ROOM 104 Dark and Dreary

Article first published as TV Review: ROOM 104 on Seat42F.

The Duplass Brothers, the brains behind the television series Togetherness and films such as The Skeleton Twins, have another new show on HBO, premiering this week. Called ROOM 104, it’s an anthology series, with each roughly half-hour episode featuring a self-contained cast and story, all set in the same dreary motel room.

Half a dozen installments were made available for critics (not the first six, but a selection from throughout the season), and I reviewed two of them in preparation for this article. In the premiere, “Ralphie,” a babysitter watches a kid named Ralph, who has an evil side named Ralphie. Or does he? The third episode, “The Knockadoo,” finds a woman seeking spiritual guidance to transcend, a task made difficult by a memory from her past.

Going by these two installments, I’d say that ROOM 104 is going for creepy and supernatural in the makeup of the program. Both episodes have things that cannot be explained by science (or possibly reality in general), they’re both a bit scary, and they are both very dark in tone and lighting. They did kind of feel like the same episode in a lot of ways, with the narrative arc and ‘twist’ endings following a similar, broad pattern. I am slightly curious if that trend will continue, not something you necessarily want in a series like this.

They’re also both kind of ambiguous about what’s going on. While one may think they’ve surmised what they’ve seen based on what plays out on screen, there are multiple ways to interpret the endings of them. When done well, this is a great element for television shows to make use of. But when done in a mediocre or gimmicky manner, then it’s an obvious and annoying ploy. In ROOM 104, it’s sadly the latter. Or, at least, it fails to feel fresh and interesting.

I kind of found the entire thing lackluster. While I have enjoyed the Duplass Brothers’ comedy writing and acting roles, sometimes they go into weird territory that I do not want to follow them into. This series is that, seemingly weird for the sake of being weird, no clear vision or point really coming across, at least not in the two episodes that I’ve viewed.

In general, I like anthology shows. Black Mirror is a terrific example of the genre, The Twilight Zone is a classic, and I even enjoyed Metal Hurlant, which never really took off in popularity here. It’s a cool format in which to tell very different tales, explore a short-form topic, and pose questions to make one think without having to deal with continuing consequences or reset to a baseline.

But it’s tricky to do well, and I just don’t feel ROOM 104 goes deep enough. While the endings may not be completely clear, neither episode left me with anything to consider, or challenged my assumptions and views in any way. I didn’t feel any type of connection to them, can’t imagine bringing them up for discussion with anyone, and didn’t feel like the installments had anything to say.

I don’t want to trash the Duplass Brothers. As I said, they’ve made many worthwhile contributions to the media landscape, and I have been a fan of much of their past work. I just think this one falls short for them, or perhaps it just isn’t for me. The production design seems solid, I just didn’t think the stories were as innovative or engaging. Maybe some of the other episodes will prove me wrong. The nice thing about a series like this is there are new chances every single week to get it right.

ROOM 104 premieres Friday on HBO.

Blu-ray Review: 'Togetherness: The Complete First Season'

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Togetherness: The Complete First Season' on Blogcritics.

HBO is releasing the freshman run of its indie dramedy next week, Togetherness. Telling the story of four people who are adults but haven’t yet figured out how to be effective grownups yet, it’s a poignant, real look at today’s 30-somethings. It’s hard to follow dreams and still have a stable life and family, but these people are trying, sometimes with hilarious results.

Togetherness feels like an indie film stretched out into eight installments. That’s not surprising, since it comes from indie directors Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus). The characters are quirky and complex, as one would expect from the genre, and the situations they get into are grounded and depressing, also in keeping with the style. The humor is often at the expense of the characters, but occasionally there are bright spots for them to keep the whole thing from getting dreary. All together, it makes for an enjoyable show that will leave you pondering your own choices and existence.

The casting of Togetherness is excellent. Mark Duplass (The League, Safety Not Guaranteed) stars as Brett, a man approaching forty who is stressed out by his job, not finding it fulfilling, and having trouble connecting with his wife, Michelle (Melanie Lynskey, Two and a Half Men, Up in the Air). Michelle, for her part, is feeling stuck as a housewife, and seeking her own outlet. Both love one another, but aren’t always sure how to show it, nor have the energy to work on their union. It’s a realistic look at a marriage struggling through the pressures of young children and long working hours.

