Post-Valentine's LOVE

Article first published as LOVE Review on Seat42F.

Valentine’s Day may be over, but LOVE is just getting started, with a ten-episode freshman season premiering on Netflix this month (and a second one already ordered). LOVE is in the modern genre of quirky relationship dramedy, with two main characters who are a little more neurotic and flawed than the average person, but still manage to feel somewhat authentic in their negativities. Given the heft of those involved in the production and the familiar faces that pop up, at least familiar to those into this niche product, one knows LOVE is going to be good before one even starts it.

Created by Judd Apatow (The 40 Year-Old Virgin), Lesley Arfin (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and Paul Rust (Comedy Bang! Bang!), the show stars Rust and Gillian Jacobs (Community) as Gus and Mickey, respectively. Gus is a huge nerd who ‘fakes’ nice (meaning is nice even when he shouldn’t or doesn’t feel like being) with women because that’s how he thinks he’s supposed to be, which leads to his breakup at the start. Mickey does a few too many drugs and is a little too irresponsible, though she manages to hold a job and live in a house, so isn’t too screwed up, especially once she cuts loose her dead-end boyfriend. Can they find love with one another?

The premise is slightly off. If Mickey were as flighty as she comes across, there is no way she’d be as stable as she is. And if Gus were as timid as he appears to be, he wouldn’t be living as well as he is. But I suppose one should overlook the overabundance of income and free time the characters have because it’s a conceit most TV shows and movies use in order to get to the story they want to tell without those distractions.

Focus instead on the two characters themselves. While uncomfortably awkward, they are brilliantly played with complexity and layers. There is a humanity to both that makes the audience root for them, even when they aren’t worthy of our affection. They don’t always do exactly what we expect them to do, but they do act in ways authentic to the established personalities. They are always entertaining to watch, and often witty and charming. This is the makings of a show easy to get into.

Will Gus and Mickey get into each other? The pilot of LOVE finds them in completely different places, and they could not be more incompatible. It’s logical to see the attraction they have for one another when they eventually meet (which takes awhile, the show satisfyingly setting them up as individuals before putting them together). But just because someone is attracted to another person doesn’t mean that they should be together.

Their relationship most reminds me of the lead couple in FX’s You’re the Worst. Those characters make it work, though, because they have enough commonalities to go together. Gus and Mickey don’t have much of anything to start from. Sure, they might hang out and get along OK, but they have totally different frames of reference, and while their opposing views can help the other to grow, I don’t see them ever finding enough middle ground to build a stable union on.

That’s OK, though. In movies and television, love doesn’t have to be perfect, and we don’t need to see what the couple looks like after ten years of marriage. It’s enough to follow them on their current personal journeys and witness how they impact one another in them. Should the writers choose to put them together, that would probably feel good, too, though it certainly isn’t necessary. The title of the show may be LOVE, but that’s not the most important thing going on.

LOVE’s first season is available now exclusively on Netflix.

It Almost Was a SUPER FUN NIGHT, Now Off to Bed

Article first published as It Almost Was a SUPER FUN NIGHT, Now Off to Bed on TheTVKing.

ABC's Super Fun Night was perhaps the most derided sitcom pilot produced in years. The criticisms before the show even launched were so bad that ABC held onto the first episode and aired the second instead. But over time, the show proved it could be amusing and touching, even if it never reached levels that would lead one to recommend it to a friend. This week, after seventeen episodes, "...Till the Fat Lady Sings" aired as the season, most likely series, finale.

"...Till the Fat Lady Sings" finds Kimmie (Rebel Wilson) torn between two men. Long-time crush Richard (Kevin Bishop) kisses her, and when she tells her boyfriend, James (Nate Torrence), about it, James dumps her. Should Kimmie try to repair things with the man she's spent so much time with, and whom she cares about deeply? Or should she take a chance on her dream guy, asking Richard not to take a promotion in Germany to stay for her?

Kimmie has come a long way from the woman who had never had a real relationship (or sex) to being someone two men want. This makes sense, though, because we've seen her growth and her personality. There are things that aren't attractive about her; she's over the top, awkward, clumsy, screws up a lot, and can be self-involved. But she's also sweet, earnest, funny, and compassionate. These are the sides of her Richard picks up on, and because they've already had such a close, established friendship, it does feel believable that Richard might want to be with Kimmie.

I can't say I ever came around to care about Kimmie as Richard does. There are still too many negatives. However, she tries hard, and for that, she deserves happiness. She's a good person.

Super Fun Night surprised me when Kimmie chooses James. It makes sense. Richard may just be acting out because he's going through something with his father (The Nanny's Charles Shaughnessy), and so their thing might not last. Kimmie also doesn't want to hurt James, who took awhile to agree to date Kimmie because he noticed her feelings for Richard, so it would be cruel to make the other choice now. Plus, James and Kimmie have a really good time together and have developed an attachment. But because Richard is a main character and is originally established as the guy Kimmie wants, it still came as a shock that she doesn't pick him.

Should the series somehow be renewed, I do think Kimmie and Richard will eventually end up together. That's basic TV formula. Though it would be way better if Kimmie stayed with James and had a happy ever after because it bucks the trend. If this is how the series stops, the ending is perfect for where the characters are. If it returns, it will take some real bravery to not do what people expect.

