Wake Up to THE MORNING SHOW

Article first published as THE MORNING SHOW: TV REVIEW at Seat42F.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for the first three episodes.

One of Apple TV+’s new dramas is THE MORNING SHOW. Set at a Good Morning America type of series, the program follows anchors past and present as they navigate through the current political climate and their own ambitions. Featuring an all-star cast, this is probably the best program I’ve seen from the brand-new streaming service so far.

As the pilot begins, sexual harassment charges go public against veteran anchor Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell, The Office). The network reacts quickly, firing him. Producer Chip Black (Mark Duplass, Togetherness) is thrown because he was preparing to let go Mitch’s on-air partner, Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston, Friends), go for being past her prime (in talent, not age). All this drama excites the new head of news for the network, Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup, Watchmen), and other anchors like Yanko (Nestor Carbonell, Bates Motel), Daniel (Desean Terry), and Alison (Janina Gavankar, The League) want the empty seat. But it’s little known, passionate, online sensation Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies) that swoops in and takes the spot.

The plot of THE MORNING SHOW is beyond juicy. It has the #MeToo controversy that is still so relevant, but also all manner of scheming and backstabbing. While none of the characters come off as unlikeable, there is plenty of insecurity and ambition. Besides those mentioned above, behind-the-scenes staff Hannah (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Touch) and Mia (Karen Pittman, Luke Cage) seem like key players, as does Alex’s secretly estranged husband, Jason (Jack Davenport, Smash). So there’s no shortage of participants, and not all of their motivations are immediately clear.

Add to all the individual concerns, there’s the business perspective of a network and a popular, but struggling, series that that must be taken into consideration. The Morning Show is losing ground to competitor Audra (Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project) and looking to shake things up; Cory himself is a new approach. So even before Mitch blows everything up, there’s tension. But with this latest development, no easy way out is apparent, leaving the cast to fight amongst one another.

What’s more, there are actual questions of journalism and responsibility layered in. Bradley is temperamental, to be sure, but there’s a level of genuineness and naivety to her role. She believes in the profession and the mission, and doesn’t like being used as a pawn, which she’s smart enough to pick up on immediately. Will she bring back what The Morning Show needs to rise again, or will it chew her up and force her to be something she isn’t? And which needs to happen for the show to succeed? This isn’t The Newsroom, after all, and drama can equal ratings.

Perhaps the toughest part for some to swallow is the effort made to humanize Mitch. It’s very easy to write him off as soon as the rumors start, and the all-too-ripped-from-the-headlines button under his desk does him no favors. But then, in the third installment, Mitch is talking to his high-profile friend (Martin Short, Saturday Night Live) about snap judgments and nuance, and there’s a moment where some may start to feel sorry for Mitch. Not because his behavior was excusable (it isn’t), but because he truly doesn’t know why he’s been taken down, or how what he did was wrong. Should inappropriate consensual relationships be a death knell for a career? As a straight, white man, I refuse to weigh in on that and I certainly understand how some may have no sympathy for him, but I’m fascinated by the questions raised. What is an appropriate punishment for the details of his case?

Reviews for THE MORNING SHOW have been mixed, but I like it. It’s smart, it’s quick, and it makes you think about things we should all be considering more carefully than we usually do. Catch it now on Apple TV+.

THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA Hold No Allure

Article first published as THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA Review on Seat42F.

NBC has a new drama this fall called THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA. After viewing the pilot, here are the mysteries I found: Why would anyone think it’s a good idea to cast Debra Messing as a cop? Why in the world did her titular character ever marry her soon-to-be-ex, Jake (Josh Lucas, The Firm), a full-blown man-child? How is Jake competent enough to rise through the ranks of the police department? Can Laura be a mother and a cop at the same time? Isn’t that premise totally tired and dated in 2014?

In case you didn’t catch the tone of the first paragraph, THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA is not a good show. It’s a procedural, first and foremost, which means it’ll be the same rote story every week. The characters are all familiar types, overplayed into cartoonish parodies of their personalities. The set up feels like it is randomly cobbled together from improv comedy suggestions. There is little original going on, basically just copying bits of lots of other shows, most of them mediocre.