The second half of the group is made up of Alex (Steve Zissis, Her) and Tina (Amanda Peet, The Good Wife, The Way Way Back), who make Brett and Michelle look totally put together. Despite being roughly the same age as the couple above, neither Alex nor Tina have managed to make a relationship or a career work. Tina is Michelle’s sister and Alex is Brett’s best friend, and after some rough periods, both vie for couch spots in Brett and Michelle’s home. Yet, neither necessarily take their circumstances as the wake up call they need.

Of course, Togetherness being what it is, they can all learn from one another. Alex and Tina know how to take risks, even if they don’t always pay off. Brett and Michelle can teach the other two about stability, even if they aren’t quite sure how to make it work for them. Somewhere in between these varied personalities lies the ideal, but I am perfectly content to watch them struggle with finding it, constantly falling short, but growing in fits and spurts along the way.

Besides the eight half-hour installments, this release contains a handful of bonus features. There are deleted scenes, of course. The Duplass brothers talk about each of the characters and their individual paths, which is interesting, hearing from the creators behind the show. The included interviews and behind-the-scenes stuff with Peet and Zissis is funnier, though doesn’t teach us a whole lot. It’s a small number of extras, but given the size of the season and the content of what is included, seems appropriate.

Admittedly, you might not need to spend the money for the blu-ray version of this. Part of the charm of the series is its imperfections, so it might actually make for a better feel to view it in standard definition DVD. However, I am of the opinion that film should be watched in the highest quality available, and considering Togetherness was filmed and aired in HD, I would recommend the Blu-ray. Plus, the Blu-ray includes a digital copy of the series; the DVD does not.

Togetherness will be available beginning February 16th wherever Blu-rays and DVDs are sold.

TRANSPARENT Show Something New

Article first published as TRANSPARENT Show Something New on TheTVKing.

Recently, Amazon released several new pilots, and I've been working my way through the dramas and comedies, reviewing as I go. The fourth of the five on my list, Transparent, is the first one this year I've found something good to say about. It's a dramedy, leaning more towards the heavy side, about a father with a secret and his three grown children. How will they cope when they learn the news he's trying to work up the courage to deliver?

The patriarch of the family is Mort (Jeffrey Tambor, Arrested Development), a caring individual who doesn't understand how he could raise three such selfish kids. He finds it hard to open up because they don't seem to care, more concerned with who gets what when he starts giving out things. It's hard to imagine how the trio grew the way they are under Mort, unless Mort has changed significantly in ways the viewer has not been made privy to, or just didn't enforce discipline.

The problems the children face could stem more from their mother (Judith Light, Who's the Boss?). We don't see a lot of her in this pilot, despite being one of the five names on the 'Starring' card, but what we do see isn't all that likeable a woman, scolding her daughter and sort of steamrolling her current beau, even as she tries to make it seem the opposite.

At the center of the show are Mort's kids. Josh (Jay Duplass, The Mindy Project) is a music producer who sleeps with the various artists he manages, a horn dog who acts soulful. Ali (Gaby Hoffman, Girls) has no house and no steady job, and has decided to get her body into shape in the hopes that it will help her overall situation. Sarah (Amy Landecker, Dan in Real Life) has a nice home, husband (Rob Huebel, Childrens Hospital), and kids in the suburb, but is tempted to betray them when she runs into former girlfriend Tammy (Gillian Vigman, Suburgatory).

I'm not sure exactly where the story would go if ordered to series, but since the main cast comprises only the five main family members, no spouses or friends or anything, one assumes it will be a character study of the particular clan. They all have their secrets and flaws, and so much time could be spent exploring those, perhaps growing them into better people, but only after much trial and suffering. More than likely, they won't change much, but that works, too, seeing authentic reaction to real issues.

The tone is definitely HBO-esque, and not just because of nudity (which there is plenty of) or the cursing. It's got an indie-vibe, including in the music selection, not fitting into a typical structure or formula, meandering, in a good way, through seemingly only loosely connected threads. It's pretty dark, with few laughs to be found, but evokes plenty of feelings from the viewer.

Tambor, as usual, is excellent, bringing a quiet dignity to the role, and evoking sympathy in his plight. He is surrounded by other excellent performers who are much less sympathetic characters, so the burden of likability will be on his capable shoulders. While Tambor has shown range in the past, never being one-note, I did feel like I saw something new yet again from him in the episode, exposing some raw vulnerability, and it made me want to watch more.

With only one more pilot to go, Transparent is the only new Amazon premiere I've been able to solidly recommend so far this year. Check it out, available streaming on their website now.