I'm covering this show on a weekly basis for a reviewing course I'm taking. I'll copy my thoughts onto this blog every week as well.
Gary Unmarried: Season 1, Episode 6 "Gary Meets the Gang" (D+)
Given the traditional web of sitcom plotlines, I’m surprised it took Gary this long to meet “the gang.” Why any guy would think it would be a good idea to try to impress all of his girlfriend’s friends without her approval is inexplicable. And yet, Gary goes for it anyway. It seems like he’s trying to be especially obnoxious when he speaks to them, deliberately insulting them and then acting as if he’s too dumb to realize that’s what he was doing. There is one hilarious moment in “Gary Meets the Gang” where Gary’s ex-wife Allison asks him to name some of Vanessa’s friends and he stumbles, blurting out Chandler, Monica, and Joey (an amusing series of references to "Friends" ensues). The joke directly contradicts the previous scene, where Vanessa outlines her friends’ names for Gary, but this is the world of sitcoms where earlier moments are irrelevant if there’s an ample opportunity for comedy. Perhaps tackling "Gary Unmarried" with such severity is a mistake, and a confusion of its genre expectations, but it seems that the show goes for the easiest option and often finds itself luckily coming out on top. As a whole, this episode, like all those before it, is hardly memorable and just another easy-to-categorize typical comedy episode. Most disappointing about "Gary Unmarried" is the waning number of impressive moments per episode, since the premiere’s multiple chuckles have now diminished to an occasional burst of brief hilarity. Gary desperately escaping the discomfort of putting his foot in his mouth in front of Vanessa’s friends leads to his futile attempt to jump out the window, only to be tricked into believing he’s high up when he’s actually only two inches from the ground – that’s slightly funny, but can’t sustain itself long enough to engage a viewer. Shows like "Two and a Half Men" are in fact able to function purely on one-liners and a lack of any attention paid to plot, but that’s a rarity. Charlie Sheen knows that the show he’s on is not "Frasier." It’s hardly quality television, and that’s the beauty of it. Jay Mohr seems blissfully unaware that the show around him isn’t a masterpiece, and both he and the show might benefit from a new perspective. If this comedy wants to go for broke and succeed based off of its dumbness, it should. But it can’t straddle the line between good and bad and expect to do well. "That 70s Show" was never a truly good show, yet it lasted for years because it acknowledged that in the way storylines were crafted and the characters carried themselves. "Gary Unmarried" needs to get with the program and reframe itself under a new lens, or everyone involved needs to step it up and start churning out a better quality show.
Showing posts with label Gary Unmarried. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gary Unmarried. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
What I'm Watching: Gary Unmarried
I'm covering this show on a weekly basis for a reviewing course I'm taking. I'll copy my thoughts onto this blog every week as well.
