A to Z: Season 1, Episode 9 “I is for Ill Communication” (D-)
Absence does make the heart grow fonder, but terrible quality can contradict that pretty fast, meaning that I was anticipating the return of this show after a two-week hiatus, but watching it even for just a few minutes reminded me of how terrible it’s become. Over the course of a mere nine episodes, this is not the first time that we’ve seen Andrew and Zelda lie to each other and feign excitement about doing something or starting a tradition that neither actually wants to do. While many relationship may undergo the same process of figuring out how to be honest with each other, this has become tiresome and contradicts the excitable and eager way in which these two usually communicate with each other. Stu and Stephie continue to exist just to serve as angels and devils on their best friends’ shoulders without having compelling personalities of their own, and we’ve already seen Stu be unnecessary confrontational and possessive around Zelda while Stephie, who is usually much more prickly and selective about who she spends her time with, seems more than happy to embrace Andrew and his impulsive nature. The scene at Burbank Airport was full of awkwardness, and saying “I love you” to each other should have come at a better moment that wasn’t as laced with resentment and inexplicably available last-minute Christmas flights (see also this week’s episode of “New Girl”). Howard being pushed to go on a date to save the company was just the latest act of workplace depravity we’ve seen from Lydia, but at least they got a tender moment together working over the holiday, which is about as much as we can hope for when it comes to the awful product that is Wallflower.
Showing posts with label A to Z. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A to Z. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
What I’m Watching: A to Z
A to Z: Season 1, Episode 8 “H is for Hostile Takeover” (D-)
Slowly but surely, this show is wringing out all of its charm and becoming entirely unappealing. If Thursday nights were more populated by other comedies, particularly NBC’s far better “Parks and Recreation,” which has been saved for midseason for its final season, I might give up on it, but I feel compelled to stick around. The main problem now is that Zelda is no longer adorable, cast as a drag on Andrew’s individuality with no positive qualities of her own. In turn, that makes Andrew seem like a worthless character, incapable of not being influenced by others, and that’s not how it has to be. Stu up until this point has been all about Zelda except when it means that it’s diminishing his relationship with his best friend, and his hostility to her felt out of place. At the same time, Stephie’s sudden desire to be Andrew’s best friend was puzzling since it doesn’t track with her behavior up until this point, aside from her tendency to latch on to whatever anyone else is doing before giving it up quickly when something more interesting presents itself. I for one had never heard of professional stair climbing and didn’t think it was a real thing, but apparently it is. This show just seems to be going for the lowest common denominator and the easiest plotlines to pull off without having to put any effort into making its characters three-dimensional. It’s disappointing, and I don’t see much hope for the final five episodes of the show that are still slated to air.
Slowly but surely, this show is wringing out all of its charm and becoming entirely unappealing. If Thursday nights were more populated by other comedies, particularly NBC’s far better “Parks and Recreation,” which has been saved for midseason for its final season, I might give up on it, but I feel compelled to stick around. The main problem now is that Zelda is no longer adorable, cast as a drag on Andrew’s individuality with no positive qualities of her own. In turn, that makes Andrew seem like a worthless character, incapable of not being influenced by others, and that’s not how it has to be. Stu up until this point has been all about Zelda except when it means that it’s diminishing his relationship with his best friend, and his hostility to her felt out of place. At the same time, Stephie’s sudden desire to be Andrew’s best friend was puzzling since it doesn’t track with her behavior up until this point, aside from her tendency to latch on to whatever anyone else is doing before giving it up quickly when something more interesting presents itself. I for one had never heard of professional stair climbing and didn’t think it was a real thing, but apparently it is. This show just seems to be going for the lowest common denominator and the easiest plotlines to pull off without having to put any effort into making its characters three-dimensional. It’s disappointing, and I don’t see much hope for the final five episodes of the show that are still slated to air.