Broadcast networks are facing a crossroads. There is more and more competition these days, not just from cable networks, but also Netflix, Amazon, Yahoo, and others. Not only are there a greater number of options, but the overall quality of the offerings keep getting better and better. Yet, in spite of a few brave, bold moves (i.e. Hannibal, Sleepy Hollow), most of what the Big Four keep putting out is repetitive schlock. No wonder they are hemorrhaging viewers, and THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA will not do anything to stop that.

Look, Messing is a fun actress to watch; I don’t think many people will disagree with that. Her Lifetime series, The Starter Wife, didn’t do it for me, but that’s because she spent too much time being sad, not her strength. Smash and Will & Grace used her more appropriately, playing up the humor in her characters’ pathetic failures, and that’s what Messing does best. She can consistently elicit a smile, at minimum, from her antics. THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA uses that element, which is smart, but in a totally inappropriate setting that just doesn’t work.

The supporting cast is also wasted. Janina Gavankar, who has been getting tons of work in series such as True Blood, The League, Arrow, and The Vampire Diaries, is just a run-of-the-mill rival co-worker for Laura. Max Jenkins (pretty much a Tom Lenk stand-in) and Laz Alonso (Breakout Kings) don’t get any focus, either, other than perhaps a one-liner or two. Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars, Person of Interest) is underused as her boss, stuck behind a desk. When he gets the chance to come out of his office, it gets worse, going in to a plot that is far removed from believability.

The “twist” at the end of pilot, which I won’t reveal here in case it’s supposed to be a surprise, but if you check out the cast page for THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA and consider the type of series this is, won’t be at all, is even worse than the other complaints I’ve had. It basically reveals the first episode to be treading water as it waits for the ‘real story’ to begin, and again, is completely unrealistic and groan-inducing.

So who may want to watch THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA, despite my panning of it? Women who haven’t seen enough female empowerment to separate the good stuff from the bad. People who want something mindless they don’t have to think about. Stressed-out mothers and ex-spouses who need to see someone else suffer at the hands of menacing young boys and an awful husband, if only to feel good about their own lives by comparison. And that’s about it. Everyone else, feel free to skip this one.

THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA premieres Wednesday, September 17^th at 8 p.m. ET.

Game Over For THE GOODWIN GAMES

Article first published as Game Over For THE GOODWIN GAMES on TheTVKing.

FOX's The Goodwin Games brings their brief, seven episode run to a close this week with "The Box." Although very funny and sweet, the series by How I Met Your Mother creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas was basically given a vote of no confidence by FOX, placed on the summer schedule to be burnt off. Thus, before it even began airing, the show was doomed.

The Goodwin Games boasts an awesome cast. Ugly Betty's Becki Newton, Scandal's Scott Foley, and Cloverfield's T.J. Miller play three siblings named Chloe, Henry, and Jimmy Goodwin, respectively. When their father (Beau Bridges) passes away, he leaves them a series of challenges to complete in order to get his sizable (and previously secret) inheritance. The "Goodwin Games" are designed to let the adult brothers and sister reconnected with each other and themselves, righting the wrong paths they are all on.

From the beginning, I was a little skeptical of Miller alongside the other two, who were already beloved and respected. But as the weeks went by, he proved he could hang at their level, too, eliciting some of the biggest laughs of the show. Each have their own foibles and idiosyncrasies, but when they combine, they are strong, able to better help fix each other than themselves. Not to mention, hilarious.

In the series finale, which doesn't feel a lot like a series finale, all end up some degree above where they begin. Henry is forced to take time off work by his boss (Laurie Metcalf), meaning he will finally spend some time with the other two, as previously his mind is frequently elsewhere, and he is commuting two hours each way to his job as a surgeon. This also lets him relax enough to reconnect with his ex, Lucinda (Kat Foster), and discover that they didn't need to break up after all.

Henry is uptight and fancies himself better than others and his hometown. Even though we don't get to see his continued growth, "The Box" shows us the turning point, when he shifts his energies and begins to open his eyes. We know he will continue on this journey, and while there may be twists along the way, he is going to get back with Lucinda, the right woman for him, unlike his current and unseen fiance, and he'll come to see there is more to life than being the best surgeon he can be.

