Pilot Review: Enlisted

Enlisted (FOX)
Premiered January 10 at 9:30pm

I listed this show as one of the least promising new shows when I first saw the trailer back in May. No matter what funny moments might be contained in it, the premise is too ridiculous and off-kilter to sustain. That turned out to be completely true, as Geoff Stults’ Sergeant Pete Hill chit-chatted his way through a military attack in Afghanistan and then punched a superior officer in the face to get himself sent to Florida. His brother Randy’s presence there makes sense, and Parker Young from “Suburgatory” is the perfect person to play the part. Chris Lowell’s Derrick, on the other hand, is much less substantial as a human being – and that’s saying something – content to be irritable all the time and be a force for negativity for all those around. I liked Stults in his last FOX series, “The Finder,” and I wish that was still going instead of this. Lowell and Young have also had better parts in the past. I imagine many of those in the military might be offended by this show since it makes so much of what is done unserious, though it’s also likely so far off and ridiculous that it’s not much of a risk. Comedies set in war have been done before, and this show is just too simplistic and lackluster to cut it, aiming for the lowest common denominator. FOX has been doing well recently with a slate of comedies, but this one is hardly one of its best.

How will it work as a series? Pete will probably take some time to recognize that his new position is permanent, and once he gets over the requisite attempts to get back to war, this “brotherhood” will get even closer and may even make to do something more impressive than rescuing a cat in the middle of War Games.
How long will it last? I guess I’m on the more negative side of the reviews for this show, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to stick around for a while given its unfortunate premiere numbers. A Friday night time slot was never promising, and I suspect this show won’t even make it to the spring.

Pilot grade: D-