Monday, November 17, 2014
What I’m Watching: A to Z
A to Z: Season 1, Episode 7 “G is for Geronimo” (D+)
Maybe I shouldn’t stick with this show through its final episode. What I’ve realized is that our formerly beloved protagonists, who were really the only reason to watch the show, have lost a great deal of their chemistry. In this episode, Andrew was out of touch as usual with how Zelda really felt about the given topic of the week, which in this case was her theoretical music career, and Zelda was distant because she didn’t want to open herself up and be vulnerable to having to question her life choices. To say that the honeymoon period is over isn’t accurate since they’re still happy, but the magic is gone, and not in a way that feels appropriate because it’s true to life. I’m not sure that Stephie being slightly clever and deceiving Stu qualifies them as even, but if it can make them even a little bit more bearable, I suppose that’s progress. Howard discovering that Lydia is actually nice and it has nothing to do with her getting drunk was surprisingly a step up from other Lydia plotlines, but not by much. My main question of the episode is how Andrew can be so inept as to share his entire music library with the company and everyone else there can so easily find the music and know where it is. One would think he’d have more technological knowledge but also that he’d have a big enough library that it would be hard for everyone in multiple companies to listen to the same song while they’re in the middle of a work day theoretically doing work.
Maybe I shouldn’t stick with this show through its final episode. What I’ve realized is that our formerly beloved protagonists, who were really the only reason to watch the show, have lost a great deal of their chemistry. In this episode, Andrew was out of touch as usual with how Zelda really felt about the given topic of the week, which in this case was her theoretical music career, and Zelda was distant because she didn’t want to open herself up and be vulnerable to having to question her life choices. To say that the honeymoon period is over isn’t accurate since they’re still happy, but the magic is gone, and not in a way that feels appropriate because it’s true to life. I’m not sure that Stephie being slightly clever and deceiving Stu qualifies them as even, but if it can make them even a little bit more bearable, I suppose that’s progress. Howard discovering that Lydia is actually nice and it has nothing to do with her getting drunk was surprisingly a step up from other Lydia plotlines, but not by much. My main question of the episode is how Andrew can be so inept as to share his entire music library with the company and everyone else there can so easily find the music and know where it is. One would think he’d have more technological knowledge but also that he’d have a big enough library that it would be hard for everyone in multiple companies to listen to the same song while they’re in the middle of a work day theoretically doing work.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
What I’m Watching: A to Z
A to Z: Season 1, Episode 6 “Fight, Fight, Fight” (D)
This is the first episode I watched since I knew this show had been officially cancelled, though I of course had suspected that would be the inevitable outcome before it actually happened. Now, it’s hard to imagine that the show will improve substantially before it’s gone for good (and NBC could pull it earlier than planned), though there is some hope for the final two episodes that will be filmed after the show’s creators were aware of its impending end. This was a run-of-the-mill relationship stepping stone, with Andrew trying to figure out how to handle trying to seem macho and manly when Zelda is the more aggressive one in the relationship, able to stand up for herself when she’s treated poorly and to squash bugs with ease. I knew I recognized the guy whose sandal she roofed, and that’s because it was Josh Meyers, who starred as Randy in the final season of “That 70s Show.” That Andrew zoned out while she said she had a lot of work to do and that was the missing piece of their getting along didn’t wow me. As usual, Stephie’s love life is wholly ridiculous and immensely predictable, and somehow dumping an enormous amount of extra work on Zelda worked out wonderfully for everyone involved, especially Frank. Lydia’s latest attempt to relate to her employees was expectedly cringe-worthy, and Howard managing to instill fear in the employees was puzzling at best since he’s easily the most sheepish and manipulated among all of them.
This is the first episode I watched since I knew this show had been officially cancelled, though I of course had suspected that would be the inevitable outcome before it actually happened. Now, it’s hard to imagine that the show will improve substantially before it’s gone for good (and NBC could pull it earlier than planned), though there is some hope for the final two episodes that will be filmed after the show’s creators were aware of its impending end. This was a run-of-the-mill relationship stepping stone, with Andrew trying to figure out how to handle trying to seem macho and manly when Zelda is the more aggressive one in the relationship, able to stand up for herself when she’s treated poorly and to squash bugs with ease. I knew I recognized the guy whose sandal she roofed, and that’s because it was Josh Meyers, who starred as Randy in the final season of “That 70s Show.” That Andrew zoned out while she said she had a lot of work to do and that was the missing piece of their getting along didn’t wow me. As usual, Stephie’s love life is wholly ridiculous and immensely predictable, and somehow dumping an enormous amount of extra work on Zelda worked out wonderfully for everyone involved, especially Frank. Lydia’s latest attempt to relate to her employees was expectedly cringe-worthy, and Howard managing to instill fear in the employees was puzzling at best since he’s easily the most sheepish and manipulated among all of them.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
What I’m Watching: A to Z
A to Z: Season 1, Episode 5 “E is for Ectoplasm” (D+)
Should I give up and stop watching? I feel like it’s so unlikely that this show will be around for that much longer that I may as well stick around to see how this show can improve (hopefully) before it fades into obscurity after a quick cancellation - I wrote this review before I saw the news that, as of Friday, NBC announced that this show will end after its initial thirteen-episode order. Where this episode fell was in getting further and further away from focusing on its central couple's endearing nature. In fact, there was nothing about their “month-a-versary” that stood in the way of their relationship, and they got along just fine throughout, staying on the same page for the entire time. Sidekicks Stu and Stephie, on the other hand, were causing plenty of trouble for them, both being childish and selfish with the predictable endgame of having their best friends recognize the value of spending time together and not always being a couple. Unfortunately, that crisis happened at the same time as Lydia’s frantic search to find a couple with both members still together and alive. Each episode, I find her to be even more grating, and I’m lamenting this show’s downward spiral. This installment’s title wasn’t particularly relevant or clever, and it’s a sign that the show is chronicling events from A to Z but without much of a concrete sense of what that means. One month is both an important and an insignificant milestone, and exploring its contradictory nature could have been a perfect focus for an episode like this. Unfortunately, this show seems preoccupied with basic humor and a truly irritating supporting cast instead.