Chloe, meanwhile, gives up her dreams of being an actress, returns to college, and falls for a childhood pal named Ivan (Adam Rodriguez, CSI: Miami). Her plot is about bursting her bubble, too, like Henry's, although she isn't any good at what she is doing, unlike him and his career. Instead, she has been wasting her talents, namely her brilliance in mathematics, and now she can begin to put them to good use.

There is clearly opportunity here for a swap between Chloe and Henry down the road, with Chloe becoming driven in her field, and Henry growing too complacent and directionless after a break. It's a crying shame we won't get to see that develop.

Jimmy has to prove himself responsible for his daughter, Piper (Kaitlyn Maher). "The Box" doesn't really address this, but shortly before the last episode, Jimmy gets a rude awakening when he realizes that Piper's mother (Janina Gavankar, True Blood, The League) is right, he isn't a good influence on Piper. So he sets off to find a job and become stable so that he can be in Piper's life.

I like that Jimmy and Piper aren't able to reconnect so easily, with an acknowledgement about what a bad father Jimmy is. I also like that Jimmy isn't able to turn things around so quickly, becoming a bartender and sleeping with his father's lawyer, April Cho (Melissa Tang), not exactly getting to a good environment right away. It leaves him some room to expand and improve, as it should be.

It's these detailed characters, each with so much to offer, wonderfully performed by three amazing actors, that make The Goodwin Games so alluring. They all go from goofy to sincere, from crazy to wise, in moments with utter authenticity. The premise is clever, with lots of appearances by Bridges' deceased father in ways that make sense, and one can see not only some movement in these seven episodes, but also oh so many possibilities as to where they could go. This could easily have run for seven seasons and been entertaining the entire time.

Sadly, this is not to be, and The Goodwin Games has crossed the finish line.

Looking on the bright side, at least the cancellation leaves Scott Foley open to return to Scandal, where he has been upgraded to series regular. Newton should bounce back, as she did after her previously failed and charming Love Bites, making her a hot property for next year's pilot season. And Miller, perhaps not considered a popular casting choice previously, has some cred he can lobby into another role.

"Training Camp" for The League

FX's comedy The League is one of the funniest shows around. With an extremely talented cast, who each knows how to deliver humor expertly, it is with great anticipation that I await each fall's new batch of episodes. "Training Camp," which aired this past Thursday, kicks off the latest round.

The plot is basic. It's time for the fantasy league draft. Kevin (Stephen Rannazzisi) manages to keep his winning title from last year, despite the cheating that occurred, by letting Ruxin (Nick Kroll) become the commissioner. This is to everyone's extreme displeasure. To cope, they each give themselves new titles and make business cards.

Then Taco (Jonathan Lajoie) gets a call from the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, upset that Taco snagged dallascowboys.com when the team accidentally let their ownership of the website lapse. In order to convince Taco to give it back, the owner flies the whole gang (minus a very pregnant Jenny, who can't fly so close to her due date) out to the training camp. This works, with Taco earning a sizable payoff.

Then the guys return home to find Jenny (Katie Aselton) masturbating to thoughts of Shiva (Janina Gavankar), the woman and the trophy. She is forced to take matters into her own, um, hand, because, despite how undeniably cute Aselton is, Kevin's character is freaked out by putting his penis anywhere near the fetus, leaving her sexually frustrated. Before the men can give her too much crap for the self pleasure, though, she goes into labor. In the delivery room, the birthing and the draft happens simultaneously, culminating in Taco getting naming rights to the child, and choosing Chulpa Batman.

"Training Camp" is packed with hilarious moments. From Jenny's fantasy sequences, to the delivery room scene, to everything that Taco does, to the whole naming rights switcharoo. So many things work. Dropping punchlines in, and letting gags pay off later in the episode, are things that The League excels at, and all of this is present in the season premiere. Even when it ventures into completely unbelievable territory, like the stuff at the hospital, the energy and enthusiasm from the cast is so infectious that one buys into the whole story.

