What I’m Watching: Abby’s (Series Finale)

Abby’s: Season 1, Episode 10 “The Fish” (B+)

I never expected this show to last much more than one season, and so I’ll take what we got here. It felt fitting to meet Bill’s ex-wife in the final episode and to have everyone at the bar step in to make sure that Bill didn’t go down a road that really wasn’t right for him. Declaring that he was going to do a revenge-bod diet to show her what she was missing turned into an obsession, particularly from Fred, over the wealth of Padres tickets he could be using on a regular basis. Sharon made an immediate impression when she condescendingly – and improperly – corrected Abby’s Spanish, and Rosie’s offer to look at her photos was far more generous than she initially realized. James pointing out that, no matter where they ran, she would visit was very funny, and I enjoyed how the crew tried to bolster Bill with compliments including his great memory when he noticed they were repeating traits. It was a fun opportunity for them all to prepare to do things Abby would never usually allow after Sharon predictably kissed Bill and wanted him back. The best part of the episode, and what I’ll remember most about Nelson Franklin’s standout performance, was his delivery of “It was lovely seeing you, Sharon, goodbye,” in a way that actually did sting and feel biting. I hope to see many of these actors, particularly Franklin and Natalie Morales, on other shows and in other projects soon. This has been a decent and entertaining ride.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Nelson Franklin as Bill

What I’m Watching: Abby’s (Penultimate Episode)

Abby’s: Season 1, Episode 9 “Rosie’s Band” (B-)

This wasn’t a fantastic second-to-last outing, with Rosie’s complete lack of awareness of just how terrible her band was less than believable. The story of how she was Abby’s Zellweger who followed her when she quit the rival bar was far more compelling, and I like that she accosted Abby for making a reference her generation wouldn’t get when they’re both the same age. Trying to barter with the people at Nemo’s so that they’d give her a weekly gig that would both be a bigger platform and a way for them not to have to listen to her was relatively predictable, and it didn’t exactly go anywhere unexpected. Clark, the friendly man who happened into the bar just as the police were searching for a suspect, was played by Rob Huebel, better known as Len on “Transparent.” Here, he was affable and almost a direct clone of Fred, and it was only when James let his guard down to tell him who he had thought he was that he confirmed he was indeed on the run as the police showed up. Bill planning a fake wedding so that the police wouldn’t realize that they were walking into an illegal bar was considerably over-the-top, but I like just how much he went into it because he got to plan the wedding he wished he had. It will be hard to see Nelson Franklin in another project without thinking of just how much he does look like the inflatable man outside the car dealerships. I also like James’ clarification that the apps he wants to design are appetizers.

What I’m Watching: Abby’s

Abby’s: Season 1, Episode 8 “Backup” (B)

It’s hardly a surprise that, despite hanging on a few extra weeks to see how some of the remaining episodes would perform, NBC opted not to renew this show, axing it along with “The Village” and “The Enemy Within.” This was never a fantastic comedy, but I’ve enjoyed it, and now there’s just one more episode that aired with this one, which I’ll review separately, and what will be the series finale airing in two weeks. I’ll take what I can get, and maybe Natalie Morales will be able to get another now after her appearances in two other one-season shows I liked, “Powerless” and “The Grinder.” This episode was fun because it pitted Abby against Bill in a more equal way than usual, due both to Bill’s physical stature and his legal threats. Though the bar is a rather participatory experience, Abby doesn’t like to feel like she can’t do something, and therefore she went to extreme lengths to show how capable she was even with two burnt hands, which was a relatively entertaining visual. It’s nice to see that relationship taken mildly seriously for once. James breaking Beth’s mug by accident and then trying to pin it on Dan was fun, mainly because James is such a terrible bouncer who can never stand up to anyone. Fortunately, it all seemed to work out, and Bill’s 3-D printer that no one wants to hear about helped to recreate the mug whose absence might well have caused Beth to stop drinking altogether.

