Peachy KEENE

Article first published as TV Review: KATY KEENE on Seat42F.

Note: The review only covers the pilot of the series.

The CW’s newest drama is KATY KEENE. A spin-off of Riverdale set in the Big Apple, it’s about a group of young adults looking to fulfill their career and relationship aspirations. Less highly stylized than the mothership, though still with a healthy dose of hyper-reality and charm, and carrying over one established supporting character, this show should be really good. And it probably would be if not for awful writing.

The fault lies not in the performances. Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars) is spunky, cheery, and thoroughly convincing as Katy Keene. Ashleigh Murray’s Josie McCoy feels like a second lead, which makes sense, given that she’s already been developed on Riverdale and should have a prominent role in the new venture. These two are strong enough to hang a show on.

The supporting characters are also delightful. Pepper Smith (Julia Chan, Saving Hope) is the worldly, wild woman with sage advice. Jorge / Ginger Lopez (Jonny Beauchamp, Penny Dreadful) is easy to root for. Francois (Nathan Lee Graham, LA to Vegas) has the early 00s gay best friend vibe now in a boss suit. Gloria Grandbilt (Katherine LaNasa, Truth Be Told) and Amanda (Helene Yorke, Masters of Sex) are deliciously awful villains. KO (Zane Holtz, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series) serves his role as eye candy and dutiful boyfriend, and Alexander Cabot (Lucien Laviscount, Snatch) seems like he’ll be a slightly better-developed version of that.

But those supporting characters get to the heart of the problem. Their characters revolve solely around the leads. They don’t seem to have their own lives and personalities separate from interacting with Josie and, primarily, Katy. They exist only to further her plot, and so the world feels a lot less realized than other shows on the air right now.

Similarly, KATY KEENE goes for emotional payoff over a story that makes sense. Katy rebels against a boss and immediately gets a dream job with encouragement to pursue her talents. Ginger gets to tell off a jerk casting director in a speech that, in different context, would feel arrogant and coming from spoiled brat, sure to get him blackballed before his career even begins. If Pepper is so worldly, why is she spending every evening hanging out with Katy? Amanda and Gloria are written to be self-obsessed, but we only see them doing so in ways to hurt our protagonist, and the way high school peers would, not adults.

There is plenty of room for a fairy tale on the airwaves, and you could definitely call KATY KEENE that. If it committed more fully to the hyperreality stylings of Riverdale or The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, it might even be easier to overlook how it thumbs its nose at reality because that would signal to the audience that what they’re watching is not in any way tied to the world we know. Yet, because KATY KEENE feels grounded in an actual place and time, it clashes with those sensibilities and instead feels half-finished at best, or cartoonish at worse. And the fact that so many of the characters are paper-thin is the final nail.

Might the series get better in subsequent installments? Absolutely. A bit of retooling, and this could be something worth watching. But the blatant bad-ness of the pilot turned me off in a major way to the point that I don’t even care enough to watch the second episode and see how the cliffhanger resolves. In a landscape with less quality programming, I’d give it more of a chance because it is spun off of a show I enjoy. But in the current climate, there’s just no room for a show that doesn’t know what it is, or can’t make up its mind.

KATY KEENE airs Thursdays at 8/7c on the CW.

USA Knows a Thing About SATISFACTION

Article first published as SATISFACTION Review on Seat42F.

You know the familiar small drama movie story of a husband and a wife who have been married a long time, have at least one child, and have drifted apart as he throws himself into his work and she seeks someone else to help her feel alive? Throughout the ninety-minute running time, they realize their mistakes and rediscover what they love about one another, eventually fixing the problems in their marriage and being happy all over again, a mid-life reckoning that leaves their bond stronger than ever? USA is turning that concept into a series called SATISFACTION.

It’s such an intriguing idea that I’m surprised no one has done it before, at least not that I’m aware of. After all, how many relationships can be repaired so simply, especially after the long deterioration of their union has eroded them into near strangers to one another? Is it really so easy to rebuild one’s life and put the mistakes made during that time of estrangement behind you? Can a new beginning truly be found? SATISFACTION seeks to answer that question by setting up the unoriginal plot, but advancing it far beyond what most of this genre has done.

As the pilot begins, we meet Neil Truman (Matt Passmore, The Glades), a money man who absolutely hates his job. He loves his family, even though he doesn’t have much time for wife, Grace (Stephanie Szostak, Iron Man 3), and teenage daughter, Anika (Michelle DeShon), always working, even when he’s at home. This frustration isn’t held back by a nice house and a fancy TV any longer, and Neil has one of those snap moments where he has to act out. He actually has a couple of them, since his boss (Spencer Garrett, Yes Man) laughs off the first one, and Neil feels the need to keep exploding bigger until someone pays attention.

Meanwhile, while Neil might not be aware of it, Grace is equally unhappy. Her break comes one night at book club when she demands her friends accompany her to a club. Once there, she meets a charming man named Simon (Blair Redford, The Lying Game) who wants to hear her story, and even though he ends up being an escort whom she must pay if she wants sexual attention from him, the two soon begin getting together on a regular basis.