Should I give up and stop watching? I feel like it’s so unlikely that this show will be around for that much longer that I may as well stick around to see how this show can improve (hopefully) before it fades into obscurity after a quick cancellation - I wrote this review before I saw the news that, as of Friday, NBC announced that this show will end after its initial thirteen-episode order. Where this episode fell was in getting further and further away from focusing on its central couple's endearing nature. In fact, there was nothing about their “month-a-versary” that stood in the way of their relationship, and they got along just fine throughout, staying on the same page for the entire time. Sidekicks Stu and Stephie, on the other hand, were causing plenty of trouble for them, both being childish and selfish with the predictable endgame of having their best friends recognize the value of spending time together and not always being a couple. Unfortunately, that crisis happened at the same time as Lydia’s frantic search to find a couple with both members still together and alive. Each episode, I find her to be even more grating, and I’m lamenting this show’s downward spiral. This installment’s title wasn’t particularly relevant or clever, and it’s a sign that the show is chronicling events from A to Z but without much of a concrete sense of what that means. One month is both an important and an insignificant milestone, and exploring its contradictory nature could have been a perfect focus for an episode like this. Unfortunately, this show seems preoccupied with basic humor and a truly irritating supporting cast instead.
Monday, October 27, 2014
What I’m Watching: A to Z
A to Z: Season 1, Episode 4 “D is for Debbie” (C-)
I was hoping that, four episodes in, this should would feel a bit more developed, and unfortunately it doesn’t. What changed about this half-hour is that it wasn’t saved at the end by a big romantic gesture on the part of one or both of our affable leads, but instead it was dragged out through the episode as both parties were somewhat uncomfortable. Zelda not inviting Andrew to the funeral made sense given the short amount of time that they’ve been dating, but his bright outlook on life made him think that only good things would come of him going there. The problem is that both were right, and what ended up happening was Zelda freaking out, which doesn’t bother Andrew at all, and her fast-forwarded lawyer eulogy was hardly the way to make his presence there worthwhile. Like all of this show’s supporting characters, it doesn’t match the nature of their relationship. Ending with a heartwarming music session was peculiar and is exemplary of nothing more than the fact that Andrew and Zelda can occasionally be normal together in the midst of weird circumstances. I don’t have much to say about Stu and Stephie, who do their best to hog the screen at every opportunity, but Lydia continues to be a drain on the show, putting hunting traps out to catch her employees immediately in a moment of unproductivity and then getting herself in trouble at the hands of Wayne Wilderson’s corporate surveyor. I liked him better as the convict is his short stint on season three of “The Office.”
I was hoping that, four episodes in, this should would feel a bit more developed, and unfortunately it doesn’t. What changed about this half-hour is that it wasn’t saved at the end by a big romantic gesture on the part of one or both of our affable leads, but instead it was dragged out through the episode as both parties were somewhat uncomfortable. Zelda not inviting Andrew to the funeral made sense given the short amount of time that they’ve been dating, but his bright outlook on life made him think that only good things would come of him going there. The problem is that both were right, and what ended up happening was Zelda freaking out, which doesn’t bother Andrew at all, and her fast-forwarded lawyer eulogy was hardly the way to make his presence there worthwhile. Like all of this show’s supporting characters, it doesn’t match the nature of their relationship. Ending with a heartwarming music session was peculiar and is exemplary of nothing more than the fact that Andrew and Zelda can occasionally be normal together in the midst of weird circumstances. I don’t have much to say about Stu and Stephie, who do their best to hog the screen at every opportunity, but Lydia continues to be a drain on the show, putting hunting traps out to catch her employees immediately in a moment of unproductivity and then getting herself in trouble at the hands of Wayne Wilderson’s corporate surveyor. I liked him better as the convict is his short stint on season three of “The Office.”