Gary Unmarried: Season 1, Episode 5 “Gary Breaks Up His Ex-Wife and Girlfriend” (C-)
It’s tragically apparent from its title that this episode is just as contrived in its setup as those before it. Gary is forced to deal with the oft-explored sitcom problem of his former wife and current girlfriend becoming fast friends, something which will inevitably lead to a discussion of embarrassing facts which could negatively impact Gary’s relationship with Vanessa. Gary’s insecurity and worries that Vanessa won’t like him anymore based solely on the ravings of his ex are the kind of loose, conventional thinking that keep this show from achieving greatness. The most suspicious aspect of this setup is the sudden highlighting of Vanessa’s relationship with the kids. Prior to this point, no mention was made of her frequently helping Gary out by giving the kids rides from their activities. She also has this sudden relationship with Tom, Gary’s son, where he’s constantly flirting with her and desirous of her attention. This episode does provide a spotlight for Gary’s daughter Louise beyond her overly mature remarks, and includes her commenting on how the temporary tattoo artist couldn’t figure out how to tattoo the recycling symbol. Louise now plays basketball, and for some inane reason, Gary is the new basketball coach. His competitive spirit is unsurprisingly rather childish, emphasizing winning over the more respectable notion of friendly competition. It’s all generally irrelevant, because the central focus of this episode is on Vanessa and Allison. Allison doesn’t actually reveal anything embarrassing about Gary’s past, but too much worrying leads Gary to come clean with Vanessa and confess all his questionable deeds preemptively. This is entirely obvious, circular plotting, and there’s not much keeping this show alive. CBS, however, seems to disagree. In a cleverly titled post (“Gary No Longer Married to Wednesday Time Slot?”), TVGuide.com reports that CBS is planning a special airing of the "Gary Unmarried" pilot this coming Monday night at 9:30pm, right behind repeats of the monstrously successful Monday night lineup of "The Big Bang Theory," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Two and a Half Men." Matt Mitovich, who broke the news, doesn’t believe the change is permanent, since "Worst Week," which usually airs at 9:30pm on Mondays, is doing well. Mitovich also dismisses previously reported news that four additional episodes of "Gary Unmarried" have been ordered, but notes that the show is doing well retaining, and occasionally even building on, the audience for Wednesday night lead-in "The New Adventures of Old Christine.: That’s good news all-around for this so-so sitcom.
Gary Unmarried: Season 1, Episode 5 “Gary Breaks Up His Ex-Wife and Girlfriend” (C-)
It’s tragically apparent from its title that this episode is just as contrived in its setup as those before it. Gary is forced to deal with the oft-explored sitcom problem of his former wife and current girlfriend becoming fast friends, something which will inevitably lead to a discussion of embarrassing facts which could negatively impact Gary’s relationship with Vanessa. Gary’s insecurity and worries that Vanessa won’t like him anymore based solely on the ravings of his ex are the kind of loose, conventional thinking that keep this show from achieving greatness. The most suspicious aspect of this setup is the sudden highlighting of Vanessa’s relationship with the kids. Prior to this point, no mention was made of her frequently helping Gary out by giving the kids rides from their activities. She also has this sudden relationship with Tom, Gary’s son, where he’s constantly flirting with her and desirous of her attention. This episode does provide a spotlight for Gary’s daughter Louise beyond her overly mature remarks, and includes her commenting on how the temporary tattoo artist couldn’t figure out how to tattoo the recycling symbol. Louise now plays basketball, and for some inane reason, Gary is the new basketball coach. His competitive spirit is unsurprisingly rather childish, emphasizing winning over the more respectable notion of friendly competition. It’s all generally irrelevant, because the central focus of this episode is on Vanessa and Allison. Allison doesn’t actually reveal anything embarrassing about Gary’s past, but too much worrying leads Gary to come clean with Vanessa and confess all his questionable deeds preemptively. This is entirely obvious, circular plotting, and there’s not much keeping this show alive. CBS, however, seems to disagree. In a cleverly titled post (“Gary No Longer Married to Wednesday Time Slot?”), TVGuide.com reports that CBS is planning a special airing of the "Gary Unmarried" pilot this coming Monday night at 9:30pm, right behind repeats of the monstrously successful Monday night lineup of "The Big Bang Theory," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Two and a Half Men." Matt Mitovich, who broke the news, doesn’t believe the change is permanent, since "Worst Week," which usually airs at 9:30pm on Mondays, is doing well. Mitovich also dismisses previously reported news that four additional episodes of "Gary Unmarried" have been ordered, but notes that the show is doing well retaining, and occasionally even building on, the audience for Wednesday night lead-in "The New Adventures of Old Christine.: That’s good news all-around for this so-so sitcom.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
What I'm Watching: Gary Unmarried
I'm covering this show on a weekly basis for a reviewing course I'm taking. I'll copy my thoughts onto this blog every week as well.
