Indebted: Season 1, Episode 12 “Everybody’s Talking About The Shiva” (C+)
It’s perhaps a bit too on the nose that the episode that I’m one hundred percent certain will be the last one ever produced by this show deals with death. I saw the title ahead of time and wasn’t sure if a character we had met would be the one being mourned, but in just short of a dozen episodes, this show hasn’t actually introduced many recurring players. The one it did is perhaps the most obnoxious, Richard Kind’s Doctor Uncle Artie, and his return was not very welcome at all. The focus on shiva as a social event was entertaining if not entirely accurate, though there certainly are some pressures involved in hosting and feeding those visiting during a vulnerable time. Deb passing the torch to Rebecca felt unrealistic since she always loves being the center of attention, and evidently the newfangled ideas she and Dave like to come up with have rubbed Deb, Stew, and Artie the wrong way multiple times in the past. Kugel empanadas and shiva selfies were particularly wild notions Rebecca was excited to introduce, and it’s no wonder a rival shiva started in the extremely decked-out basement we got to see for the first time. Artie offering Deb and Stew the Florida house only to be convinced by Rebecca to keep it was pretty much just a way of keeping the door open for a second season, one which I’m still sure will never come. Joanna, who had a list of qualifications for her future girlfriend, went hard at the bartender, who naturally turned out to be a cousin that for some reason she had never met or didn’t recognize. I was amused because I knew actress Kate Berlant from her scene-stealing performance in the film “Safe Spaces” as Fran Drescher’s daughter, a fact that ended up being funnier when the two characters ended up once again being related here. This show started out fine and plummeted fast, a sign of the times that old-fashioned sitcoms need to be a little more creative if they’re going to be worthwhile.
Season grade: C+
Season MVP: Adam Pally as Dave and Abby Elliott as Rebecca
Showing posts with label Indebted. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indebted. Show all posts
Monday, April 20, 2020
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
What I’m Watching: Indebted (Penultimate Episode)
Indebted: Season 1, Episode 11 “Everybody's Talking About Kings And Queens” (C)
This show hasn’t been officially cancelled, but I’m presuming that, in an era where even successful and well-regarded shows now have uncertain futures, this one definitely won’t be back. This episode was indicative of why the show really isn’t worth keeping around, since the actors seem to be having fun but the plot is definitely lacking. I had a feeling that Susie Pollock hadn’t actually died, but the way in which Deb speaks is an incredible exaggeration of the real-life tendency of many people to start telling stories about someone in an accident or in the hospital without leading with the crucial disclaimer that they made it through okay. Deb’s decision to become a life coach after a forty-five-minute class was something that even she should have realized wouldn’t make any sense, and it’s hard to believe that both Dave and Rebecca opted to listen to her. She’s also perfectly capable of convincing people to do things they’re not sure they should, and hasn’t needed the assistance of alcohol in the past to do so. Stew’s antics at Joanna’s pet supplies store were equally far-fetched, in part because he was coming up with ideas for preexisting toys and gadgets that were literally on the walls in front of him and because it was already very recently established that Deb and Stew are very similar and would do better to just talk to each other when they’re feeling antsy about the future. There’s just one episode left – will it redeem the show?
This show hasn’t been officially cancelled, but I’m presuming that, in an era where even successful and well-regarded shows now have uncertain futures, this one definitely won’t be back. This episode was indicative of why the show really isn’t worth keeping around, since the actors seem to be having fun but the plot is definitely lacking. I had a feeling that Susie Pollock hadn’t actually died, but the way in which Deb speaks is an incredible exaggeration of the real-life tendency of many people to start telling stories about someone in an accident or in the hospital without leading with the crucial disclaimer that they made it through okay. Deb’s decision to become a life coach after a forty-five-minute class was something that even she should have realized wouldn’t make any sense, and it’s hard to believe that both Dave and Rebecca opted to listen to her. She’s also perfectly capable of convincing people to do things they’re not sure they should, and hasn’t needed the assistance of alcohol in the past to do so. Stew’s antics at Joanna’s pet supplies store were equally far-fetched, in part because he was coming up with ideas for preexisting toys and gadgets that were literally on the walls in front of him and because it was already very recently established that Deb and Stew are very similar and would do better to just talk to each other when they’re feeling antsy about the future. There’s just one episode left – will it redeem the show?
