Not SPEECHLESS About This One

Article first published as SPEECHLESS Review on Seat42F.

SPEECHLESS is a new sitcom on ABC that you may have heard of. As the previews make very clear, this is your typical family sitcom with a mom, dad, three kids, and one outside cast member to mix things up. As you may not have heard, there’s something about the show that makes it not quite your typical family sitcom, and yet, the very way in which this something is handled is what makes it so typical.

The family unit is made up of an overbearing mother, Maya (Minnie Driver, About a Boy, Good Will Hunting), a calm and supportive father, Jimmy (John Ross Bowie, The Big Bang Theory), a competitive daughter, Dylan (Kyla Kenedy, The Walking Dead), and a nerdy son, Ray (Mason Cook, Legends). Sounds normal enough, right?

Where things veer off a little bit is with the other son, JJ (Micah Fowler, Labor Day), who happens to have severe cerebral palsy. We’re talking a condition so bad that the poor kid can’t talk, having to use a laser pointer on a headset to point to the words on a card that he wants to say, on his way towards Stephen Hawking territory. I can’t recall the last time we’ve seen someone like JJ on a broadcast network sitcom.

What’s remarkable and laudable about SPEECHLESS is how little a deal it makes of JJ. Yes, JJ is a driving plot point, the family having to move schools frequently in order to find the best situation for him. And Ray’s first arc is all about feeling overlooked by Maya, who spends so much of her energy doing what is best for JJ. But this is by no means the only thing going on in SPEECHLESS.

The best part is how JJ himself is handled. He bullies Ray a little bit. Jimmy cracks jokes at JJ’s expense. Basically, he’s a part of the family, and no one in this clan treats him any differently on a regular basis. Sure, Maya might go out and fight harder for him, but in their dynamic, JJ is just like Ray and Dylan.

This should not be a revelation; shows have been trying to include more diversity for years. From Parenthood’s Max, who had Asperger’s (though the actor does not), to Glee’s Becky, who had Down Syndrome (which the actress does have), it’s not a completely brand-new thing to see this sort of character on television. And yet, it still feels fresh because so few regular series take the time to include a player with such challenging disabilities who contributes to the story in such a pedestrian way. This is a very good thing.

If JJ was all SPEECHLESS had going for it, I’d dismiss JJ as a gimmick, as sad as that would be. Thankfully, that is not the case. It’s a strongly written, well-acted comedy. Driver and Bowie are absolutely terrific, as they always are, but especially so in this particular setting. Cook, Fowler, and Kenedy are great, too, certainly able to keep up with the adults. Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911!) rounds out the cast as Kenneth, the custodian-turned-aide for JJ, who easily integrates into the group from the first moment we, and the characters, meet him.

I’m sure the team behind SPEECHLESS doesn’t want to be known as “that family comedy with the cerebral palsy kid,” or at least I hope they don’t. They won’t be able to help that for awhile, and it’s impossible to write up an initial review without dwelling on it. But given the steady quality and amusing laughs, nudging it towards the top of the typical family sitcom heap (of which there are a few too many on right now), hopefully it’ll soon be talked about as “one of the better family sitcoms” period. It deserves that, and I love that I can say that about it. This would be a very different review if I could not.

As Joss Whedon said when asked why he writes so many strong female characters, “because you ask that question,” SPEECHLESS helps us along the path to answering a question about why you include an actor with a disability in the ensemble with “because you ask that question.” The more comfortable viewers can get with a wide variety of people on their screens, the better for it we all are.

SPEECHLESS premieres Wednesday at 8:30/7:30c on ABC.

Dark Minions

Article first posted as Amazon Originals Dark Minions Review on TheTVKing.

Amazon made a ballsy move by releasing one of their new pilots, Dark Minions, in an unfinished state. Intended to be stop-motion animation, only a handful of scenes are complete, with the rest presented as sketches and sound effects.

I do not know the costs associated with stop motion, so don't know if that was the reason for the incomplete look, but I got the gist of the program decently enough. The story is easy to follow, the characters are relatable and likeable, and the voice work is cartoonish enough to mostly overcome the lack of visual product.

Still, I do think Dark Minions would have benefited by being complete. It's hard to imagine some of the bigger scenes in their current form, and the look is not at all impressive. If the series was able to wow us with what it wants to do, I think that would have helped. At the end of the day, though, I hope that this presentation doesn't hurt its chances of being picked up.