What I’m Watching: Abby’s

Abby’s: Season 1, Episode 7 “Soda Gun” (B+)

NBC announced its primetime schedule for the fall earlier this week, and apparently the fate of this show and a few other freshmen still airing episodes hasn’t been decided yet. I for one am enjoying this show even if it’s hardly the best comedy on the air, and I’d be happy to see it return, especially since the last time Natalie Morales had a sitcom I enjoyed, “The Grinder” got cancelled after just one season. This installment was fun since the crew at the bar rallied to figure out how to make Fred happy after Bill bringing in a real handyman to fix the soda spout got him feeling useless and unwanted. I like that Rosie has a checklist prepared of the possible things Fred could be mad about, including categories where nature, man, and Fred himself are the causes of distress. James was eager to let Fred win at dominoes through he’s apparently never actually beat him, yet another one of his very selectively useful skills. Abby going into Fred’s smoky car to talk directly to him and thank him for the burrito he brought her was an endearing moment, far more effective than their misguided attempt to give him the prized token. My favorite part of the episode was Bill trying to get into the spirit of the token cult even as he realized how patently absurd it was, knowing the type of behavior he needs to model if he’s ever going to move up from the position of favorite punching bag for everyone else at the bar.

What I’m Watching: Abby’s

Abby’s: Season 1, Episode 6 “Liquid Courage” (B)

This show may not be the smartest comedy on TV, but it is fun to watch. I liked how offended Bill got about the Irish goodbye, a term that he tried to break down as offensive before using it in a worse way himself, and that he managed to discover what the alternative is and just how exhausting (and time-consuming) the suck-in can be. Bill confronting Fred about thinking that they had become friends was a good and rare instance of him actually successfully standing up for himself, and Fred’s gesture of restarting their interrupted conversation only to see it fizzle out immediately was sweet and hilarious. James really does have an ability to come up with the worst possible outcomes in every situation, and I like that he was able to use that to everyone’s advantage when he nearly messed everything up by finally working up the courage to confront the terrible Richard. I guess someone who’s doing Whole 30 and married his nutritionist is the enemy of everyone at the bar, and I really would have enjoyed Fred having to read his erotic political thriller Gettysburg Undressed. I thought Bill was finally going to come in handy for everyone at the bar and tell Richard he wasn’t going to get away with extorting them, but instead he just wanted to get his goodbye in since he’s so committed to that now. For the moment, all the patrons in this illogically operable bar can remain well after 8:55pm, so all hope is not lost.

What I’m Watching: Abby’s

Abby’s: Season 1, Episode 5 “Mail Bin” (B)

It doesn’t surprise me at all that Abby doesn’t open any of her mail, just one of the many things about this show that requires a considerable amount of suspension of disbelief. Paying some bills online without opening the paper versions at least makes sense, though her disregard for the necessity of a property tax bill was decidedly irresponsible. Her dad definitely sounds like the worst, and everyone had a terrible story about what he did to them. Abby suggesting that they spend the money on something dumb felt fitting, and James choosing his pop-dog machine was a great stupid idea for them to pursue. Fred finding the envelope that explained that the money was supposed to be to make up for all the birthdays he had missed, split into installments, helped to give Abby some hope that her father wasn’t all the bad, but that dream was burst almost immediately when the check bounced. Everyone chipping in far too little money to cover the cost of the pop-dog was sweet, and naturally it didn’t serve the unnecessary purpose they so wanted it to quite that well. It’s good to know that Bill, who got drowned out by the loud sound of the pop-dog and apparently worked at his bully’s wedding without realizing it, isn’t the only punching bag at the bar, with Dan getting constantly forced to make impactful decisions and do things that he doesn’t want to do thanks to peer pressure and mostly because of Beth’s intimidating demeanor.

What I’m Watching: Abby’s

Abby’s: Season 1, Episode 4 “Book Club” (B)

This show is pretty formulaic and predictable, but I’m still enjoying it. It didn’t surprise me at all that even Beth didn’t read the book that she had picked for the book club, and instead they’d just be discussing parts of the trailer that she managed to watch. I thought I recognized Tracie Thoms from “Rent” as Emily, though her age confused me – it turns out that she’s only fifteen years younger than Neil Flynn, who plays Fred. It was entertaining to watch as Fred tried to prove that he could handle change when he was totally resistant to everything they were trying to do to test him. Bringing Emily to the bar so that they could enjoy the two-for-one steaks he bought at Vons was hardly romantic, and the sides that he presented after some encouragement from the others weren’t much of an improvement. It was obvious that he and Emily were just putting on an act about moving in together so quickly, but it was made fun by the fact that it was all to get Abby to admit that she was wrong. I like that James tried to learn Spanish to impress someone who would have been happy to date him if her past with Angry Chris hadn’t scared him away immediately. Bill being attacked for ruining all hypothetical games was funny, and I like that he pushed back against constantly being told that it wasn’t the time. He’s a punching bag, but he’s not going to be relegated to that status without putting up a fight.

