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.

DVD Review: ‘Wilfred – The Complete Third Season’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Wilfred – The Complete Third Season’ on Blogcritics.

FX’s Wilfred doesn’t like to give us answers. A weird ‘comedy’ about a man, Ryan (Elijah Wood), who sees his neighbor’s dog, Wilfred (Jason Gann), as a guy in a dog costume; the show has never yet attempted to explain its premise. They dance around the issue, sure, but only the tiniest progress has been made in tying everything together.

The Complete Third Season, now out on DVD, starts to push the show in that direction, though. Serving as the penultimate batch of episodes, this run begins with Ryan probing Wilfred’s roots for information. Then, as per usual, most of the rest of the installments ignore the bigger picture entirely, providing interesting side adventures and character development without giving much away, before touching on the mystery again at the conclusion of the year.

I don’t have any predictions for exactly what the end of Wilfred, whose final season is airing right now, will be. What does seem certain is that the answer has as much to do with Ryan as Wilfred. The Complete Third Season looks into our human protagnoist’s past as well. His relationship with his father (James Remar) helps bring Ryan to this place on the edge of sanity. And while there is a heck of a finale that seems a huge setback, with Wilfred’s owner, Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann), forbidding Wilfred and Ryan to spend time together, it’s easy to figure out that the new rule can’t last, the fates of the two leads closely intertwined.

There are two types of fans of Wilfred: those fascinated by the enigma and who long for answers, and those who just enjoy the buddy comedy of two friends, no matter that one is dressed as a dog, getting high and getting into trouble. The Complete Third Season strives to satisfy both those sets, though gives more screentime to the latter. The installments in this release are almost uniformly good, but as someone who definitely falls more in the former category, I am disappointed by the incremental movement forward on the mystery front.

Among the elements of the third year are Ryan finding a new roommate (Kristen Schaal, Bob‘s Burgers), Ryan’s crush, Jenna, now living as a married woman with Drew (Chris Klein), Ryan finally trying to get to a good place with his sister, Kristen (Dorian Brown), Bruce (Dwight Yoakum) making a return appearance, and a handful of half hours where Ryan doesn’t know if Wilfred is sinister or not. These are all solid, entertaining stories, even if they don’t quite get into the meat of what I’m looking for. At least the plot is serial, with the events of one week affecting the others, and the character of Ryan undergoing much examination and reflection, rather than just participating in stand-alone stories.

Wilfred also seems to attract a terrific array of guest stars. Besides those mentioned above, which include several recurring characters, season three boasts the likes of Angela Kinsey (The Office), Zachary Knighton (Happy Endings), Gina Gershon (Rescue Me), Barry Watson (What About Brian), Lance Reddick (Fringe), Mary Steenburgen (The Help), and more. I feel like when a short, thirteen-episode cable season can assemble a guest list that rich, it says something about the quality of the show. Wilfred deserves to be included on such a list.

Sadly, like other recent Fox releases, Wilfred  – The Complete Third Season has no bonus features whatsoever. I’m not sure why the studio is doing this now, but it’s a huge disappointment. While not everyone makes use of the extras, some of us do, and to ask us to buy a set that includes no fresh material, having already watched the episodes as they air, is kind of a jerk move, in my opinion. I hope this company reverses course on this decision in the near future.

Wilfred – The Complete Third Season is available now.

THE KILLING Returns From the Dead... Again

Article first published as THE KILLING Review Season 4 on Seat42F.

THE KILLING, which ran for three seasons on AMC and has been canceled twice before, returns for an abbreviated fourth, and most likely (though one can never say for sure with this show) final, season this week on Netflix. Picking up moments after season three left off, the six hour-long episodes remaining seek to both solve a new case and deal with the aftermath of the previous year’s cliffhanger.

Lest you have forgotten, as year three concludes, Linden (Mireille Enos) shoots her boss and former lover / partner, James Skinner (Elias Koteas), who ends up being the serial killer she is hunting, twice, despite the fact that he is unarmed and kneeling before her. Holder (Joel Kinnaman), a witness to at least the second bullet, freaks out, knowing there is no way for Linden to claim self-defense. Fearing she is about to be locked up, season four’s premiere has Holder scrambling to cover for Linden, who is still in shock, and thus not protecting herself as she should be.