Super Fun Night hasn't always done what's expected, though. The musical numbers, my favorite part of the show, even when just done as a tag, are fantastic. The characters are more than one thing. Some of the basic plots are predictable, but others are not.

Take for instance the friendship between Kimmie and Kendall (Kate Jenkinson). One would never expect it to blossom so well, so fast. They still get at one another's throats from time to time, mostly on Kendall's end, but I like that they also get along a lot. Their closeness feels earned, Kimmie being there when Kendall has no one, and I really love the way Super Fun Night develops Kendall into more than jut a stereotypical character.

The one thing that feels rushed in "...Till the Fat Lady Sings" is Marika (Lauren Ash) coming out of the closet. Yes, the signs are there from the beginning, but Marika meets Frankie (Hana Mae Lee, Pitch Perfect) and, two weeks later, can admit she's a lesbian? I think Super Fun Night does this because they worry they won't get the chance, but a more drawn-out arc would have been more appropriate here.

Helen-Alice (Liza Lapira) and Benji (Paul Rust) are left in a bad place, having had sex, but he's still highly allergic to her. Again, this needs more time, and in the finale, there just couldn't realistically be a resolution to their story. Only so much fits in a half hour installment.

I don't know how much I will miss Super Fun Night, but I did enjoy it. Hopefully Wilson bounces back with an even-more musically influenced series in the near future. Not Pitch Perfect: The Series, mind you, but something that fits with her goofy sense of humor. And she should feel free to bring along her co-stars and recurring players, who really do form a nice ensemble over these few months of run time.

SUPER FUN NIGHT Still Not Fun, But Less Painful

Article first published as SUPER FUN NIGHT Still Not Fun, But Less Painful on TheTVKing.

ABC's Super Fun Night got a lot of flack initially for being a terrible show. I'm not saying the criticisms were not deserved; they absolutely were. But as each installment plays out and the series finds its legs a little better, it continues to improve. It still has quite a ways to go before I would label it "good," but since it's moving on the right track, I thought it worth highlighting this week.

The Halloween episode of Super Fun Night actually aired a couple of weeks ago, and wasn't that impressive, other than a fantastic musical number in the end tag, which was even better than the pretty decent theme song (the show could definitely benefit from more of these). It's notable, though, because in it, Kendall (Kate Jenkinson) slept with Richard (Kevin Bishop), much to the disappointment of Kimmie (Rebel Wilson). This seems pretty predictable, while at the same time not really making sense for the characters the way they have been laid out.

The show has course corrected since, though, by deepening the personalities. Last week, we see that Richard actually does have feelings for Kendall and is trying to make it work. While Kendall can be mean, it's understandable Richard would go for her when she expresses interest as we learn more of his neurosis, which make him less desirable to most women. I don't think they will end up together, but at least their pairing has started to feel more authentic.

In the latest episode, "Go with Glorg," it's Kimmie's turn to see there's more to Kendall than what's on the surface. Kimmie goes into the story hating Kendall, but unable to turn away from an upset person, Kimmie offers an olive branch and Kendall gratefully accepts. They end up drinking the night away in a development that seems like it will last past the end of the half hour.

Kendall is still the jerk on the show, and that's OK. She isn't going to suddenly turn sweet, and if she did, it would feel like a big cop out. But it's nice to see some of her vulnerabilities shine through, and we actually come to understand her a bit. Kimmie remains the good person at the core of the series, and it also informs on who Kimmie is when we see how she treats Kendall, even when Kimmie has no good reason to be nice to her enemy.

Reforming a villain is not a new concept, but it's one that often works if done correctly. It can't happen too fast, and it needs to start naturally. The latter is satisfied in "Go with Glorg," and we'll wait and see if the former can be, too.

What will make Super Fun Night come together is when it figures out how to handle the ensemble. The Kimmie-Kendall-Richard stuff is finally working nicely, but Kimmie's personal life doesn't mesh up very well. In "Go with Glorg," Helen-Alice (Liza Lapira) and Marika (Lauren Ash) go to a TV show convention with Dan (John Gemberling), Ruby (Dan Ahdoot), and Benji (Paul Rust). Now, the five of these characters together blend, but they seem apart from Kimmie, almost like there are two different shows going on.

How can this be resolved? Well, Richard has already been shown to be awkward and geeky and likes Kimmie's friends, so it doesn't seem like it would be too hard to fold him into the gang. And Kendall is desperate for company, so she could be present, as long as she protests the entire time. When this merger is complete, Super Fun Night could still do work-based stories, but Kimmie's co-workers also need to be integrated with the social subplots in order to make the series feel cohesive.

This plot with Kimmie's friends isn't great in "Go with Glorg." Marika approaches the star of the show she's a big fan of, which is a take-off of Xena, Alison (Brooke Shields, Suddenly Susan), who is rude to her. At this point, we haven't been given much reason to care about Marika, and with the Kimmie / Kendall thing so much more interesting, it is even worse. Plus, the ending is so boring and done before. Had this happened down the line, it could have made for an effective, though middling, story, but until the show spends time building up Marika, getting the viewers to love her, it should stay away from plots like this.

So, basically, there are some things Super Fun Night is starting to do right, and some elements that remain quite messy. Will it fix itself, or get canceled first?

Super Fun Night airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.