SIRENS Ends With a "Wedding"

Article first published as TV Review: 'Sirens' - 'Shotgun Wedding' on Blogcritics.

Just after premiering its second sitcom, USA wraps up the freshman run of its first, Sirens, this week in “Shotgun Wedding.” Theresa (Jessica McNamee) starts questioning the direction of her life after being shot. Thinking there isn’t anything keeping her in Chicago, she considers a transfer to the F.B.I. in Washington D.C. Desperate not to lose her, Johnny (Michael Mosley) proposes and tries to make the ceremony happen right away to prove he’s serious. Needless to say, things go awry.

Sirens is a pretty funny comedy. There is lots of sexual humor, some of it weird, and a little play on gender roles, making for a crass but risk-taking show. Comedy is extremely subjective, much more so than drama, but if you like the vibe of “normal” people palling around and don’t mind when they talk about porn and the like, then this is probably for you.

For those looking more for the personal stuff, character development and growth through maturation, Sirens has that, too, especially in the finale. Johnny is introduced as the type of man who has trouble committing, possibly because he isn’t in touch with his emotions. He definitely loves Theresa; that’s clear in every single installment. But he doesn’t always know how to show it, nor how to make her happy.

Theresa isn’t exactly perfect, either. She’s much more casual and self-driven in her sex life than the traditional female, but she isn’t good at setting boundaries. She does stand her ground when breaking up with Johnny, but she can’t seem to stay away from him after, her attraction to him not abating. She sort of encourages his attention, hoping that one day he might grow up and be worth it. In “Shotgun Wedding,” he finally does.

There are all sorts of arguments to be had about the wisdom of spur-of-the-moment nuptials. This is a major, life-changing decision, and it’s worth taking a little time to consider the ramifications of the choice. Yet, Theresa and Johnny have been in one another’s orbits for quite some time. It’s not like they’ve only had a few months to figure each other out. It’s time to commit or finally make a clean break. That’s what “Shotgun Wedding” is about, a pivotal moment for their relationship.

In the end, due to a series of comedic mishaps and possibly the universe acting against them, the couple says I do, but isn’t pronounced husband and wife, through not for lack of intention. This might be a good thing, as they settle on moving in together and seeing how that goes first. If the ceremony is going to be this messy, that might actually be a sign they should slow down just a bit. They do have forward momentum, it just doesn’t need to get to an end game for them yet.

Is this an authentic, modern couple? Well, everyone is different, but I do think this is the type of pair that is only more recently portrayed on television. We get current sensibilities and attitudes, a peek at how people with careers and no marriage turning thirty act in this day and age. More folks are waiting longer and making sure they are absolutely sure before settling down. Sirens presents a comedic take on that.

A wedding episode is a popular format for a season finale, so Sirens isn’t re-writing the book on sitcoms, nor do the other episodes feel groundbreaking, either. But it’s also not stale, the chemistry of the ensemble cast being excellent, further enhanced by the great guest stars playing Johnny and Theresa’s parents this week. It’s a slightly fresh twist on a sitcom staple.

Which is basically a good way to sum up what Sirens is. Sure, a big, black, gay EMT like Hank (Kevin Daniels) isn’t a stereotype, but he’s familiar enough to be relateable. And while Voodoo (Kelly O’Sullivan) is anything but normal, she is still likeable enough in a harmless manner. The dialogue may not be the cleverest around, but it serves to amuse, such as when Cash (Bill Nunn) suddenly makes an ultimatum that he’s head usher (of two) or not taking a role at all, even though Johnny and Theresa aren’t handing out jobs. It all just comes together nicely and works.

The only concern is, USA played it safe with their hour-long shows for a long time and is just now moving into the territory of having must-watch series. With Sirens and Playing House, the network is starting in very tame territory for comedies, goofy like TBS, more edgy than the broadcast networks, but nothing that surprises and delights as much as what, say, FX, delivers. Is that a sound principle? Only time will tell.

Sirens has not yet been renewed.

Blaring SIRENS

Article first published as SIRENS Review on Seat42F.

USA is trying its hand with sitcoms when the new series SIRENS premieres Thursday evening. The episode sent to critics, and that is currently streaming free on the network’s website, is listed as #1.04 “Rachel McAdams Topless.” I’m not sure that’s going to be the first episode that airs, but it should give us a taste of not only the tone of the series, but who the characters are as well.

At the center of SIRENS are three EMTs. Johnny (Michael Mosley, Pan Am, The Proposal) is having trouble defining his relationship with on-again, off-again girlfriend Theresa (Jessica McNamee, Packed to the Rafters). Or are they dating? It’s not clear. Hank (Kevin Daniels, Modern Family, Ladder 49), Johnny’s best friend, is gay and black, though neither is really played up as a character element in the first episode, with Hank’s role being to deliver the best lines and support Johnny. They are joined by nervous, naïve newbie Brian (Kevin Bigley, Game Change).

Now, that doesn’t sound like a recipe for a particularly original show, and I admit, Brian, especially, is a familiar type. But Sirens doesn’t try for anything fancy. It’s about a group of guys hanging out together, getting into absurd situations, and having way too personal conversations. They have good chemistry, and are enjoyable.

For instance, in “Rachel McAdams Topless,” they try to erase a patient’s computer, only to be scarred by disturbing porn. Then they end up talking about porn and sex for the most of the half hour, as other things they stumble upon also hinge on that topic. So it’s a lot of raunchy, honest talking between buddies.

I happen to find this very funny. I know it’s certainly not everyone’s type of humor, but it’s far better than gross vomit and poop gags. SIRENS rises or falls on how real each of these three men seem and whether viewers will care about them or not. Half an hour in, I do care. They seem nice and are trying their best, never mean-spirited or cruel.

The relationship between Johnny and Theresa is good, too. He swears to her that he’s given up porn for her, a lie of course, which she quickly discovers. But not knowing she knows, he and his buddies try to prevent her from finding out, stumbling on her own embarrassing secrets in the process. Theresa and Johnny learn a little about one another, and it helps them appreciate their partner more.

First and foremost, this makes “Rachel McAdams Topless” a comedy of errors, with one-liners smartly tying into later twists in the story, running gags rather than just a series of punchlines. At times, the situations feel staged, of course, and in this style of narrative, that’s unavoidable. But the energy put off by the cast is infectious, and it keeps moving forward at a pleasing pace.

I’m not sure Theresa is all that authentic a character, possibly more of a guy’s dream of what a woman should be than real. Or maybe she’s someone who just bucks trends and doesn’t conform to what’s currently publicly acceptable to say, a liberated, modern woman. At times, she’s more masculine than Johnny, a relatively new arrangement in society that can still seem novel on television when done right, as it is here.

But SIRENS doesn’t ask us to overthink this stuff. It’s just a goofy comedy designed to make us laugh. I wish it aired on HBO or Showtime so it could actually back up the topics of conversation with visuals; hearing and hinting at things that are never shown make it tamer than it should be. But its sensibilities do seem appropriate to a TBS or basic cable format, so it should work for USA, known mostly for fluffy dramas.

SIRENS premieres this Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on USA.