This begins with our characters in a precarious position. As the day after unfolds, it becomes clear very quickly that there are loose ends the detectives might miss. Try as they might to hide the truth, it seems likely that Skinner’s murder will eventually come out. We’re left wondering if both Linden and Holder will go down, as well as what punishment they might face. Could their actions be justified, given the circumstances, or could fate intervene and protect them, even as the body surfaces?

 

My instinct is to say that yes, things will work out all right. THE KILLING is a dark, depressing show, and not everyone makes it out alive. However, Linden and Holder are the glue between the seasons. They are also the good guys who give up everything in order to find justice. They deserve to get away with this. Fans will root for them to stay hidden.

That being said, I could see a twist at the end of the series where Linden dies in a blaze of glory, her son living far away, and she really having nothing left to lose. She’s always had a bit of a martyr complex, so why not make it official? I suspect a better prediction can be made after meeting Linden’s mother (Frances Fisher, Resurrection), though, whom abandoned her as a child, as that will surely help set Linden’s momentum.

Holder, on the other hand, has plenty to live for. He has his romance with Caroline (Jewel Staite). He also gets some surprising news in the season four premiere that will make it even harder to see him go down. Plus, now that the air has been cleared between them, on even footing since both got a punch in, Holder’s friendship with Reddick (Gregg Henry, promoted to full-time) seems to be sticking. So I think Holder is safe, successfully having turned his life around and found his purpose, even without Linden around. But we’ll see.

I don’t think Holder and Linden will end THE KILLING as a romantic couple. There is a moment in season three where it could happen between them and it doesn’t. There really hasn’t been anything else to point them in that direction since, nor is there in the first episode back, so it would feel forced to go there at this point. That’s fine. Too many shows led by an opposite sex pairing feel obligated to turn the emotional bond into something involving sex. Sometimes, it’s fine if it doesn’t, especially if one or the other can find happiness with someone else.

Now, despite all the character development and furthering of existing arcs, season four has its own case to investigate. Our duo are led to a crime scene where a family has been brutally slaughtered and the evidence points to the surviving son (Tyler Ross, Zombieland), whom a bullet grazed in the head, and who is suffering memory loss. There are a number of pieces of evidence that don’t add up, including some strangely severed piano wires, so it’s uncertain if the kid is guilty, making for another juicy mystery.

Does season four need this sort of murder to look into? After all, the show has always been best when dwelling on the pathos of the players, and this could be done with Linden’s deed. But instead, the writers decide to squeeze one more bit of police work out of our leads. On one hand, they do have a job to do so it makes sense for them to keep doing it. On the other, with a scant six hours left (granted, all six installments are likely to be ten to fifteen minutes longer than in previous seasons), one might wish for a focus on the principals more than new stars, with Joan Allen (Luck), Sterling Beaumon (Red Widow), and Levi Meaden (The 100) joining Ross among the fresh cast. Ah, well. The decision has been made, so no sense dwelling on it now.

In all, THE KILLING delivers a relatively intense, very compelling fourth season premiere. It’ll be interesting to see how creator Veena Sud chooses to wrap it up.

All six episodes of THE KILLING’s final season will be available on Netflix beginning this Friday, August 1^st.

DVD Review: ‘Bob’s Burgers – The Complete Third Season’

Article first published as DVD Review: 'Bob's Burgers - The Complete Third Season' on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Bob Burgers has slowly made its mark in the Sunday night Animation Domination lineup. While it is neither created by Seth MacFarlane nor Matt Groenig, it does feature a familiar, five-member family unit and their wacky adventures, so in a way, it sticks to the tried-and-true formula. Yet, the humor in the series feels more edgy and current than its multi-decade peers, and it has become a beloved favorite. The Complete Third Season, featuring episodes from the 2012-2013 television season, has finally recently been released on DVD.

Season three is probably where Bob’s Burgers finds its stride. It had a good freshman run and a solid sophomore series, but by the third year, it knows what it is and can really start to pay off running gags. We know Linda (John Roberts) will break out into weird songs at inappropriate times. We know the kids will get into trouble based on hormones, curiosity, or selfishness. And we know Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) will serve as the anchor that keeps everyone grounded, ineptly managing to clean up the messes when necessary.

Which is not to say it has become completely predictable. Bob’s Burgers follows a certain pattern for most episodes, one that is different from The Simpsons or Family Guy stories, but it still manages to come up with situations that feel original and fresh. I love the varying end credits that call back to a great part of that week’s plot. Its zany, recurring cast are a different make up of people than those other shows, and its installments feel more realistic, rather than so cartoonish. Most importantly, the trademark brand of humor it has carefully cultivated frequently lands.