Thursday, April 9, 2020
What I’m Watching: Indebted
Indebted: Season 1, Episode 10 “Everybody’s Talking About Neighbors” (C-)
It’s been well-established that Deb and Stew don’t have a great ability to “read the room,” and that they often don’t realize that Dave and Rebecca are rolling their eyes while spending time with them. Aside from the occasional visitor – usually a new date of Joanna’s – we haven’t seen too many non-family members interacting with these socially unaware parents, and that all changed in this half-hour. Sure, Dave and Rebecca were perhaps a bit too uninterested in knowing even the slightest details about their neighbors, which seems strange given that they do in fact have children, but they were perfectly content with their arrangement. Deb and Stew took it way too far by scheduling event after event, and their new friends were eager to ask their more relatable generational peers for desperate help in getting out of this forced socialization. What I didn’t really buy was how everyone did decide to stay longer out of a combination of guilt and empathy for this couple that just wanted to make new friends since I don’t think most people – Joanna included – have nearly as much patience for Deb and Stew’s regular antics as Dave and Rebecca do. I was excited to recognize one of the neighbors but disappointed by the lackluster role given to Stephanie Allynne from “People, Places, Things” and “The L Word: Generation Q.” She did seem most put off by Deb and Stew, but, like this episode, wasn’t nearly as funny or entertaining as she could or should have been.
It’s been well-established that Deb and Stew don’t have a great ability to “read the room,” and that they often don’t realize that Dave and Rebecca are rolling their eyes while spending time with them. Aside from the occasional visitor – usually a new date of Joanna’s – we haven’t seen too many non-family members interacting with these socially unaware parents, and that all changed in this half-hour. Sure, Dave and Rebecca were perhaps a bit too uninterested in knowing even the slightest details about their neighbors, which seems strange given that they do in fact have children, but they were perfectly content with their arrangement. Deb and Stew took it way too far by scheduling event after event, and their new friends were eager to ask their more relatable generational peers for desperate help in getting out of this forced socialization. What I didn’t really buy was how everyone did decide to stay longer out of a combination of guilt and empathy for this couple that just wanted to make new friends since I don’t think most people – Joanna included – have nearly as much patience for Deb and Stew’s regular antics as Dave and Rebecca do. I was excited to recognize one of the neighbors but disappointed by the lackluster role given to Stephanie Allynne from “People, Places, Things” and “The L Word: Generation Q.” She did seem most put off by Deb and Stew, but, like this episode, wasn’t nearly as funny or entertaining as she could or should have been.
Sunday, April 5, 2020
What I’m Watching: Indebted
Indebted: Season 1, Episodes 8 and 9 “Everybody’s Talking About FOMO” and “Everybody’s Talking About Pleasure” (C+/B)
I’m not sure why it is that NBC decided to air a double dose of this show this week, and I mistakenly thought that the tenth episode was the last one, unaware that thirteen episodes were actually ordered and filmed, at which point this show will almost certainly be ended. The first of these two episodes was the weaker one, since it’s already a stretch to believe that Rebecca goes along with her in-laws’ shenanigans but somewhat understandable given how Dave defers to his parents’ whims. Joanna, on the other hand, has her own life, and though she’s prone to extreme sensitivity and sentiments of being ignored all the time, she’s better at resisting the overwhelming and overbearing influence of her parents. The amount of food they ordered to cheer her up explains why they’re broke but not how they still have enough money to do that, and the overall message that Joanna isn’t connected enough to social media was amusing. Dave and Rebecca’s antics were far less entertaining. I did enjoy the second half-hour more, with Dave and Rebecca doubting their sex life because of Stew and Deb’s inappropriate interference and Deb’s absurd references to the pregnancy developments of a woman they’d never met. Joanna’s plotline was actually even better, as she tried to resolve her issues with how her father reacted with her coming out by bringing over the girl she was kissing, only to eventually realize that his eyes were scarred not by her sexual orientation but by jalapenos (or jolly peenies, as Deb calls them). I couldn’t figure out where I knew Jenny from, and it turns out that actress Emily Pendergast played Jonah’s wife on “Veep,” a very different but similarly subservient role.
