FX Bakes a CAKE

Article first published as TV Review: CAKE on Seat42F.

It’s hard to describe the new FXX show CAKE. It’s a series of shorts made by different people that the comedy network has edited into a half hour television show. Yes, that describes it, but not well enough to tell you what it is. It’s generally a comedy, but some is live action and some is animated. Some dialogue spoken and some is sung. Some bits are very short, and some are pretty long. It’s a conglomeration of a lot of things rolled into one.

I guess the best way to explain what you’re going to get is for me to ask you to imagine something. Say Saturday Night Live, Portlandia, a popular Snapchat-er, Adult Swim, and a YouTube star all made a single, stand-alone segment each, and then somebody merged all these disparate things together. That’s what CAKE is. Eclectic, with different approaches, but hopefully all will be worth watching.

Because there is not a consistent producer or writing team, there isn’t a consistent feel to the show. The first episode, titled “Cache Flow,” seems to have a similar level of quality from bit to bit, and that level is relatively high, but it will be hard to maintain that over time. Things aren’t connected, but did seem to, for lack of a better word, flow from one segment to the next. The longest story was broken up itself by smaller offerings.

That all may sound like criticism, but it is not intended to be negative. CAKE does something interesting and pretty unique, showcasing shorts by different creators in a single program. FXX has scoured the interwebs and put together a showcase of creative works that would have trouble finding a television home elsewhere. It lets viewers sample programs that aren’t traditional, but are still worthy of one’s time. I especially enjoyed the opener of “Cache Flow,” funny and thought-provoking, relatable but still fresh.

This reminds me of award-winning and nominated shorts. Most people ignore them, but when one gets the chance to sit down and watch a few, they can be quite mesmerizing. It’s about time a network made such things more accessible to a mainstream audience.

The official line seems to be that some stand-out bits may become full-length running programs on the network. That would be a cool thing, using CAKE as an incubator to test writers and producers, rewarding those that catch on more than others. But if that never happens for any of the segments, it’s still a worthwhile attempt, and an interesting piece to add to the lineup.

Much of what is in “Cache Flow” is from people unknown to me, and likely to most viewers. There are new and unheard voices represented. But one part of this pilot did have several recognizable actresses – Collette Wolfe (You’re the Worst), Suzanne Cryer (Silicon Valley), and Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) – so was likely made by more experienced professionals.

This mix of untested and established talent could be a problem, except that care has definitely been taken to make sure different bits feel at least a little bit tonally similar. CAKE avoids being jarring as it jumps around, a credit to a show that could easily be more disjointed. Instead, while the parts do feel different, there almost is a whole feeling to the episode.

I really wish I had more than one installment to view to know if CAKE is going to be worth watching. But the first one is, so why not give it a chance? After all, you’re not going to get this from any other network. In my opinion, television could use more such experiments, and I’m certainly curious to see if this one catches on.

CAKE premieres tomorrow at 10:30 PM ET on FXX.

"Thirst" for ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Quenched

Article first published as ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Review Season 2 on Seat42F.

Note: This review is for the season two premiere, “Thirsty Bird,” and does contain spoilers from that hour. It does not contain spoilers from any episodes after the season two premiere.

Netflix’s ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK has returned with a second batch of episodes, beginning today, streaming for their subscribers. It is the story of a woman named Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), who is serving fifteen months in prison for her role in a drug ring, which she got involved with through her girlfriend at the time, Alex Vause (Laure Prepon). Piper’s life has drastically altered and she has to learn to her adapt to her new world while, possibly for the first time, recognizing the humanity in others.

As season two begins in “Thirsty Bird,” Piper has been in solitary for beating would-be assassin Pennsatucky (Taryn Manning) severely. In the middle of the night, Piper is ripped from her cell, taken by bus and plane to a much higher security facility in Chicago without explanation. Panicking, Piper now has to adjust to an even tougher world with more dangerous inmates.

This is a very well-crafted hour. I feel Piper’s frustration and terror at not knowing what is happening and being unable to get answers. As a prisoner, she has few rights, and information about where she is being taken and why is not among them. Those working for the system have no obligation to be forthcoming because she is low on the totem pole, but it would still be extremely unsettling to be the one so out of control of oneself. Much of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK is about life as an inmate, and “Thirsty Bird” hammers that helplessness home more than most installments.

Unfortunately, it cannot salvage the character of Piper, a drama-addicted narcissist who is wishy washy with her moral compass and often does and says the wrong thing. A flashback to her childhood, showing when Piper catches her father, Bill (Bill Hoag), cheating, and her mother, Carol’s (Deborah Rush), bad reaction to the news does inform on why Piper is the way she is, but it doesn’t make her sympathetic. Her forgoing the chance to pee in her search for answers, then paying for that decision later, illustrates how ridiculous she is in her self-righteousness. We, like her potential father-in-law / lawyer, Howard Bloom (Todd Susman), grow frustrated that she can’t pull herself together, but are done rooting for her.

One wonders if there is a happy way out for Piper. Her fiancé, Larry (Jason Biggs), seems to be done with her, though he remains a main character, so forgiveness is a possibility. Her sentence is likely to be lengthened both from beating up Pennsatucky and because she lies under oath. She doesn’t have anything to go back to, anyway, though.