Yes, many of the female characters are voiced by men (and occasionally boys are voiced by women), which seems odd if you are first discovering the show. However, after spending many hours with the parts, it’s hard to even notice such things, so convincing is the talent.

There are some great episodes among season three’s 23 offerings. In “Ear-Sy Rider,” Louise’s (Kristen Schaal) signature bunny ears are stolen and a biker gang shows up in town. “Bob Fires the Kids,” features Bob’s attempt to give his children a normal childhood, which backfires when they begin working on a pot farm. “Mutiny on the Windbreaker” has Gene (Eugene Mirman) falling in love with a stuffed manatee. In “An Indecent Thanksgiving,”Mr. Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) hires Bob’s family to pose as his own, and in “The Deepening,”  the family must stop a haywire mechanical shark. “Lindapendent Woman,” finds Tina (Dan Mintz) thinking that an arm near the milk shelf must be her soul mate; and, “The Kids Run the Restaurant,” is exactly what it sounds like.

The release has no extras, which is a huge disappointment, especially given the very long wait for the DVD to come out. Although I’m not sure exactly what kind of bonus features I expect from a prime-time animated series, with such a funny creative team, I would imagine the writers and actors would have at least a few things to share.

But, even without extras, the episodes themselves provide enough great material for a worthy purchase. Looking over the episode list from The Complete Third Season, I still vividly remember a number of the installments. That should indicate what a terrific series it is if, more than a year later, the jokes are fondly recalled and one can be amused all over again, before it is even re-watched. I can’t emphasize enough how good the material here is, which slightly lessens the sting of the crappy, late, weak release. Slightly.

Bob’s Burgers – The Complete Third Season is available now.

DVD Review: ‘The Killing – The Complete Third Season’

Article first published as DVD Review: 'The Killing - The Complete Third Season' on Blogcritics.

After initially being cancelled at the conclusion of season two, AMC brought The Killing back for a third season last year. The Killing‘s first two runs, each spanned a single murder case and its effect on the victim’s family and community. The third season, now out as a three-disc DVD set, The Killing: The Complete Third Season, follows a string of serial killings, keeping the focus more on the detectives working the case, with fewer side characters than either of the first two seasons.

At first, it’s a bit startling to get into The Killing‘s third outing. Many of the characters regular viewers have come to know quite well, such as Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell), Mitch Larsen (Michelle Forbes), Stan Larsen (Brent Sexton), Gwen Eaton (Kristin Lehman), and more are gone. This shrinks the world considerably, and I do find myself wondering from time to time, what are they up to? A mention here or there perhaps (which barely happens for a couple of characters) isn’t enough, and no one from the first case returns.

However, the linchpins of The Killing are and always have been Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman). Although the investigation plot explores other avenues, the narrative always returns to the pair of detectives and how they handle the pressures of the case. Both are back, and while Linden is not working for law enforcement when year three begins, it doesn’t take long for the duo to return to form, chemistry intact.

Which is not to say there’s no one else in the mix this time around. A convicted killer on Death Row, Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard, Jarhead), someone Linden had put away, figures prominently when the bodies piling up cast doubt on his guilt. A tough orphan living on the streets named Bullet (Bex Taylor-Klaus, Arrow) tugs our heart strings as we see the depressing world she and her friends inhabit. 

The Complete Third Season feels tighter, which it has to be, by necessity. I am one of the few who didn’t get angry when Rosie Larsen’s murderer wasn’t brought to justice in the first season, thinking The Killing brilliant for bucking expectations. In season three, the story is just as good and the mystery equally compelling, but the writers bend to the will of the people by neatly resolving the plot at the conclusion of the twelve installments. This speeds up the pacing a bit, which should satisfy those ‘fans’ who drifted away.

I like the way in which season three reaches into the backgrounds of the characters, Linden in particular. Even though the case at hand is new, it brings up things referenced in the first two years, and events that happened before the series begins. This gives the arcs a sense of continuity, and allows the show to draw a bigger picture than a simple, self-contained season would produce.

If you’re hesitant to jump in, knowing AMC canceled the show again after viewer numbers stayed low for the revival, know that Netflix ordered an additional six episodes, available now, so that The Killing can complete its tale and end on its own terms. What that means is we now have a complete, four-season saga to enjoy.