I’m not sure why it is that NBC decided to air a double dose of this show this week, and I mistakenly thought that the tenth episode was the last one, unaware that thirteen episodes were actually ordered and filmed, at which point this show will almost certainly be ended. The first of these two episodes was the weaker one, since it’s already a stretch to believe that Rebecca goes along with her in-laws’ shenanigans but somewhat understandable given how Dave defers to his parents’ whims. Joanna, on the other hand, has her own life, and though she’s prone to extreme sensitivity and sentiments of being ignored all the time, she’s better at resisting the overwhelming and overbearing influence of her parents. The amount of food they ordered to cheer her up explains why they’re broke but not how they still have enough money to do that, and the overall message that Joanna isn’t connected enough to social media was amusing. Dave and Rebecca’s antics were far less entertaining. I did enjoy the second half-hour more, with Dave and Rebecca doubting their sex life because of Stew and Deb’s inappropriate interference and Deb’s absurd references to the pregnancy developments of a woman they’d never met. Joanna’s plotline was actually even better, as she tried to resolve her issues with how her father reacted with her coming out by bringing over the girl she was kissing, only to eventually realize that his eyes were scarred not by her sexual orientation but by jalapenos (or jolly peenies, as Deb calls them). I couldn’t figure out where I knew Jenny from, and it turns out that actress Emily Pendergast played Jonah’s wife on “Veep,” a very different but similarly subservient role.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
What I’m Watching: Indebted
Indebted: Season 1, Episode 7 “Everybody's Talking About A Web Of Lies” (D+)
This was not a good episode. I’ve been trying to give this show the benefit of the doubt, channeling relatable notions through an admittedly less than satisfying lens, but there’s no excuse for an episode like this. It should have been simple – Dave and Rebecca needed a minivan simply because they’re parents who drive carpool a lot. Sure, they also have parents and a sibling who tag along for no apparent reason all the time, but it’s generally just a family thing to want to have a bigger car that can always fit everyone and everything. It was obvious from the moment that Dave decided not to tell Rebecca about the job that fell through that it was all going to go awry, but I didn’t expect it to be quite so dumb. Stew having a second cell phone which he used to pretend to be the assistant he let go several years earlier was absurd enough in its own right, and then things got much more ridiculous when Deb revealed that she took had a second cell phone. The entirety of the communication between the two second cell phones and the lack of intelligence present in any of it was grating, and I was relieved that Rebecca finally understood what was going on enough to put a stop to the whole thing. Deb and Stew being entertained by the ways they’re able to keep their marriage alive is fine, but excitedly watching as they encouraged their kids to have sex was definitely more than a bit much.
