Round Two: The Unicorn

The Unicorn: Season 1, Episode 2 “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” (B)

I thought that this show had the most promise out of all the freshmen pilots that have premiered so far, and it did a decent job of living up to that in its second outing even if it’s still not superb. What does work is Walton Goggins, whose previous television gigs have been tinged with humor on serious shows and movies like “Justified” and “The Hateful Eight” and full-on involved in more comedic fare like “Sons of Anarchy,” “Vice Principals” and “The Righteous Gemstones.” I remember him originally from his more stoic but still superb turn as Shane on “The Shield,” and now he’s playing a milder character who is just starting to realize what the world around him now looks like. I wasn’t sure where I recognized Christina Moore, who played Lizzie, from, potentially “That 70s Show” or “True Blood,” but she did a great job in her short scenes as a new romantic interest for Wade who just wasn’t all that appealing. He did fail quite spectacularly in his efforts not to get overly involved. The sweet moment he shared with his daughter when they were taking Instagram pictures for each other at the end of the episode was nice, and I’m glad that this show doesn’t have a laugh track to make that kind of scene feel forced. What I didn’t love as much were the antics of Wade’s friends, notably the guest appearance by Nicole Byer from “Nailed It” as Michelle’s very overeager sister. I’ll give it another shot – so far this remains my top new broadcast show.