For some reason, Alex is more likeable than Piper. Yes, she betrays Piper, twice, but she is consistent. We know who Alex is, and Alex actually shows compassion for others. Even if she does stab Piper in the back by convincing Piper to lie on the stand and then confessing the truth herself, Piper deserves it, so it’s hard to be mad at Alex, someone who has the right crisis of conscience at the right time. Sadly, Prepon has been down-graded to “special guest star” status, so she isn’t likely to be around much, if at all, moving forward. This makes sense because her arc with Piper has run its course, but is regrettable because I hate to lose the character.

What “Thirsty Bird” is lacking, despite being a terrific stand-alone, isolated episode, is the ensemble that makes ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK so good and gives the show its identity. All of the various women who are locked up with Piper have become memorable and intriguing personalities. From Red (Kate Mulgrew) to Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba) to Taystee (Danielle Brooks) to Nicky (Natasha Lyonne), all of whom are now main characters, as well as a slew of recurring parts, each has landed with the audience. I miss them, none of them appearing in this season premiere.

In episode two, I assume things will get back to normal, and I look forward to that. At the same time, I don’t think ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK makes a mistake by departing here because, as I said, taken on its own, the hour is solid, even if it doesn’t feel like the same show. Plus, it furthers along the story of the protagonist, Piper, and what is going on with her case. Great start, Netflix, and I look forward to what else the show has in store for us this year.

All thirteen episodes of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK are available now on Netflix.

Locked Up With ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Article first published as ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 97%

Netflix’s latest original series, the first season of which is now available, is called ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. From Weeds creator Jenji Kohan, the hour-long dramedy (much more drama than comedy, though it has its moments) follows Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling, Mercy), who made a bad decision ten years ago while in an ill-fitting relationship, and now faces fifteen months in prison.

For those expecting another version of Weeds, a la Nancy Behind Bars, this is not that show. Instead, it’s an (I’m told) realistic look at life behind bars, the various personalities in such a place, and the pressures and stresses of the situation. Chapman is dropped, out of her element, into a motley crew, and must find her place while trying to keep her wits about her.

The story is told non-linearly, with pieces of the puzzle falling into place throughout the hour. We see Chapman’s first twenty-four hours in lockup. We see her previous tryst with Alex Vause (Laura Prepon, That ‘70s Show), and how she gets involved in the drug business, albeit barely. We see how Chapman’s current fiancé, then boyfriend, Larry Bloom (Jason Biggs, American Pie), handles the revelations about Chapman’s past, and vows to stick by her side.

I like that we get all of this out of order. Somehow, it flows, from an emotional stand point, and it’s not confusing if one is paying attention. Obviously, in this situation, Chapman has a lot going through her mind, so it’s understandable that other scenes are replaying for her and for us.

Like Chapman, prison is a place that seems harmless enough to the viewer, until it suddenly isn’t. It’s a foreign land full of strange, unwritten rules. Chapman thinks she is bonding with Red (Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager), until an inadvertent comment means Chapman will be going hungry. She gets kindness from others, too, but it’s hard to tell if any of it is genuine, or if she is being set up or used or put in debt.

Chapman has a lot of time ahead of her, and we know she will likely eventually find her place. That, or go mad, but how likely is that for the protagonist of a series? Then again, this is Netflix, not broadcast television, so predictable rules may be thrown out.

Schilling is perfect in this role, the kind of part she proved she deserved on her last ill-fated series. She can handle the ups and downs, making us think she has it together, but being completely sympathetic and authentic when she suddenly shows her vulnerability. She is tough, but scared. She is capable, but out of her element. The actress slays the part.

The cast is stocked with other amazing performers. Among those that stand out in the first episode are Natasha Lyonne (American Pie) as a drugged-out cellmate and Yael Stone (Spirited) as a wise, kind-hearted mentor. We also see Weeds alumni Michael Harney and Pablo Schreiber. But more amazing are the numerous faces that aren’t well-known, yet still convey a power and an allure that promise we will grow to like and respect them. Great care has been made to fill the place with women who look like they belong, and are also wonderful actors, painting a varied landscape.

The story itself is an interesting premise. While ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK will follow Chapman, obviously, it will also explore a number of other inmates, and in them lies countless other tales to be told. This is a world few venture into by choice, and when the nature of the place is exposed so plainly like this, and with such talent in putting it together, eyes are sure to be opened.

Is prison a cruel place? Undoubtedly. But it may also be the place in which some women find themselves and what they are capable of.

What will be most intriguing is how Chapman can possibly go back to her happy life with Larry after the experience. She is sure to be changed to her core, and readjusting to the civilian world afterwards cannot be easy. She is warned to view this experience as something to build up, and then wipe away. Will she be able to do that? It seems like it would take a special person.

The surprise ending to the first episode leaves the door open for a couple of possibilities. Is what we see real, or is it in Piper’s head, since she has been pushed to the breaking point? Both are intriguing paths, and so the only thing known at this point is that the installment ends well.

All thirteen episodes of season one of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK are available on Netflix now.