This was not a good episode. I’ve been trying to give this show the benefit of the doubt, channeling relatable notions through an admittedly less than satisfying lens, but there’s no excuse for an episode like this. It should have been simple – Dave and Rebecca needed a minivan simply because they’re parents who drive carpool a lot. Sure, they also have parents and a sibling who tag along for no apparent reason all the time, but it’s generally just a family thing to want to have a bigger car that can always fit everyone and everything. It was obvious from the moment that Dave decided not to tell Rebecca about the job that fell through that it was all going to go awry, but I didn’t expect it to be quite so dumb. Stew having a second cell phone which he used to pretend to be the assistant he let go several years earlier was absurd enough in its own right, and then things got much more ridiculous when Deb revealed that she took had a second cell phone. The entirety of the communication between the two second cell phones and the lack of intelligence present in any of it was grating, and I was relieved that Rebecca finally understood what was going on enough to put a stop to the whole thing. Deb and Stew being entertained by the ways they’re able to keep their marriage alive is fine, but excitedly watching as they encouraged their kids to have sex was definitely more than a bit much.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
What I’m Watching: Indebted
Indebted: Season 1, Episode 6 “Everybody's Talking About Doctor Uncle” (C)
My assessment of this episode is the same as the one before it – some of its content is relatable, but the way that it’s all presented can be a lot to take. The number of terms coined by this family was certainly excessive, with the original two, “mominated” and “little-sistered,” as the only truly resonant ones. I like Richard Kind, who was most recently seen in a bit role as Rudy Giuliani in “Bombshell,” but his role here was overbearing in a way that made Fran Drescher seem palatable and normal in comparison. His obsession with his one meeting with F. Murray Abraham was representative of his overall inability to perceive the world around him. Many of the big jokes in this episode were obvious to me from the start, like the fact that Stew’s unusual love of maximizing the effectiveness of driving to the airport would result in him taking the absurdly named Doctor Uncle to the wrong airport, and that Joanna, who’s bad at relationships but considerably more perceptive than most members of her family, would trick Rebecca into thinking that her first act of little-sistering had resulted in her missing out on befriending one the coolest people ever rather than the antisocial person she did end up dining with for four hours. There are three filmed episodes left of this show, in which I’m hoping to find more laughs and less stupidity since this show seems to be emphasizing much more of the latter and not delivering enough of the former.
My assessment of this episode is the same as the one before it – some of its content is relatable, but the way that it’s all presented can be a lot to take. The number of terms coined by this family was certainly excessive, with the original two, “mominated” and “little-sistered,” as the only truly resonant ones. I like Richard Kind, who was most recently seen in a bit role as Rudy Giuliani in “Bombshell,” but his role here was overbearing in a way that made Fran Drescher seem palatable and normal in comparison. His obsession with his one meeting with F. Murray Abraham was representative of his overall inability to perceive the world around him. Many of the big jokes in this episode were obvious to me from the start, like the fact that Stew’s unusual love of maximizing the effectiveness of driving to the airport would result in him taking the absurdly named Doctor Uncle to the wrong airport, and that Joanna, who’s bad at relationships but considerably more perceptive than most members of her family, would trick Rebecca into thinking that her first act of little-sistering had resulted in her missing out on befriending one the coolest people ever rather than the antisocial person she did end up dining with for four hours. There are three filmed episodes left of this show, in which I’m hoping to find more laughs and less stupidity since this show seems to be emphasizing much more of the latter and not delivering enough of the former.
Friday, March 20, 2020
What I’m Watching: Indebted
Indebted: Season 1, Episode 5 “Everybody's Talking About The Tooth Fairy” (C)
Buried somewhere under the unfunny casing of this episode is a humorous and effective send-up of something that most parents can probably relate to: teaching their children the value of things. How much to give children when they lose a tooth is a perfect example of that, and obviously Dave and Rebecca put more thought into their costumes for the operation than how much they wanted to give their kids. In addition to Deb and Stew undermining their parenting, someone – probably Dave or Rebecca – should be shouting from the rooftops that they’re currently broke and need to stop spending all their money, namely giving their grandson one hundred dollars for each tooth when a simple quarter or dollar would suffice. That’s not likely to happen, and neither of them is aware enough to realize that they should be thinking more intelligently. Dave and Rebecca thought things were fine when Asher got excited about his parents being the tooth fairy and him getting to inherit the job when he died, but then they opened up an entirely new can of worms when they accidentally revealed to one of his classmates that parents die. We already know that Joanna is bad at relationships, but you’d think she would know by now to avoid bringing her dates home to meet her family, even if it was just an attempt to rectify her earlier lie about having kids. I’d like to continue finding this show endearing, but it’s getting dumber and dumber every episode.
