What I’m Watching: The Deep End

The Deep End: Season 1, Episode 4 “Nothing Personal” (B)

I think more than anything that this show succeeds in having a good number of characters so that each of them can be paired up and mixed and matched each episode to create and expose compelling dynamics and interesting relationships. Unlike a show like “Grey’s Anatomy” where cast members are added constantly, this show has thus far kept it under wraps and I’m even starting to remember some of the characters’ names without having to look them up (not all of them, though). Granted this show is only in its infancy, but still, I’m enjoying pretty much every moment of it. Maybe this is my guilty pleasure show, but I think there are far too many other programs I watch that would fall under that description as well. Liam and Malcolm’s inane conversation comparing their heights was amusing, and it got so much better when Hart came in and said that he should be glad their belts were still buckled while they were measuring each other. His decision to give the case to the one who was taller was hilarious. Liam and Malcolm play well together because they’re both competitive but neither is truly interested in using dirty tricks or maliciousness to get ahead. Hart is a fearsome presence whose mere arrival in scenes improves them. Addy bouncing on her ball and falling off when he came in was just one of those moments. Rowdy’s advice to Addy that she’s smart, capable, and too little to hit was funny, and she countered right back with a piece of sage wisdom: “when is offering someone dessert ever a bad idea?” To top off all of this episode’s particular ridiculousness, how funny is it that Liam can’t order a drink in a bar because he’s only using Australian expressions? Liam is, unfortunately, way too gullible for his own good, though all that whispering was quite amusing.