Unfortunately, there are no extras at all included on this disc. I don’t understand why the studio would choose to forgo bonus features, other than to possibly save money, and this is in line with other recent Fox DVD releases. But it’s highly disappointing, all the same, as the story of the show’s resurrection should have been told, at the bare minimum.

The Killing – The Complete Third Season is available now.

HELL ON WHEELS No Longer "Elusive"

Article first published as HELL ON WHEELS Review Season 4 on Seat42F.

AMC’s Western series about the construction of the railroad, HELL ON WHEELS, is back for a fourth season this weekend. Picking up four months after the events of season three, not every character shows up in the first episode, and for those that do, many have gone through some changes in circumstance. But as much as some things change, some stay the same, and the paths of several should land them, more or less, right back where we’re used to seeing them.

The biggest question on many fans minds is if Elam (Common) survived the bear attack that left him lying, bloody, on the ground. (YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THE REST OF THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW.) I can confirm that Elam does not appear in the premiere episode, “The Elusive Eden,” nor is he in the big cast photo released or the opening credits. However, Entertainment Weekly has reported that Common will return and he has been spotted with the rest of the cast, so he’s likely to pop up sooner or later.

HELL ON WHEELS has an interesting way of storytelling in that it lets arc progress naturally, which often means characters sit out for episodes at a time. While some series may contract their principal players for only a certain number of episodes to save budget, it seems like HELL ON WHEELS limits screen time when the story warrants. For instance, “The Elusive Eden” has several threads to tug on and explore, but leaves out characters such as Ruth (Kasha Kropinski) and Louise (Jennifer Ferrin), who are said to still be with the show. I kind of dig that the writers don’t squeeze in people when they don’t fit, even if I’d like to know what they’re up to. As long as they are touched upon at a later point, we’re good, as neither woman’s tale feels complete.

The main character whom the entire show revolves around, and thus he has to appear every week, remains Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount). Awaiting the birth of his child by Naomi (unfortunately recast as a noticeably older-looking Mackenzie Porter), Bohannon tests the boundaries of his dynamic with The Swede (Christopher Heyerdahl), still posing as a Mormon bishop. While Bohannon’s usual foe, Durant (Colm Meaney), is selfish and despicable, there is something even more magnetic about The Swede, making for some truly excellent scenes between Mount and Heyerdahl as the nemesis they play dance around one another.

I don’t know if Bohannon will ever rid himself of The Swede entirely, and I kind of hope he doesn’t, but surely he’ll soon make his way back into the orbit of Durant. With Bohannon off the job, the railroad is struggling to keep going, missing deadlines and at the mercy of incompetent leadership. While Durant has his power, he is making enemies, including of former ally Maggie Palmer (Chelah Horsdal, now full-time), and as much as he might dislike Bohannon, he may need his help.

Eva (Robin McLeavy) also brings the pathos in “The Elusive Eden.” Still mourning Elam’s apparent death, she is having trouble moving on with her life. Perhaps if she hadn’t given up her child, the baby would provide her with motivation, but for now she seems content to scrub laundry. It’s Durant, of all people, who tries to light a spark in her, the writers once again striving for the unexpected, though not so much so that it feels unnatural, as Durant has taken an interest in her before, if only occasionally.

I like that the characters on HELL ON WHEELS often aren’t friends. The Wild West, mainly seen as Cheyenne currently, is a dangerous, unstable place. Alliances are struck, only to be broken and re-formed when convenient. This makes for unpredictable storytelling, keeping the plot engrossing. Conflict is rampant, and that can be even better than the heart-warming uniting of those coming together for a common purpose, which the program only occasionally shows.

Entering the fray this year is the new Governor of Wyoming, John Campbell (Jake Weber, Medium). Like General Grant, Campbell is a real person in history, though surely fictionalized enough to ratchet up the drama. Coming into town, he is likely to spur with Durant, Bohannon, and the now-mayor of Cheyenne, Mickey McGinnes (Phil Burke). I’m curious to see how fresh blood will shake up the chemistry this time, which has already been frequently changed over the course of the show’s run.

“The Elusive Eden” is a strong continuation of a solid show, and certainly up to the standards previously set. HELL ON WHEELS returns to AMC Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.

MANHATTAN Ignites

Article originally written for Seat42F.

WGN America is making huge plays these days to elevate itself from ‘superstation’ to full-fledged cable network, including creating their own content. Their first original drama, Salem, is good. Their second, MANHATTAN, which premiered last night, is even better.

