Round Two: Bored to Death

Bored to Death: Season 1, Episode 2 “The Alanon Case” (C)

One of my primary objections to the second installment of this show is similar to an issue I had with “Warehouse 13.” Things are just happening too fast, and elements that should begin to play themselves out well into a show’s run are being introduced way too early. While I’m thrilled to see Olivia Thirlby back again so soon, to have his ex-girlfriend involved in Jonathan’s case so early on is a mistake. It will be just as difficult for the show to grow and develop as it would be for Jonathan and Suzanne to move on with their lives when they keep bumping into each other. It can’t be Jonathan’s second ever case that he finds his personal life so randomly and coincidentally connected to a case someone brought to him, unless the underlying point of the show is that everything in Jonathan’s life is related. This pales in comparison to the superb handling of a comparable chance connection on “Hung” earlier this season. That’s not the only problem with this show, though. Like episode one, this week’s installment is pretty lackluster and, plainly put, uninteresting. Kristin Wiig guest-starring as Jonathan’s client isn’t a boon for the series, as it should be, and the inexplicably-praised Zach Galifianakis still hasn’t come through. I’m starting to think that perhaps the biggest issue is Jonathan himself. It’s not that Jason Schwartzmann is unappealing, but rather that character is lame and annoying. It’s hard to get behind a lead you just can’t like, especially if he doesn’t exhibit any positive qualities to make up for it. Can it get better? I’m not sure.