What doesn't work is the cameos by professional athletes. For a basic cable sitcom like The League, getting the famous sports players that the characters talk about is a serious coup. "Training Camp" has tons of them, in the beginning dream sequence, as well as while the guys are in Dallas. The problem is, most athletes can't act, and if one isn't a football fan, it does nothing for you to see a football player show up in a sitcom. Thus, these moments slow the episode down and hurt it for many, though not all, viewers.

A balance needs to be restored. It's OK to stage an occasional drop-in, as the show has done before, but not to pack an episode with double digit numbers of appearances. Somehow, "Training Camp" still manages to be a very good episode, but it's in spite of the cameos, not because of them. I understand it may be hard for the people who make The League, who seem to be fans, to turn down opportunities, simply for the opportunity to meet these guys alone. But if they could be a little more discerning, it would work better.

That being said, the sex jokes and the ripping on each other is fantastic as always, maybe even more so, and if "Training Camp" is any indication, this is going to be a great year. Assuming there will be less athletes in future episodes, this could very well be the best season yet. They have returned rested, refreshed, and as clever as ever.

Watch The League Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. ET on FX.

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

True Blood makes me say "I Wish I Was the Moon"

     On this week's episode of HBO's True Blood, many creatures roam the woods of Bon Temps during the full moon. Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) nervously waits to see if he will turn into a werepanther, as he is told he will. Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) grows closer to Jason, teasing at an illicit connection. Alcide (Joe Manganiello) and Debbie (Brit Morgan) seek out a possible new werewolf pack. Tommy (Marshall Allman), after accidentally shifting into Sam (Sam Trammell), sleeps with Sam's love interest, Luna (Janina Gavankar). Pam (Kristin Bauer) angrily catches up with Tara (Rutina Wesley), fangs bared, ready to kill. Bill (Stephen Moyer) surprisingly shows mercy towards Eric (Alexander Skarsgård). And Sookie (Anna Paquin) stumbles through it all, eventually ending up in the arms of Eric.

     It's a trippy series of scenes, which perfectly evokes the full moon tension. Everything seems a little dangerous, and a little magical, amongst the dark trees. Even though every episode of True Blood is teeming with supernatural creatures, sometimes so many of them seem so normal that one can begin to forget what exactly is lurking around nearly every corner. "I Wish I Was the Moon" corrects that, reminding viewers of all the creepy critters. The title seems to evoke a voyeuristic observance of the many going-ons, which is exactly what viewers get when they tune into the TV show. Thus, it works really well.

     At first, it seems shocking that Bill will pass up a chance to execute Eric, considering how they have never gotten along. However, upon reflection, there are a number of reasons he might be inclined to do so. For one, Eric's defiance and ability to stir up trouble is currently gone. Left in its place is a very strong, one thousand year old vampire who is very willing to obey Bill's orders. As such, Eric could be a formidable tool for Bill, and one not easily tossed aside. Secondly, if Bill does really care about Sookie, and want her to be happy, this Eric is making her such. Either motivation is enough to justify Bill's actions.

     Because of the new Eric, Sookie is closer to happiness than ever. Fans of the book series know it didn't last then, and there have already been hints dropped in True Blood that it won't last now. This is unfortunate, but necessary to move the story along. While she has something good, she should enjoy it. Bill's betrayals cut her very deeply, a pain she will not soon get over. If Sookie were to be with almost anyone else, she would be risking the same again. The way Eric currently is, he in incapable of deceit and unkindness towards her, and so she is able to feel safe with him. It's a well-deserved reward for all that she puts up with.

     Skarsgård is doing a pretty great job of capturing the two Erics. While at times he does slip back a little too much into the cadence of previous Eric, for the most part, the actor is really creating a new character, as the writers intend. Without memory, it may be assumed that Eric is boiled down to the base person he was before his vampire life. Which goes to show just how much choices and actions can corrupt and change an individual. This reveals a very tragic tale for the Sheriff.

     Hopefully, Pam (who is not the woman pictured at left) will not kill Tara. One may scoff and think, "Of course she won't!" But True Blood has pulled some big surprises in the past, and this could be another one. Considering Tara is shown in the previews for next week's episode, it is unlikely that Pam finishes her off in the confrontation at the end of "I Wish I Was the Moon." But with revenge as a mindset, Tara's life is definitely in danger. Just what she doesn't need right now. Can't one character escape Bon Temps' sorrows?