Set in Los Alamos, New Mexico, which was unnamed in the 1940s when this story takes place, the series dramatizes the invention of the atomic bomb, with a focus on those who helped design and formulate it, as well as their families. A highly secretive project, the men and women employed by the U.S. government at this isolated site were among the best and the brightest. Their spouses often were not, and were not even trusted with knowing what the employees were desperately working on, racing against Germany to end the war.

MANHATTAN is besieged by the ticking clock. The Americans believed that Hitler was also working on the bomb-to-end-all-bombs, and that he was close to finishing it. Thus, they are spurred on not only by patriotism, which nearly all of them possess in spades, but also by the fear of the consequences should they lose the race. As one character muses when his daughter wants to go to college in New York, to paraphrase, ‘A densely populated city on the East Coast? No way.’

The pilot, “You Always Hurt the One You Love,” introduces us to a lot of characters, but thankfully, it keeps the core cast small enough to handle. There’s: Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey, The Big C), a brilliant scientist leading a small team competing with Akley’s (David Harbour, The Newsroom) much bigger, more well-funded one; Frank’s wife, Liza (Olivia Williams, Dollhouse), a botanist with a PhD who isn’t allowed to plant crops in the complex; new recruit Charlie Isaacs (Ashley Zukerman, Rush), who is physically nauseated when the purpose of the place is revealed; and Charlie’s wife, Abby (Rachel Brosnahan, House of Cards), who wants to go home, and will likely get Charlie into trouble.

These four are surrounded by a large group of wonderful players, including Daniel Stern (Home Alone, City Slickers), Josh Cooke (Dexter), Harry Lloyd (Game of Thrones), Eddie Shin (Men of a Certain Age), Michael Chernus (Orange is the New Black), Christopher Denham (Argo), Katja Herbers Alexia Fast (Jack Reacher), Richard Schiff (The West Wing), and Mark Moses (Mad Men), but keeping these two couples at the core helps ground the narrative.

Many issues are brought up and dealt with in MANHATTAN, even when just considering the pilot. There’s the military state, security that may be over the top or could be construed as necessary, depending on your perspective. There’s the political nature of the hierarchy, as Frank finds out when he approaches Oppenheimer (Daniel London, Mildred Pierce) with a better idea than Ackley’s, but is shot down anyway. There is the splintering of marriage when trust is broken, mainly because of the constraints of the job. There is the constant threat that even the best intentions could get one into serious trouble, and rumors and gossip spread quickly. There is the challenge of living in a new environment in the middle of nowhere, a major stressor on those who aren’t in the office at all hours.

Yet, despite the extremely full hour-plus running time, MANHATTAN is not overwhelming. Instead, it presents a complex structure with interesting topics and people, an authentic-seeming look at an important part of history. The moral quandaries of The Manhattan Project are still debated today, so MANHATTAN, besides being an entertaining drama, is also a way for modern people to sort out mixed feelings about it, and also get some historical perspective. I find myself thoroughly engrossed and excited about this series.

MANHATTAN airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on WGN America.

DVD Review: ‘The New Normal – The Complete First Season’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘The New Normal – The Complete First Season’ on Blogcritics.

In the 2012-2013 television season, NBC presented a different kind of family sitcom called The New Normal. From the mind of Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) and Allison Adler (Chuck, No Ordinary Family), it took what Modern Family does a step further, with an edgier, even less traditional clan, while still remaining thoroughly charming. Finally, the series, which ran only one year, comes to DVD, though the release is strangely subtitled The Complete First Season.

In 2014, we all know that not all families look the same, even less so than just a couple of decades ago, but while the television industry is getting better about portraying that, it still does not reflect the large diversity out there. The New Normal may be quite specific in the make-up of its clan, but the characters are earnest enough that most should find a way to relate, even if their circumstances don’t mirror exactly the mixture shown on screen.

The premise is simple enough: A young mother named Goldie (Georgia King, Little Dorrit), who gave birth to a daughter, Shania (Bebe Wood), as a teenager, is tired of putting her dreams on hold and relying on her bigoted grandmother Jane (Ellen Barkin, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Drop Dead Gorgeous). Jane raised Goldie after Goldie’s own mother, who also gave birth young, split. After Goldie catches her boyfriend cheating on her, she gets the courage needed to make a change. This leads her, with Shania in tow, to the strange land of California.