Of all the Amazon comedy pilots, Dark Minions is the most family-friendly. Sure, there is an evil empire with a planet-destroying weapon. But the blustery leader is goofy and amusing. I can't recall, though I could be wrong, any cursing, and a couple of pot jokes, while not ideal viewing for children, might just go over their heads. Content-wise, it's the tamest of the releases.

Which doesn't mean that it's not enjoyable. Mel (John Ross Bowie, The Big Bang Theory) and Andy (Kevin Sussman, also The Big Bang Theory) are slackers, more or less, who go to work for the galactic conquerors because they need a paycheck. They are the lesser storm troopers, working deep within the bowels of the starship, with no power or influence over policy. Thus, they are harmless, and their sweet dispositions make us forgive their choice in jobs, which at least one of them has a good reason for taking.

While on assignment to a planet, they meet Carly (Jamie Denbo, Terriers) and Lance (Andrew Daly, Eastbound & Down), rebels who would like to overthrow their overlords. Mel and Andy manage to pass themselves off as antique dealers, rather than soldiers, and a bond forms between the foursome.

Which is why when Drebnor (Clancy Brown, SpongeBob SquarePants) decides to blow up their world, Mel and Andy risk life, limb, and employment to save their new friends. They succeed, and Carly, believing them to be prisoners, rather than liars, drags Lance along to save them.

I think there are the makings here for a sweet, heroic story. Carly will be mad when she learns she has been fooled, of course, but the genuine earnestness of the lead characters should be enough for them to eventually earn her forgiveness. Plus, they will likely end up helping her, so this could be a bumbling comedy about good guys trying to take down the bad ones. I see potential here.

I also found the "Pilot" quite amusing and charming. Most of the players here are everymen, people we can get behind and root for in every setting, even space, which provides a rich tapestry of trouble to get into and strange environments to visit. They screw up, thankfully, because it provides laughs, but rebound from doing so, too, without much harm done. One can enjoy the blunders when one knows there won't be any serious, dire consequences, which there won't be with Dark Minion's light tone. Side characters, such as Drebnor's blubbering assistant, Feldenbaum (Richard Kind, Luck), and the radio man, DJ Wormhole (Phil LaMarr, Futurama), help round out the world.

Overall, I wish I could have seen a completed project, but Dark Minions should have broad enough appeal to find an audience. Dark Minions is available now on Amazon.com.

Glee jumps on a "Mattress"

     This summer, I'll be going back to review the season one episodes of FOX's Glee. These are fresh reviews, not reposts, and I hope you will enjoy reliving the first season with me.

     One episode of FOX's Glee that seems pretty bizarre is "Mattress." That's likely because there's a lot of sadness and anger in the episode, not your typical Glee fare. As such, it's a little unclear whether it fits in appropriately with the series overall, or if it's a stand alone oddity. Pathos are fine on Glee, and often done well. But when the whole episode revolves around depressing material, it tends to almost seem out of tone.
     "Mattress" aired just before winter break, so a lot of it builds up to a mid-season finale. Will (Matthew Morrison) discovers Terri's (Jessalyn Gilsig) treachery, and considers leaving her. Emma (Jayma Mays) is forced to choose between attending the glee club's Sectionals, or her own wedding to Ken (Patrick Gallagher) when he purposely schedules the latter event on the same day as the former. Quinn (Dianna Agron) stands up to Sue (Jane Lynch) once and for all. And all of the New Directions worry what might happen to their year book photo, if they even take one.

     The plot between Will and Terri is a long time coming, and not exactly unwelcome. While Terri's intentions are originally good, as Emma admits she sees to Will, the lies are carried too far. There is no happy ending possible for the couple, and years of resentment and anger erupt. It's startling to see Will get so mad, but at the same, it's the only logical way to act after being betrayed so deeply. A root cause of the problem is, as Terri says, "This marriage works because you don't feel good about yourself." But Will has found purpose with the glee club, and that has ruined their status quo, even if that status quo isn't exactly great in the first place. Thus, without Will acting like that, they are disrupted.

     A quick note about Will's heroic self-sacrifice at the end, removing himself from the glee club so that the group can still compete at Sectionals. This is how a hero acts, and what he does is very noble. Great use of a lead character, and it redeems him after the ugly fight scene with Terri earlier.