Gary Unmarried: Season 1, Episode 2 "Gary Gets Boundaries" (C-)
In its second installment, "Gary Unmarried" offers more of the same kind of comedy it did in its first attempt, but little of the promise. Jay Mohr seems determined to shout all of his lines, and it doesn’t make him a terribly compelling character. The biggest disappointment of the episode is its clichéd setup. Painter Gary finds that his back can’t keep up with the furious amounts of sex he and his new girlfriend are having. Instead of telling her that, as a normal person might do, he spends the length of the episode attempting to find ways to hide his debilitating pain, turning even to his ex-wife rather than his girlfriend so as to feel like more of a man in the sack. The chemistry between Mohr and Jaime King does work very well, and it’s perhaps the show’s greatest asset. Paula Marshall, despite overdoing it a bit, does provide an amusing eternal antagonist to the selfish but well-intending Gary as his ex-wife. The marriage therapist played by Ed Begley Jr. is a character who shouldn’t really be a series regular because he has no business appearing in every episode, but the people behind the show are clearly wise enough to realize that keeping Begley around is in everyone’s best interest. He’s by far the best, and also the funniest, actor on the show. What’s most jarring about this episode is the sudden replacement of the actress who plays Gary’s daughter. I noted two weeks ago before the show’s premiere that Laura Marano’s role has been recast and Gary’s daughter Louise would now be played by Kathryn Newton. I was surprised to note that Marano was in fact in last week’s episode, and now Newton has taken over the part. Her hair color has changed, but her screen time has not. The actress switch is not acknowledged in the episode. It seems like most of the focus on Gary’s offspring will be on his son Tom, who continues to have plotlines which put him in sexual situations way over his head (this time, his girlfriend needs to be on top of him at all times). The show bears a striking resemblance to fellow CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men," which relishes in sexual humor which is just barely allowable on network television. Gary Unmarried isn’t nearly as crude as "Two and a Half Men," but with a few more subtle comments about Gary’s son “getting hand,” it may just get there.
Gary Unmarried: Season 1, Episode 2 "Gary Gets Boundaries" (C-)
In its second installment, "Gary Unmarried" offers more of the same kind of comedy it did in its first attempt, but little of the promise. Jay Mohr seems determined to shout all of his lines, and it doesn’t make him a terribly compelling character. The biggest disappointment of the episode is its clichéd setup. Painter Gary finds that his back can’t keep up with the furious amounts of sex he and his new girlfriend are having. Instead of telling her that, as a normal person might do, he spends the length of the episode attempting to find ways to hide his debilitating pain, turning even to his ex-wife rather than his girlfriend so as to feel like more of a man in the sack. The chemistry between Mohr and Jaime King does work very well, and it’s perhaps the show’s greatest asset. Paula Marshall, despite overdoing it a bit, does provide an amusing eternal antagonist to the selfish but well-intending Gary as his ex-wife. The marriage therapist played by Ed Begley Jr. is a character who shouldn’t really be a series regular because he has no business appearing in every episode, but the people behind the show are clearly wise enough to realize that keeping Begley around is in everyone’s best interest. He’s by far the best, and also the funniest, actor on the show. What’s most jarring about this episode is the sudden replacement of the actress who plays Gary’s daughter. I noted two weeks ago before the show’s premiere that Laura Marano’s role has been recast and Gary’s daughter Louise would now be played by Kathryn Newton. I was surprised to note that Marano was in fact in last week’s episode, and now Newton has taken over the part. Her hair color has changed, but her screen time has not. The actress switch is not acknowledged in the episode. It seems like most of the focus on Gary’s offspring will be on his son Tom, who continues to have plotlines which put him in sexual situations way over his head (this time, his girlfriend needs to be on top of him at all times). The show bears a striking resemblance to fellow CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men," which relishes in sexual humor which is just barely allowable on network television. Gary Unmarried isn’t nearly as crude as "Two and a Half Men," but with a few more subtle comments about Gary’s son “getting hand,” it may just get there.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Pilot Review: Gary Unmarried
I'm covering this show on a weekly basis for a reviewing course I'm taking. I'll copy my thoughts onto this blog every week as well. All the usual pilot stuff I write should be embedded in this longform post.