Take Three: Abby’s

Abby’s: Season 1, Episode 3 “Free Alcohol Day” (B)

This show never promised sophistication, and this episode felt particularly like a sitcom installment, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Fred getting dressed up to enjoy what he considers the best day was always going to end in disappointment of some sort since all the hype of previous Free Alcohol Days had to set the bar way too high. Dani arrived expecting positive reviews, something she did not get, which helped to create the amusing scenario of Abby forcing her top customers to take shots of the vile mixture in order to pry precious secrets about her personal life out of her. Leave it to Abby to act so casually around a woman that she had dated for a decent period of time and then expect that no one else was going to notice when she was quietly flirtatious. Beth took Abby’s reclusiveness the hardest, and I like that she took to investigative means to pull the truth out of her, leading to an unexpectedly sentimental proclamation about the nature of their relationship and the genesis of the bar from Abby. Bill never really manages to say the right thing, and of course he would explode with awkwardness as soon as Abby announced that she was bisexual. His response to Dani being a lesbian was even worse, and he did himself no favors by continuing to dig his own grave and try to explain it away after his initial reaction. If nothing else, he’s consistent in his inability to have normal interactions with people.

Round Two: Abby’s

Abby’s: Season 1, Episode 2 “Rule Change” (B)

I was under no illusions when I watched the first episode of this show that it was going to be a great, boundary-pushing comedy, but I see it instead as among the decent number of relatively standard sitcoms that I’ve come to enjoy over the past decade and a half which have been quickly cancelled because they just don’t measure up to some of the more innovative current comedy on television. I’m still happy to see Natalie Morales in a lead role like this, and I enjoy the energy she has, which in this case is pretty negative and intimidating yet still somehow unifying for those who spend most of their waking hours at her bar. I like that Bill’s efforts to make some positive changes led to him advocating for a rule change and prompting a vote on who the top patrons preferred. James did get some funny lines, like describing Clue as a murder game where white people never go to jail and how his feet want to drive convertibles in California. Skip voting by taking off his sock was a productive use of a character who seems the most unrealistic on a show that’s already somewhat difficult to take seriously, and I think I’m warming most to Fred, who told Bill that he was going to ruin everything for him and then gave Abby a pep talk about giving Bill a win, though definitely not in the bocce game where she crushed him 21-0. Bill asking James if it was possible that he couldn’t do or teach was funny, and I’m game for more of this show.

Pilot Review: Abby’s

Abby’s (NBC)
Premiered March 28 at 9:30pm

I was thinking about this show recently after remembering seeing something about a series with Natalie Morales as a bartender and Neil Flynn as her number one customer. I like Morales a lot from her work on “Parks and Recreation,” and while I do think she’s been great in roles on “The Grinder” and “Santa Clarita Diet,” neither has given her as much to do as I would have hoped. Flynn spent a long time on “The Middle,” a show I didn’t watch, after making a big name for himself as the janitor on “Scrubs.” It’s good to see both of them here in a show that might not be high-concept but is actually pretty entertaining, joined by Nelson Franklin, a familiar face from the likes of “New Girl” and “Veep.” I did crack up at a few lines, including Bill’s assessment of the small rectangle that he could see all of because he’s tall and Abby thinking that her landlord lived at the civic center. This does feel in many ways like a comedy straight out of twenty years ago, though it has some charm, and I like the stars enough to give it another chance and see where it goes. Bill giving Abby the ultimate test by having her make him a Mai Tai just to see if she’d do it was a fun way to end things, and it shows that Bill, even if most at the bar would consider him a square, has a sense of humor too.

How will it work as a series? Shows like this tend to demonstrate their quality early, following up on a decent, setup-heavy installment like this with either an equally engaging episode or something that shows considerably less promise. I hope that it will be the former, but we’ll have to see if Abby’s sardonic charm can carry this show or if this will be just another workplace comedy set in a bar.
How long will it last? I know that, even if I like it, I shouldn’t get too attached because it’s very unlikely that this show is going to be around for long. The reviews aren’t great even if they’re better than a bunch of other sitcoms that have premiered lately, but the more problematic thing is that the ratings weren’t good at all. NBC hasn’t been doing fantastically in recent years, and it’s going to be much likelier to hold on to established hits than something like this. I predict that the ten ordered episodes will air and that will be it.

Pilot grade: B+