PARTNERS Should Break Up

Article originally published as PARTNERS Review on Seat42F.

Partners | Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence | FX

FX has a near-perfect record when it comes to sitcoms. After all, this is the network that gives us It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Archer, and The League. They’ve also pushed boundaries with artistic experiments like Louie, Wilfred, and Legit. Even its Charlie Sheen-fronted Anger Management, which I was highly skeptical about, turned out to be pretty amusing. However, the latest effort making it to air, PARTNERS, which premieres this week, finally blemishes that run.

PARTNERS stars Kelsey Grammer (Fraiser, Boss) as Allen Braddock, a jerk of an attorney who is fired by his father for having a loose grasp on truth and legality. Allen falls in with Marcus Jackson (Martin Lawrence, Martin, Bad Boys), a well-liked lawyer allowing his wife to take advantage on him in a divorce. After Allen helps Marcus keep some of his money, they form a partnership, deciding to work together so that Allen can help Marcus earn a decent living, saving Marcus from his overly-kind soul.

This premise is very stale. How many buddy comedies do we need about an odd couple paired together by circumstance? What’s more, PARTNERS makes no attempt to even follow the tried-and-true formula when lying out its structure. Very little reason is given in the pilot for why Marcus would want Allen by his side, and there is no depth to the characters that justify their motivations. Instead, this is the duo we get, and they are put together with no solid reasons for why this should happen.

This is regrettable because the two performers are good actors. They both have resumes that prove their gravitas, and they could do better than this. Toss in other capable players such as Telma Hopkins (Family Matters, Half & Half) as Marcus’ live-in mother, McKaley Miller (Hart of Dixie) as a stepdaughter Allen is, for some inexplicable reason, supporting, Edi Patterson (A Thousand Words) as a zany assistant, and Rory O’Malley (Dreamgirls) as a one-note paralegal, and all around, the cast is being wasted unnecessarily.

PARTNERS goes for the easy, crass joke. After an insipid pilot, episode two, which airs just after the first, finds Allen and Marcus helping a gay couple who has been cheated by their wedding planner (Missi Pyle, Big Fish, The Artist). But rather than get into the real case and look for evidence, the leads go through the farce of a sham wedding, tossing in every cheap homosexual and racial gag they can think of. The situation is designed to be funny, and at its base, it is, but it certainly isn’t well-thought out or authentic, delivering a highly disappointing effort.

Given the first two episodes, the future of PARTNERS doesn’t look bright. It’s one thing to do broad humor and to do it well, but to go weak and lazy with the jokes doesn’t fly in the modern age. PARTNERS has the sensibility of a mediocre 90s series during a time when there are some real comedy gems dotting the landscape, and even the run-of-the-mill stuff usually clocks in several notches better than this. It’s pure drivel, not worth anyone’s time.

So why did FX choose to go this route? One assumes it has to do with the big names at the center of the project, and yet, while both of these actors have made some crap, they’ve also given us memorable, special roles that delighted audiences for long periods of time. One would think that with these guys attaching themselves to a project heading to a well-respected network, someone along the way would have made sure PARTNERS lives up to what it could and should be. Sadly, that does not appear to be the case.

PARTNERS premieres Monday, August 4^th at 9 p.m. ET on FX.

Ending Far From AWKWARD.

Article first published as Ending Far From AWKWARD. on TheTVKing.

MTV's Awkward. has easily been, hands down, the best series the network has ever produced. This week, the third season ends with "Who I Want to Be," which also marks the last episode helmed by creator Lauren Iungerich. The hour-long installment, double the length of the typical episode (as was last week's penultimate), fittingly brings central character Jenna (Ashley Rickards), and others, full circle. It could easily have served as a series finale - though Awkward. will continue on with a new showrunner next year.

Awkward. begins with a letter. Jenna's mother, Lacey (Nikki Deloach), anonymously sends her daughter a list of things to change about herself. The author is the mystery of season one, and Jenna is quite effected by the words. When it comes out that Lacey is responsible, it almost ruins Jenna's parents' marriage, and fractures the relationship between mother and daughter.

The story has moved past that, but it's appropriate to bring it up again now. Jenna has undergone quite a few changes this year, going through a phase where she cheated on her boyfriend and fell out with her besties. In "Who I Want to Be," she has mostly succeeded in rebuilding what she destroyed and is trying to figure out the type of person she should be going forward. This letter is part of her growth, a catalyst really, and she considers it along with her answer, as she should.

Lacey finds Jenna reading the letter and the two have a moving heart-to-heart. They've suffered tribulations together and come out the other side stronger than ever, both individually and as a pair. It's a reflective scene which really tells us who the women are, how far they've come and what they mean to one another. Both actresses do a terrific job with this emotional stuff, and many viewers will likely be moved to tears by the result. I dare say this may be my favorite moment of the year, if not the show as a whole.

Jenna's introspection comes because of an assignment from Mr. Hart (Anthony Michael Hall). Although the teacher seems grumpy and abrasive, if not downright cruel, at the start, there's something really cool about the way he and Jenna connect, and how he pushes Jenna to do her best work. She has talent in the field of writing, and he knows how to manipulate her to bring out the best. That, combined with the experiences Jenna has had, allow her to figure out both what to put and how to act. I hope this dynamic continues, as Jenna still could take things much further.