Monday, October 20, 2014
Take Three: A to Z
A to Z: Season 1, Episode 3 “C is for Curiouser and Curiouser” (C)
I firmly believe that this show would be substantially better if the supporting characters either didn’t exist or weren’t allowed to speak. More specifically, Lydia needs to go immediately since all she does is serve as an overlord presence with a very problematic complex that makes her feel like she needs approval at every turn but never perceives any situation the right way. Not having her around would be an enormous help for the show. Stu and Stephie, on the other hand, work much better in the manner that we saw them at the very end of the episode, pretending to be friends while secretly telling each other how much they hate each other. Let’s hope that they can remain just what they need to be, which is good friends from our two protagonists. Speaking of them, no matter what happens over the course of the episode, it’s hard not to find Zelda’s sweetness and Andrew’s romantic energy irresistible, and it seems like that’s where every big fight, which in this case was a series of digging to find dirt on each other and then snooping on Andrew’s part, is headed. Andrew is the one who is into the idea of marriage as the one big thing, and Zelda coming around to his more romanticized worldview in definitely appealing. It’s sad to think that they’re headed for a break-up eventually, but my calculations suggest that there’s no way that this show makes it to 26 episodes (presumably over the course of two seasons) long enough for the next slate of episodes to involve them getting back together.
I firmly believe that this show would be substantially better if the supporting characters either didn’t exist or weren’t allowed to speak. More specifically, Lydia needs to go immediately since all she does is serve as an overlord presence with a very problematic complex that makes her feel like she needs approval at every turn but never perceives any situation the right way. Not having her around would be an enormous help for the show. Stu and Stephie, on the other hand, work much better in the manner that we saw them at the very end of the episode, pretending to be friends while secretly telling each other how much they hate each other. Let’s hope that they can remain just what they need to be, which is good friends from our two protagonists. Speaking of them, no matter what happens over the course of the episode, it’s hard not to find Zelda’s sweetness and Andrew’s romantic energy irresistible, and it seems like that’s where every big fight, which in this case was a series of digging to find dirt on each other and then snooping on Andrew’s part, is headed. Andrew is the one who is into the idea of marriage as the one big thing, and Zelda coming around to his more romanticized worldview in definitely appealing. It’s sad to think that they’re headed for a break-up eventually, but my calculations suggest that there’s no way that this show makes it to 26 episodes (presumably over the course of two seasons) long enough for the next slate of episodes to involve them getting back together.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Round Two: A to Z
A to Z: Season 1, Episode 2 “B is for Big Glory” (C)
Do the ends justify the means? That’s really the question here, since an extremely sentimental final scene makes an otherwise awful half-hour seem worth it. It’s obvious that Andrew and Zelda are meant to be, perhaps a bit too much so, which is why their relationship is only slated to last eight months or so, and therefore seeing their trials and tribulations isn’t that interesting. I wrote about the same idea when discussing a show that has fewer redeeming qualities, “Manhattan Love Story,” which is that it’s very isolating to have a show about only two people who we know are supposed to end up together. The key difference here is that there is a supporting cast, and their plotlines are truly horrendous. Stu and Stephie exist almost entirely to serve at the beck and call of these would-be lovers and to spend their time helping their friend stalk the other. Lydia is even worse, hawking her dating app and then lacking so much in self-awareness that she had to think that it didn’t work because no one had tapped her. But when Andrew sent Zelda a custom-made license plate and she marched into his office to tell him to keep doing stuff like that and that she didn’t want to be exclusive, it makes me want to give this show another shot. The formula doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, but let’s hope that the supporting characters and their storylines get an overhaul in a dramatic way.