At the same time, a gay couple named Bryan (Andrew Rannells, Girls, The Book of Mormon) and David (Justin Bartha, The Hangover) are ready to start a family of their own. Armed with eggs provided by Abby (Gwyneth Paltrow, Glee, Iron Man), their first attempt is a misstep. But then they meet Goldie and decide she is perfect. After she agrees to serve as their surrogate, they offer to help her with her goals, much to the dismay of Jane, who has by now tracked them down.

Oh, and Bryan has an assistant named Rocky (NeNe Leakes, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Glee), whose love/hate relationship with Jane makes for some of the best material of the series.

Over the course of the year, there is actual growth among the characters, and lessons are learned. Yes, The New Normal can be slightly preachy at times, and the season finale, more so than any other episode, plays to conventional sitcom tropes. But maybe that’s a good thing, as the show needs to help people become more accepting, and by staging a half hour that feels like it could have been written for any other show, it feels ‘normal.’

Thankfully, the last episode ties up most of the major arcs pretty well, leaving us without a never-to-be-resolved cliffhanger.

The writers of this show clearly know what they’re talking about. Adler herself has gone through the surrogate process, and both creators are gay. The situations and characters they’ve created here feel only slightly exaggerated for television, avoiding stereotypes as much as possible, and are definitely well-defined enough to tug the heartstrings, with layers to various characters’ motivations. Bolstered by a terrific cast, The New Normal fully earned the People’s Choice Award it won for Favorite New TV Comedy, and more than a year after its cancellation, it is still missed.

This three-disc set contains all 22 episodes produced, but no special features at all. On the one hand, this is hugely disappointing because there is so much more I want to know about how the show came about and why it didn’t last. On the other hand, I guess fans should just be grateful we get the opportunity to relive the episodes at all, considering how quickly they came and went.

The New Normal – The Complete First Season is available now.

Lifetime Isn't Lucky With THE LOTTERY

Article originally published as THE LOTTERY Review on Seat42F.

Lifetime ventures into the science fiction realm with their new drama THE LOTTERY, which premiered last night. Set roughly ten years in the future, mankind has inexplicably stopped having children. Scientists are clueless about both the cause and the solution of the problem. Then, Dr. Alison Lennon (Marley Shelton, Eleventh Hour) somehow fertilizes one hundred eggs which seem viable. Will she be able to save mankind, or will the intrusive government ruin her project?

THE LOTTERY boasts a really cool concept I’d expect to see on SyFy or FOX, rather than on Lifetime. I do wish the premise had gone further with the science part of the genre and given us some kind of excuse for the big event, but at least the ramifications for the human race and its struggle to overcome such a huge obstacle can be chronicled. This really would spell our end, and there is plenty to examine in this set up.

Unfortunately, right from the start, THE LOTTERY feels like typical Lifetime fare. It isn’t as over-the-top female-centric as some of the network’s other shows, such as The Ex List and Devious Maids, but it is very heavily headlined by women, and said gals are not nearly as likeable as those in, say, Witches of East End. Alison obviously is female, and while the President remains a white man, the series favors his chief of staff, Vanessa Keller (Athena Karkanis, Low Winter Sun) in assigning focus. And when it comes time to discuss parents’ rights over the ingredients in the fertilized product Alison creates, only the mother is considered.

There’s also very much a woman-as-a-victim viewpoint. Alison is singled out for firing because she’s a strong, brilliant person who would get in the way of the military guys that wants to control things, but because she’s whiny and demanding, she is hard to root for. Vanessa does bend the President’s (Yul Vazquez, Magic City) ear and actually seems heroic, but again, the military men have run roughshod over her already and she has to fight her way back into influence. She’s playing from the underdog position, even when she’s in a role that should allow her to call some of the shots.

Furthermore, the only man of any substance in the pilot, Kyle (Michael Graziadel, The Young and the Restless), is much more sensitive than the average joe. A single parent to one of the last kids born, he resists temptation and shows how caring he can be, giving the female viewers the idolized hero they’d like to see represented more than a layered, flawed individual. Given his token spot, I’d like to see more from him.

Now, I enjoy strong female characters, and most of my favorite shows are at least gender-balanced, so I’m not ripping on THE LOTTERY just because of the women who are at the center of it. But other networks, if they resisted the urge to make the show testosterone-heavy, would nurture other aspects of the tale. Instead, it’s these handful of hallmark Lifetime characteristics that override everything else, making the show feel anything but balanced. It may hit the station’s target audience, but it lacks broad appeal and ignores many fans of the genre it resides in. That’s a mistake.