     The larger implication of a Will/Terri dissolution is how it may effect Emma. Emma is in love with Will, and is only marrying Ken to try to move on, deciding that Will will never be available. Now that idea is turned on its head, and while Will says he isn't yet sure if divorce is in the cards, it seems likely Will may be single again soon. With that tempting prospect, should Emma go ahead and marry a man who has, as she states, "Seventy-four flaws, as of yesterday?" Truthfully, she should not be marrying him in the first place if she feels this way, so the wedding has a very good chance of not happening.

     This melancholy tone is reflected in much of how "Mattress" plays out, and, of course, in the music chosen for the episode, even though the titles of the songs sound happy. "When You're Smiling" is sad as Rachel (Lea Michele) tries to gain the courage to take a smiling photo. The Charlie Chaplin version of "Smile," which ends the episode, is even more blue, not least of which because it plays over footage of Dave Karofsky (Max Adler) defacing the New Directions year book photo with his laughing friends around him. What a depressing final shot!

     The Lily Allen version of "Smile" is just plain weird. It is an atypical choice for a Rachel and Finn (Cory Monteith) number, and neither looks entirely comfortable singing and dancing it. The piano player bobbing along with that odd look on his face is actually, by far, the best part of the song. While not sad, this "Smile" doesn't do anything to make the episode better. It just doesn't work too well at all.

     Strangely enough, among the episode's many sad moments, there is the joyful, stand-out performance of "Jump." More than anything else, "Jump" is what "Mattress" will be remembered for. Not quite fitting in with everything else, it is still one of the best choreographed performances in all of season one, and is incredibly fun to watch. Good thing the mattress store just happens to have big mattress trampolines laying around for the kids to use! Oops, being too critical again.

     Quinn really shines in "Mattress." Up until now, there are occasional hints of a good person, but Quinn is kind of one of the main villains of Glee. Yet, she completely makes up for her bad behavior when she stands up to Sue. Not only does she get the glee kids one of Sue's six (six!) cheerleading pages in the yearbook, but she also puts Sue in her place. Quinn admits that glee teaches her more than the Cheerios does, and it's a superior club. Bravo, young lady! Way to go!

Random Bits:

• The news program in which Sue does a segment appears to be filmed in Columbus, Ohio. Though it's not a cityscape view usually used, a couple of the buildings look like this is so. This is especially odd, as Glee takes place hours from Columbus. Maybe. Read my full rant about the inconsistency of Ohio layout in another Glee review.

• Great Brittany (Heather Morris) line! When Rachel says that maybe the glee club photo won't be defaced in this year's yearbook, Brittany replies "Yes it will. I'll be the one doing it." At least she's honest!

• Why does Rachel go through the charade of picking a co-captain through a process? She approaches Mercedes (Amber Riley), Artie (Kevin McHale), and Brittany before asking Finn. Not only do none of these three options make any sense for Rachel to choose, but it's completely obvious to viewers that Finn will, and should, be the co-captain. It feels forced that Rachel would even consider anyone else.

• How did Quinn get to be Cheerio captain as a freshman? That's almost unheard of in high school! Yet, she is clearly the captain in the 2008 yearbook, and she will not be graduating until the end of season three, the 2011-2012 school year. So this must be so.

• Which leads me to ask, why is there a yearbook being put out in the fall with the fall semester's year anyway? Isn't that unusual? Don't year books come out in the spring, with the calendar year that ends the school year on the cover?

• Isn't it unethical for a school to leave a club out of a yearbook? Is that even allowed? Any yearbook I've ever come into contact with includes ALL school clubs, no matter how minor. Charging a teacher to get their club into the yearbook defeats the whole purpose of a yearbook, and is probably illegal, or at least against state guidelines, since the other clubs aren't charged similarly.

• John Ross Bowie appears in "Mattress" as the photographer/commercial director. This very funny actor currently has recurring parts on both The Big Bang Theory and Childrens Hospital.

     Check back for another season one Glee review soon!

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Article first published as TV Review: Glee - "Mattress" on Blogcritics.

The Big Bang Theory Figures Out "The Toast Derivation"

     Now that the women are firmly in place on CBS's The Big Bang Theory, it's time to take a look at the new chemistry combinations. For years, Penny (Kaley Cuoco) has been the only female among the four lead guys. But last spring, two others were tested, and they were liked so well that by this winter they were added to the main cast. Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) is a smart scientist who happens to be Penny's co-worker, and a love interest for Howard (Simon Helberg). Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) is proving that a female version of Sheldon (Jim Parsons) can be just as good as the original. I'm not saying that the guys have gotten stale, but adding the girls ensures plenty of fresh material to mine for years to come.