Do the ends justify the means? That’s really the question here, since an extremely sentimental final scene makes an otherwise awful half-hour seem worth it. It’s obvious that Andrew and Zelda are meant to be, perhaps a bit too much so, which is why their relationship is only slated to last eight months or so, and therefore seeing their trials and tribulations isn’t that interesting. I wrote about the same idea when discussing a show that has fewer redeeming qualities, “Manhattan Love Story,” which is that it’s very isolating to have a show about only two people who we know are supposed to end up together. The key difference here is that there is a supporting cast, and their plotlines are truly horrendous. Stu and Stephie exist almost entirely to serve at the beck and call of these would-be lovers and to spend their time helping their friend stalk the other. Lydia is even worse, hawking her dating app and then lacking so much in self-awareness that she had to think that it didn’t work because no one had tapped her. But when Andrew sent Zelda a custom-made license plate and she marched into his office to tell him to keep doing stuff like that and that she didn’t want to be exclusive, it makes me want to give this show another shot. The formula doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, but let’s hope that the supporting characters and their storylines get an overhaul in a dramatic way.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Pilot Review: A to Z
A to Z (NBC)
Premieres October 2 at 9:30pm
This show doesn’t start for almost a month, but it’s been available online for a few weeks. I watched the pilot almost right away when NBC put it online for viewers to sample, and now that there’s not much on TV, it’s the perfect time to review it. Finding a fresh sitcom is a tough business, and there are those shows that try hard to be formulaic and those that don’t. This is the former, the ultimate example of a concept sitcom, one whose every event and occurrence is rooted in its format. It’s no surprise, therefore, that Cristin Milioti, who broke out as the title character in “How I Met Your Mother,” should return for yet another series where she isn’t able to control her own destiny. There’s no denying her appeal, and it’s nearly impossible not to like her. That doesn’t necessarily make for great television, of course, since she doesn’t have to get viewers to come around to the idea of being sympathetic to her. Similarly, Ben Feldman, who earned an Emmy nomination for his work as sarcastic copywriter Michael Ginsberg on “Mad Men,” has a lot going for him from the start, and it’s not much of an effort to find his romantic desires and idealizations positive. It’s not that there isn’t any conflict that needs to be resolved, but I think that these two might be perfectly fabulous leads in a less confined setting, and it’s a shame that the show that’s constructed around them is excruciatingly ordinary and uninventive.
How will it work as a series? The title suggests that it goes from A to Z, which seems to predict 26 episodes. If it’s really a good show, it will get away from that format after just a few installments, but if it does stick to it, it’s going to have to work hard to be charming – and funny – enough to sustain itself.
How long will it last? The pilot will have been available for a month and a half by the time it actually airs, and the question is whether viewers will be very ready for the next episode or hopeless about its chances. I think this could be a winner, but we’ll have to see how other shows do and how this pilot performs on air.
Pilot grade: C+
Premieres October 2 at 9:30pm
This show doesn’t start for almost a month, but it’s been available online for a few weeks. I watched the pilot almost right away when NBC put it online for viewers to sample, and now that there’s not much on TV, it’s the perfect time to review it. Finding a fresh sitcom is a tough business, and there are those shows that try hard to be formulaic and those that don’t. This is the former, the ultimate example of a concept sitcom, one whose every event and occurrence is rooted in its format. It’s no surprise, therefore, that Cristin Milioti, who broke out as the title character in “How I Met Your Mother,” should return for yet another series where she isn’t able to control her own destiny. There’s no denying her appeal, and it’s nearly impossible not to like her. That doesn’t necessarily make for great television, of course, since she doesn’t have to get viewers to come around to the idea of being sympathetic to her. Similarly, Ben Feldman, who earned an Emmy nomination for his work as sarcastic copywriter Michael Ginsberg on “Mad Men,” has a lot going for him from the start, and it’s not much of an effort to find his romantic desires and idealizations positive. It’s not that there isn’t any conflict that needs to be resolved, but I think that these two might be perfectly fabulous leads in a less confined setting, and it’s a shame that the show that’s constructed around them is excruciatingly ordinary and uninventive.
How will it work as a series? The title suggests that it goes from A to Z, which seems to predict 26 episodes. If it’s really a good show, it will get away from that format after just a few installments, but if it does stick to it, it’s going to have to work hard to be charming – and funny – enough to sustain itself.
How long will it last? The pilot will have been available for a month and a half by the time it actually airs, and the question is whether viewers will be very ready for the next episode or hopeless about its chances. I think this could be a winner, but we’ll have to see how other shows do and how this pilot performs on air.
Pilot grade: C+
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