The acting is also a bit hokey, playing up overly dramatic scenes, and with the type of moments when you want to yell at the screen because the protagonists make dumb, easily avoidable mistakes. The weak writing and character development waste the cred that could have been bought with a smart premise and makes THE LOTTERY less than the sum of its parts. I worry it will not go far enough in exploring the effects on the world, instead concerned with two-dimensional players in their flimsy environments.

Of course, this is just a pilot. THE LOTTERY could redeem itself by doubling down on the conspiracy and dangers, as well as social issues, and backing off on Alison’s self-righteousness. I just don’t have confidence that it will.

THE LOTTERY airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on Lifetime.

Blu-ray Review: ‘Hell on Wheels – The Complete Third Season’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘Hell on Wheels – The Complete Third Season’ on Blogcritics.

Entertainment One recently released the third season of AMC’s Hell on Wheels on Blu-ray and DVD. The Western, which is set around the building of the first cross-continental railroad after the Civil War, is a look at the various challenges the workers faced. Early seasons featured Indian attacks and North/South and racial tensions. Season three ups the ante with an outbreak of cholera, dangerous, rebellious Mormans, political backstabbing, and the past coming back to haunt the characters. It’s a thrilling, somewhat-fact-based look at a defining time in our nation’s history, done in a style that easily keeps viewers engaged.

A lot happens this season, in character development as well as action. Picking up in the aftermath of the attack that destroyed the railroad settlement, Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) has a renewed determination to complete the track. He is distracted by new antagonists, including Union General Ulysses S. Grant (Victor Slezak, Treme), and, of course, Thomas Durant (Colm Meaney) hasn’t given up on wrestling back control of the project. Brothers Sean (Ben Esler) and Mickey McGinnes (Phil Burke) come into conflict when they choose different sides in the struggle. The romance between Eva (Robin McLeavy) and Elam (Common) is tested when she makes a difficult choice. Ruth (Kasha Kropinski) is forced to face who she is.

All of these people have satisfying stories, and not all make it out alive, which is more surprising than I thought it would be, considering the previous deaths on the show. Hell on Wheels could very well be the gritty, realistic version of A Million Ways to Die in the West, sometimes almost funny in how brutal it can be. The setting is an unforgiving one, and folks didn’t live so long back then because of the types of tribulations these characters face.

More than the first two years, season three feels like a cohesive story. Lots of individual events happen, but almost all of the important ones merge nicely together in the excellent season finale. There is a through line and purpose as the story progresses, and while some things may not feel like they’re going to come back around, when they do, it’s very well done and serves to add greater meaning. Even The Swede (Christopher Heyerdahl), who has an isolated arc this season that doesn’t intersect with the rest of the cast until the very end, folds in nicely to the existing structure, rather than just being jammed back in where he doesn’t belong. The ending leaves many of the players in completely different places than where they spent most of the year, setting up a great fourth season, too.

Hell On Wheels also starts to address some topics I didn’t expect in this era. New character Louise Ellison (Jennifer Ferrin, The Following), a newspaper reporter, is a lesbian. Now, of course, homosexuality exists in this age. But I didn’t expect to see it not only acknowledged, but most of the characters that find out don’t care, even if Louise suffers potentially serious repercussions back East. Could it be that the adventurous spirit that would lead one out to the frontier would also make one naturally more open-minded? Or is this the show attempting to appeal to modern audiences and dropping the ball on authenticity?

There are a decent amount of extras on this set. One featurette catches fans up on where the show left off, while another looks at this season briefly, without spoilers, for those who might want a taste of what’s to come. Four behind-the-scenes extras, running a little under fifteen minutes combined, give us some insight into various elements, and there are also ten “Inside the Episode” bits for the ten episodes in this set. Unfortunately, all of these are light and fluffy, with nothing very meaningful included.

For this set, Blu-ray is the way to go. Hell on Wheels is a beautifully shot series, with many outdoor scenes and a broad color palette, more so in season three than in the first two years. Both establishing shots and close-ups are highly detailed in high definition, with crisp layers and stunning landscapes. The sound is also better than most television shows, with some really cool effects, as well as solidly built dialogue tracts and mixing. The HD presentation, both audio and visual, is nearly flawless, and really enhances the realism of the show.

Hell on Wheels – The Complete Third Season is available now.