     The budding relationship between Jessica and Jason is more disappointing than interesting. Here are two people who are unsatisfied with their lives, but instead of fixing things, they contemplate betraying someone they love. In both cases, the betrayed is Hoyt (Jim Parrack), Jessica's husband, and Jason's best friend. Hoyt goes way out on a limb to be with Jessica, and always has Jason's back. If they were to act on their feelings, it would be a failure in storyline. There isn't really a conceivable way that the arc will play out well for them at this point. So don't even go there. Maybe they won't, considering the slow dance they are waltzing around cheating.

     In the books, Jason became a werepanther. As noted, True Blood differs from the book series in many ways, big and small. For the most part, these are wise decisions. If it didn't, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) would have died in season one, and no one wants that. Plus, Jessica never even existed. But Jason as a werepanther is such a deep, interesting twist. While Jason has shown much growth and maturation over the course of the series, having him become a supernatural creature would be a step further, and a welcome one. It is likely, however, the people who make the show just didn't want to tie him too tightly to the hick residents of Hot Shot, which is an understandable desire. Isn't there some middle ground to be found here?

     Staying true to the books, Andy (Chris Bauer) looks to be heading towards a relationship with Holly (Lauren Bowles). It will be interesting to see this romance bloom, since the characters are so much more developed on True Blood than in the literary pages.

     Too bad Alcide is further away than ever as a possible love interest for Sookie, since she will need a new one before long. His reconnection with Debbie is foreseeable, given the strong level of emotions Alcide maintains for his ex. It's also unfortunate, as Debbie cannot be trusted. Perhaps in the TV show, unlike in the books, she has turned over a new leaf. It would not be the first time True Blood strayed far from its source material. More likely, though, Debbie won't last. Is there some mutual comforting in Alcide and Sookie's futures?

     Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) and Lafayette are mixed up in some very heavy spells. Traveling to Mexico to seek protection from Eric and Pam, what they find is some dark magic involving possession. Which ties nicely back to their Bon Temps storyline. No matter how far one runs, they cannot escape, seems to be what True Blood is saying here. Instead of getting away from the danger, Jesus's life is soon put at risk, as he is bitten by a rattlesnake. Something or someone comes into Lafayette's body and controls the moment, presumably saving Jesus's life. But why, and for what?

     The big question is, what will learning about possession do for Lafayette and Jesus? It is nice that they are drawn into the overarching villain's story so strongly this season, and may eventually get to help defeat the evil being behind this season's woes. But before they do, they need to understand what is going on, something that has not been completely clear for the viewers at home. It does involve someone killed a long time ago wanting revenge, but to what end? Sure, Antonia (Paola Turbay) is after a vampire who escaped her prior punishment, and I guess that can extend to wanting to wipe out all vampires. But what spirit(s) is taking possession down in Mexico and why?

     Which leads to the inevitable praise that Fiona Shaw so richly deserves. She is brilliant at switching between cowardly, peaceful, religious woman and all-powerful nasty big bad. The two roles are so different, and watching an experienced hand like Shaw so deftly handle them is a rare treat. Other actors have successfully tackled dual roles before, but Shaw is quickly shooting to the top of the list, putting many others to shame. There is absolutely nothing to complain about her performance, and there is much anticipation for what will come next for her.

     Is Arlene (Carrie Preston) and Terry's (Todd Lowe) baby related to Marnie and Lafayette's plot, or is it something else entirely. In "I Wish I Was the Moon," the baby seems to burn down their house, though the mysterious woman he waves to could also be involved, or have done it. Either way, there is something seriously wrong with the infant, and the threat he poses is not imagined. It would be hard for True Blood to justify killing someone less than one year old, no matter what threat he poses. This is a very complex situation, worth much more exploration.


     Watch True Blood Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

     Click here to buy books and DVDs from the True Blood series.

Article first published as TV Review: True Blood - "I Wish I Was the Moon" on Blogcritics.