     The situation reminds me of when Alvin and the Chipmunks added the Chipettes. There were female counterparts for each of the three main characters. Similarly, Bernadette is like Howard, Amy is like Sheldon, and Penny goes with, even though she's not that much like, Leonard (Johnny Galecki). Which leaves only poor Raj (Kunal Nayyar) out in the cold. Though, it could be argued that Raj's sister, Priya (Aarti Mann), who does not star on the series, but is currently doing an arc, is his counterpart. But Priya is here as a love interest for Leonard, shaking things up with Penny, so no matter which way you look at it, Raj is still left out.

     Which is all right. It would be hard to add yet another new full-time character so soon. The new women are just getting settled in. Eventually, someone may come along for Raj, but I'm not in a hurry, as I actually like watching Raj play the odd one out. After so long of Leonard being the oddball for actually dating, while the other guys stuck to their boys' club, it's fun to see the dynamics totally shift as three of them move on, and Raj is left behind. Plus, before Raj can even entertain a love interest, he has to get over his phobia of speaking to women. I am hoping that his constant exposure to three females will gradually help him. His shyness has been a fun element for awhile, but it's time to move on from it. Then, once he is mostly cured, the series can bring someone in for him.

     Something I think the show is doing really well is giving the women screen time apart from the men, having ladies' nights and sleepovers. Penny has always been one of the stars, but we really only saw her interacting with her geeky neighbors. These new characters give us a chance to explore her, seeing other sides of her life. I find it interesting that Amy Farrah Fowler seems to be the advocate for the trio's activities, as she is introduced as a loner, but is really embracing having a social circle. Of course, she is such a delight, and it has been handled in a way that seems realistic, so I'm not pointing that out as a flaw. On the contrary.

     I love Amy and Sheldon's relationship, a term I use in the loosest sense of the word. While they have thus far avoided a romantic entanglement, I have to think that one will be coming, likely at Amy's aggression. Their frequent interaction, often though video, is perfect for the two modern, anti-social geniuses. But more important, Amy understands Sheldon, and knows how to talk to him in a way that others don't. In this week's episode, Sheldon is missing his friends, who have deserted him. Amy gets to the heart of the problem, and helps Sheldon understand the group's dynamics, namely, that they are Leonard-centric, not Sheldon-centric as Sheldon has long believed. She, more than anyone else, is tethering Sheldon to the real world. I understand the argument against that notion, as Sheldon's male friends are his most obvious connection, but without Amy, I'm not sure he can make his way back to them as he does.

     Which brings us to this week's episode, a memorable gem. Leonard is getting serious with Priya, so he, Raj, and Howard are hanging out over at Raj's place with her. Amy and Bernadette cheer Penny up, who has, of course, been left out. But that still leaves Sheldon, who stubbornly refuses to change his habits. In true Sheldon fashion, he finds it easier to construct a new social group, rather than adapt in the slightest way. In the end, Sheldon realizes that it is not as easy as he thought to replace his friends, and he ends up making some concessions, which is something the character probably wouldn't have done a couple of seasons ago.

     The group Sheldon puts together, thankfully, is not made up of new guest stars, but returning, recurring favorites. He chooses comic book store owner, Stuart (Kevin Sussman, Ugly Betty), rival co-worker with a funny speech impediment, Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie, Childrens' Hospital), and a dumb, former love interest for Penny (who strangely likes her nerdy neighbors), Zack (Brian Smith). Sheldon wants them to follow the schedule he prepares, but they'd rather drink and sing karoke, so they do, ignoring their host.

      While not working out as a good group for Sheldon, the three of them seem to bond fairly well. Plus, it's a welcome sight to see those three again, as each are wonderful character actors, who have been in on many good jokes in the series's past. I'd like to see them return as a rival group, a la Wil Wheaton, who plays a somewhat dickish version of himself on the show. Maybe they could even be Wil's new group, as the guys Wil brings around haven't made an impression. I'm not even sure he has appeared with the same friends twice.

     Watch The Big Bang Theory Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. on CBS.

Article first published as TV Review: The Big Bang Theory Figured Out "The Toast Derivation" on Blogcritics.

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