughout the episode to think June is faking her illness. Of course they do; that is a scheme they would totally use to trick someone. They don't care about others. It's a little odd they even care about June, but apparently, she has managed to get inside of their exclusive bubble. So, while taking the path of June being hospitalized may be realistic, the reaction that comes after doesn't quite gel with everything else shown about the characters thus far.

Don't Trust The B---- is a study of contradiction in its characters. It's about a girl with good morals who goes wild, struggling with two opposing sides of herself. It's about an actor, working desperately to stay relevant and escape his past. And it's about another girl who has major insecurities, and lives loudly to try to overcome that uncertainty be being as large a personality as possible.

Insecure, Chloe definitely is. "Shitagi Nashi" finds her grow jealous after June replaces her as the subject of a comic. June, true to her homey charm, does her best to make Chloe feel better, cementing the friendship they have developed. Believe it or not, it actually feels strange to see Chloe laid bare a little bit. Obviously, something is behind the front she puts up. But her cover is so effective that it's only in retrospect when one begins to truly wonder what makes her the way she is. This episode is the first true attempt to delve into this matter.

While there are more than three main characters, only a trio of players are essential to the plot of the show, while the rest are more in a supporting role. Rounding out this threesome is James, who in "Shitagi Nashi" feuds with Dean Cain (himself) when he realizes Dean's Dancing With the Stars dressing room is six inches bigger. The DWTS arc has been quite amusing, really giving James a chance to play with his arrogance and narcissism. It's one of the most ridiculous, and funny, stories he's been given yet, and he nails it, as usual! Hopefully, it will continue into next season, and parts of the competition shown.

It's hard to judge Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 yet, as it still isn't clear where it's going. However, many series stumble a bit in the first season, and with the way the three main actors really sell their schtick week after week, there is definitely something here. Cartoonish, yes, but in an amusing way. It'll be interesting to see what they do with the second season.

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 will return to ABC next fall. Article first published as Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 still not trusthworthy on TheTVKing.com

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Trust me about "...The B---- in Apartment 23"

This week, the second episode of ABC's new Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 is called "Daddy's Girl." June (Dreama Walker, The Good Wife, Gossip Girl) is hesitant to let Chloe (Krysten Ritter, Breaking Bad, Veronica Mars) set her up with a guy named Scott (Michael Landes, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, 11-11-11). But Scott turns out to be perfect for June! Except that he's Chloe's dad. And he's still married to Chloe's mom.

It is hard to judge any series by its pilot, and having had the benefit of watching the first two episodes at once, it felt better to review "Daddy's Girl" instead. Now the characters are pretty firmly established, and getting into the groove of what the show will be.

June is a good girl, a tad naive, but willing to stand up for herself. She arrives in the city full of hope, and the trials that confront her do not tear her down. Instead, she might freak out a bit, but she's strong enough to rise above and keep going with a sunny spirit. In fact, June may even treasure the obstacles because they help her to grow.

That's good, because Chloe is going to be June's constant thorn in her side. It isn't that Chloe is malicious. Well, she is, but only before she gets to know someone. Now that June has already passed that barrier, she gets to find out what being Chloe's friend is like. And it's not pretty. Chloe is self-centered to the point where she misses the obvious if it doesn't directly concern her. Which doesn't stop her from meddling with other people anyway.

In the case of "Daddy's Girl," Chloe is right that June and Scott will get along great. She would like her mother out of the picture, and has no problem interfering in her parents' marriage, with the only goal being that it will make Chloe happy to not have to deal with Mom. However, Chloe doesn't think through the ramifications, such as that June would be her step-mother. So good intentions, though only towards her own interests, go wrong for Chloe. And people hang out around Chloe because when she's not destroying your life, it can be quite exciting to see the chaos she creates in her wake.

This dynamic is interesting and funny, especially because of the edgy humor. It's too bad Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 doesn't air on a network that can handle the content. One gets the impression that everything is toned down. It's surprising that ABC even allows pixelated nudity! But by flirting with the controversial and not delivering, especially in the title and theme "song," it actually makes the network seem rather unhip. Either ABC should go for a groundbreaking network series or don't, but being a tease doesn't serve anyone as well as it should.

Though watching June and Chloe is fun, the most hilarious character on Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 is James Van Der Beek. Playing a version of himself, Van Der Beek sheds any of his remaining Dawson's Creek image, and shows a maturity as an actor. It's also awesome to watch him poke fun at himself and his situation in a meta way. Being plagued by his past, unable to escape it on the series, actually does the opposite for him in real life. Not to mention, he adds that special something to what would otherwise be an amusing, but not particularly must-see, show. Van Der Beek will be the fan favorite, and if the series gets a second season, he will deserve more of the credit than anyone.

Watch Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Article first published as TV Review: Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 - "Daddy's Girl" on Blogcritics.