A lot of Awkward. has concerned Jenna and boys, which is expected for a story about a teenage girl. First she was with Matty (Beau Mirchoff), then Jake (Brett Davern), then back with Matty, then Collin (Nolan Funk), the latter being a physical attraction only. And part of "Who I Want to Be" does find Jenna pining over Matty, who she has not gotten over. She wants him to ask her to prom and he doesn't.

But that's not all Jenna is. Some girls may pin themselves to a guy, however, there is more to Jenna. She gets to tell Collin off in a triumphant moment. She tells Matty the door is still open for him, but she also knows she's survive, even thrive, if he never comes back to her. Then, even better, she dances by herself at the prom, happy and confident, not needing anyone else. This doesn't mean she's lonely; in fact, she's never been more solid with her loved ones. It just shows that she's a full individual who has accepted herself and is ready to move on to the next chapter of her life, whatever that may be.

Jenna isn't the only one who's blossomed. Ming (Jessica Lu) has found her confidence and her place. Tamara (Jillian Rose Reed) and Jake have bliss. Lacey regrets mistakes she's made because she's learned not to make them again. Matty is able to heal and enjoy himself with Bailey (McKaley Miller), a worthy date. Even Sadie (Molly Tarlov) has to smile, in love with a boy named Austin (Shane Harper), who gets her in a way no one else ever has.

"Who I Want to Be" is mostly about Jenna, though, as it should be. She's the heart of the show and the reason why we tune in. There's only been one brief period I didn't like her and had trouble relating (during this year's destructive phase), but the finale of this season makes that other stuff worth it. A person is not created already fully-formed, and over three glorious seasons, we've witnessed the evolution of Jenna. Beautiful.

Awkward. will return for a fourth season sometime in 2014 on MTV.

Hart of Dixie celebrates "Hairdos & Holidays"

     The CW's Hart of Dixie ends their fall run with the only vaguely Christmas-themed episode, "Hairdos & Holidays." Zoe (Rachel Bilson) ratchets up her rivalry with Lemon (Jaime King) to a new level as she mentors Rose (McKaley Miller, The Gates) in a beauty pageant against Lemon's sister, Magnolia (Claudia Lee, Zeke and Luthor). Though Lemon does respond to the challenge, she is distracted by memories of getting together with Lavon (Cress Williams) a year ago, which viewers learn happen as Lemon gets startling new about her mother (Meredith Monroe, Dawson's Creek, Criminal Minds). Unfortunately for Lemon, Lavon does not want to be reminded of any of it.

     Things between Lemon and Zoe seem to have cooled somewhat, so "Hairdos and Holidays" is a tad bit puzzling. Lemon is no longer spending all her effort trying to run Zoe out of town, or even getting upset about Zoe spending time with George (Scott Porter). Lemon still doesn't like Zoe, but she accepts her more. Instead, this conflict is kicked off by Zoe, who is jealous of Lemon's relationship with George, whom she likes. Lemon responds, but with her deep emotional plot underpinning this episode, she just doesn't feel fully committed, which makes the showdown lackluster, at best. Perhaps this story could have been better served if Zoe had some random guest star to square off with, instead of forcing Lemon into a place where she doesn't belong.

     Lemon's backstory is quite intriguing. Fans know Lemon's mother left long ago. In "Hairdos and Holidays," it is revealed that she likely did so because she was bored of being a housewife. Yet, when Lemon discovers her living nearby, that's what she is again. One cannot help but feel sympathy towards Lemon, who has been replaced, and feels justifiably confused and betrayed.

     Where is George as Lemon and Lavon bond over the mother issues? He isn't shown in any of the flashbacks. Did he gets back from New York so soon before Hart of Dixie begins? That could explain why Lemon must spill her guts to someone other than him. It's also understandable that they are deeply connected, he having helped her through some serious drama. But that is still no excuse for her cheating on George. However, if she and George were on a break at the time, it would be OK. Which is why there needs to be some explanation of George's place in these flashbacks.

     Lavon still cares very deeply for Lemon, wanting to win her back. George doesn't seem all that satisfied with Lemon, and is taken in by Zoe, so why not pair the foursome up in this way? It would seem likely this would occur save for the fifth main character, wild card Wade (Wilson Bethel). Might he win Zoe over before George becomes single, making George the odd man out when the dust settles? Whatever happens, in a series like Hart of Dixie, pairings are bound to shift many times over the run of the series, so the weight of hooking up between any two given characters is lessened.

     In "Hairdos and Holidays" Wade tries to help George find a Christmas tree for Lemon. Wade encourgaes George to unknowingly steal such a tree from an ex-girlfriend's father, which lands the two of them in jail. It's an amusing plot, giving the two guys time to hash out some of their feelings for Zoe. It also lets Lavon overhear George's declaration that he will be with Lemon forever. Other than the fun interchanges, though, it's a little weak. The father just drops the charges and lets them keep the tree? Why? He clearly hates Wade. More explanation is needed.

     Honestly, despite the bad writing in "Hairdos and Holidays," Hart of Dixie is a charming, engaging drama. Bilson is not believable at all, but the rest of the cast is really good. The show is worth your time, for the most part.

     Hart of Dixie will return to the CW in January.

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     Catch up on streaming episodes of Hart of Dixie.