As one might expect, both Neil and Grace begin discovering each other’s secrets, all while dealing with Anika, who has her own scene of rebellion, acting out against the private school she hates. But this is only the beginning.

SATISFACTION doesn’t have a moment of confrontation, where the family talks frankly with one another. In the movies, this has to happen because that’s what’s required to air the dirty laundry so it can be cleaned and put away. Instead, the TV show keeps going forward. Most of what I’ve mentioned in the preceding paragraphs happens in the first half of the pilot, barely scratching the surface of the tale waiting to be told. This will be about emotions and motivations and feelings of emptiness and lies and desires and consequences. Can these people stay together, or are they too far removed to make it work any longer? If the pilot is any indication of the level of quality, sign me up to find out.

While most of the cast, which also includes Deanna Russo (Being Human), Katherine LaNasa (Deception), and Chris Williams (Californication), are not widely known, they are solid performers who really sell the depth and complexity of their characters. It’s easy to be drawn in by the Trumans and what they’re going through. Many will relate to their situation, even if only obtusely, and it’s the authenticity of the situation that is so fascinating.

USA has, in the past few years, allowed itself to not be boxed in any longer by only making a certain type of show. Even with the loosening of the reigns, SATISFACTION feels like a complete departure for the network, a slow burn human piece that will tell a very real story. I recommend checking it out when it premieres Thursday, July 17^th at 10 p.m. ET.

Deception brings NBC into the soapy drama game

Grade: 85%

NBC's Deception is the network's foray into the genre of soapy drama. This is usually ABC's territory, as evidenced by Scandal and Desperate Housewives. Considering the field has plenty of this type of series already, with versions spreading throughout the cable landscape, can NBC provide something fresh and original enough to set itself apart?

Yes, and no. Deception benefits from the best cast assembled in awhile for such an effort. It also takes itself more seriously than the average prime-time soap, avoiding the cartoonish and over the top elements of its peers. It's an intricate murder mystery steeped in character history, meaning we get flashbacks. It feels like Revenge with a dash of Veronica Mars, so it's not wholly original.

As the "Pilot" begins, Joanna Locasto (Meagan Good, Californication, Think Like A Man) learns her childhood best friend, Vivian Bowers (Bree Wiliamson, One Life to Live), whom she knew because Joanna's mother was Vivian's family's maid, is dead. It looks like a drug overdose, which would be within Vivian's character, but the feds and police suspect murder. Most of their suspects are members of Vivian's own family, so they send Joanna in, undercover, to figure out what is going on.

While there will surely be plenty of plot twists coming up, the one who looks least guilty right now is Vivian's father, Robert (Victor Garber, Eli Stone, Alias, Web Therapy). Robert is warm and welcoming to Joanna, buying her cover story, and inviting her into their home. While Robert is involved in a pharmaceutical company that could have a drug connected to the motive, he doesn't seem the type.

Less sure is Vivian's brother, Julian (Wes Brown, True Blood, Hart of Dixie). Not only is Julian involved in the business, too, but he also has a thing for Joanna, who returns the feelings. This means that her vision may not be clear around him, as evidenced by her shutting off her wire while they cuddle on the dock, throwing her professionalism out the window. Which begs the question, even if Joanna has an in, is she the right woman for the job?

Then there's Edward (Tate Donovan, Damages), who doesn't want Joanna around, but is too grumpy and obvious to be the killer. He is having marital problems with his wife, Samantha (Marin Hinkle, Once and Again), but we don't yet know what's involved. They will probably be the initial focus of the investigation, and then, if the series is predictable, Joanna's allies.

The wild card lies in Robert's second wife, Sofia (Katherine LaNasa, The Campaign). At first, she seems a nasty piece of work who doesn't get along with Julian, Edward, and Vivian. But then we learn that the daughter thought to be hers and Robert's, Mia (Ella Rae Peck, Gossip Girl), is actually Vivian's child, so Sofia can't be all bad.

Of course, we have to have even more twists thrown in, so Joanna's ex, Will Moreno (Laz Alonso, Avatar), is the one who brings her in on the mission, and he still harbors feelings for her. And the first person to blow Joanna's cover, a reporter named Remy (Christopher Denham, Argo), is killed by two men in a black car. Also, Vivian is pregnant a second time when she dies.

There is a great set up here for the era of class warfare, with the dysfunctional, rich family, and a tangled web of clues. The actors sell their roles. But it also has too many familiar elements, which could hurt Deception if it doesn't come up with something new to toss in. And how long will it take the Bowers family to figure out what Joanna is up to? Too long, and they seem dumb, unworthy of an elaborate killing scheme. Too short, and it kills the momentum of the investigation.

Basically, the jury is still out on Deception, and if it will be a weekly viewing appointment. So, to find out, tune in Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first posted on TheTVKing