Pilot Review: Satisfaction

Satisfaction (USA)
Premiered July 17 at 10pm

This is one of those shows that has been advertised so blatantly that it’s near impossible not to have heard of it. That said, its advertisements aren’t entirely accurate, since it makes it seem like two people involved in a joint pact to find sexual fulfillment elsewhere (see FX’s superior effort aired at this same time, “Married,” for that). Instead, only one party is woefully aware that, despite all he does to try to make her happy, she still insists on calling her escort companion, whose cell phone happens to be in her husband’s possession. He’s not blameless either, constantly at work and barely present in his family life. It’s hard to find Americans starring in American television shows anymore, and so it’s no surprise that Australian Matt Passmore and French actress Stephanie Szostak are at the helm of this particular series. I liked Passmore when he was the star of “The Glades,” a show that I didn’t even process was no longer airing, and I don’t think his role here in nearly as entertaining since he’s cast as a dramatic protagonist whose smooth talking could use some work. Compared to “Hung,” this show doesn’t have nearly the same appeal, but its premise isn’t quite the same. I think that this show is trying to do too much at once, and I’m not sure it’s capable of managing it all. There is some potential here, but it hasn’t yet been realized since both Neil and Grace need to be fleshed out much more fully as characters. It’s light entertainment, but hardly classifies as must-see.

How will it work as a series? It seems highly implausible that Neil could continue to balance everything in his life and string along his wife while he had a whole separate career as an escort. Posing as Simon and stealing his clients also doesn’t seem sustainable, so I’m somewhat curious but not all that optimistic to see how this show plans to keep those storylines going.
How long will it last? The pilot did better than the show that aired before it, “Rush,” but not by too much. It’s very possible that the advertising campaign for this show will lead to considerable disappointment, and I think the ratings will suffer as a result. I don’t see this one lasting past the season.

Pilot grade: C