Gary Unmarried (CBS)
Premiered September 24 at 8:30pm
Gary Unmarried aired its pilot episode this Wednesday, September 24th. The episode contained numerous moments that had been aired many times during promotional advertisements. Lead actor Jay Mohr is, as expected, not as thoroughly obnoxious or sleazy as usual, but with his toned-down demeanor, he actually comes off as rather bland. At times, his effort to be a regular guy results in his overdoing it (like when he attempts to mock his ex-wife). He also shouts all the time for some reason. The series positions Gary’s children as fairly major characters, and as other shows often do, the kids are made out to be far more mature and knowledgeable than they should be at their age – Gary’s daughter, for instance, has pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Al Gore which adorn her wall, and Gary teases her for it. The show does contain some hilarious lines, such as Gary’s son telling his dad he’s worried that a girl might want him to “tap it,” after which he admits to his dad that he has no idea what it means. The show clings to such one-liners, and it’s usually effective. The laugh track is used well, highlighting the funny bits and making the rest seem funnier that it is. It’s a generally pleasant experience, with decent enough performances form the lead players. Jaime King (Gary’s new girlfriend Vanessa) and Ed Begley Jr. (Gary’s former marriage counselor Dr. Krandall, who’s now engaged to his ex-wife) are the standouts among the cast. The show does contain an unfortunate amount of situations that would never actually happen, like the spontaneous therapy session between Gary and Vanessa mediated by Dr. Krandall. It’s a situational comedy that’s trying to overcompensate for a thin premise, and it’s doing a somewhat impressive job. Having Gary find a girlfriend so immediately limits his potential in the sense that he’ll only have that one shot of introducing his family to the woman he’s dating. Perhaps the elimination of that potentially predictable gimmick will strengthen the show, but I fear that this series will quickly becoming tiring after a few weeks.
Pilot grade: C+
Gary Unmarried (CBS)
Premiered September 24 at 8:30pm
Gary Unmarried aired its pilot episode this Wednesday, September 24th. The episode contained numerous moments that had been aired many times during promotional advertisements. Lead actor Jay Mohr is, as expected, not as thoroughly obnoxious or sleazy as usual, but with his toned-down demeanor, he actually comes off as rather bland. At times, his effort to be a regular guy results in his overdoing it (like when he attempts to mock his ex-wife). He also shouts all the time for some reason. The series positions Gary’s children as fairly major characters, and as other shows often do, the kids are made out to be far more mature and knowledgeable than they should be at their age – Gary’s daughter, for instance, has pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Al Gore which adorn her wall, and Gary teases her for it. The show does contain some hilarious lines, such as Gary’s son telling his dad he’s worried that a girl might want him to “tap it,” after which he admits to his dad that he has no idea what it means. The show clings to such one-liners, and it’s usually effective. The laugh track is used well, highlighting the funny bits and making the rest seem funnier that it is. It’s a generally pleasant experience, with decent enough performances form the lead players. Jaime King (Gary’s new girlfriend Vanessa) and Ed Begley Jr. (Gary’s former marriage counselor Dr. Krandall, who’s now engaged to his ex-wife) are the standouts among the cast. The show does contain an unfortunate amount of situations that would never actually happen, like the spontaneous therapy session between Gary and Vanessa mediated by Dr. Krandall. It’s a situational comedy that’s trying to overcompensate for a thin premise, and it’s doing a somewhat impressive job. Having Gary find a girlfriend so immediately limits his potential in the sense that he’ll only have that one shot of introducing his family to the woman he’s dating. Perhaps the elimination of that potentially predictable gimmick will strengthen the show, but I fear that this series will quickly becoming tiring after a few weeks.
Pilot grade: C+
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