Buried somewhere under the unfunny casing of this episode is a humorous and effective send-up of something that most parents can probably relate to: teaching their children the value of things. How much to give children when they lose a tooth is a perfect example of that, and obviously Dave and Rebecca put more thought into their costumes for the operation than how much they wanted to give their kids. In addition to Deb and Stew undermining their parenting, someone – probably Dave or Rebecca – should be shouting from the rooftops that they’re currently broke and need to stop spending all their money, namely giving their grandson one hundred dollars for each tooth when a simple quarter or dollar would suffice. That’s not likely to happen, and neither of them is aware enough to realize that they should be thinking more intelligently. Dave and Rebecca thought things were fine when Asher got excited about his parents being the tooth fairy and him getting to inherit the job when he died, but then they opened up an entirely new can of worms when they accidentally revealed to one of his classmates that parents die. We already know that Joanna is bad at relationships, but you’d think she would know by now to avoid bringing her dates home to meet her family, even if it was just an attempt to rectify her earlier lie about having kids. I’d like to continue finding this show endearing, but it’s getting dumber and dumber every episode.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
What I’m Watching: Indebted
Indebted: Season 1, Episode 4 “Everybody’s Talking About Hot Goss” (C+)
This show is definitely taking a turn for the less intelligent, and I can’t imagine it’s going to last much longer if any new viewers tuned in for this episode. Joanna has been the least featured character so far, though it’s been apparent that her dating life isn’t going all that well. Rebecca has rightly been the one up until this point to realize the tendencies and flaws of the family that she’s married into, and yet she seems to have fully embraced their habit of indulging in gossip over dinner, something that I’d hope they would realize is more than a bit over-the-top. Joanna’s concern about introducing her new girlfriend to her family was reasonable since they didn’t even try to act polite, and couldn’t contain themselves for more than a few minutes before heading to the garage to gossip together. This storyline didn’t seem all that sophisticated until it managed to lead to a surprise revelation that Joanna’s new flame who wasn’t into this manner of speaking was actually a member of a cult which she wanted to recruit Joanna to join. Dave and Rebecca were also more than happy to take advantage of fellow parents thinking that they were poor and sending them food, if only the meals were a bit tastier and more creative. For anyone missing a traditional sitcom with a very loud laugh track, this show is definitely old-fashioned and familiar in that way. It just doesn’t have much to offer in the way of new thinking.
This show is definitely taking a turn for the less intelligent, and I can’t imagine it’s going to last much longer if any new viewers tuned in for this episode. Joanna has been the least featured character so far, though it’s been apparent that her dating life isn’t going all that well. Rebecca has rightly been the one up until this point to realize the tendencies and flaws of the family that she’s married into, and yet she seems to have fully embraced their habit of indulging in gossip over dinner, something that I’d hope they would realize is more than a bit over-the-top. Joanna’s concern about introducing her new girlfriend to her family was reasonable since they didn’t even try to act polite, and couldn’t contain themselves for more than a few minutes before heading to the garage to gossip together. This storyline didn’t seem all that sophisticated until it managed to lead to a surprise revelation that Joanna’s new flame who wasn’t into this manner of speaking was actually a member of a cult which she wanted to recruit Joanna to join. Dave and Rebecca were also more than happy to take advantage of fellow parents thinking that they were poor and sending them food, if only the meals were a bit tastier and more creative. For anyone missing a traditional sitcom with a very loud laugh track, this show is definitely old-fashioned and familiar in that way. It just doesn’t have much to offer in the way of new thinking.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Take Three: Indebted
Indebted: Season 1, Episode 3 “Everybody's Talking About the Mental Load” (B-)
While this show is decidedly unsophisticated, it still made me laugh a few times in this episode, winning the most points for its ability to represent a very real issue. While it sometimes goes by other names, the mental load is definitely something relatable, an imbalance in relationships where one person – often the wife or girlfriend – feels burdened by the responsibility of remembering to get all the important things done, including having to tell the other partner what to do. Dave demonstrated his lack of competence right away by buying two hundred bars of the wrong kind of soap, and I like that, in order to make things even, they decided to swap loads. That’s where things got a bit absurd, though I guess it wasn’t even that exaggerated to see Stew and Deb rely entirely on their children for any kind of help, including physically sorting through the garbage to look for a wallet that was never lost at all. Deb having every box in the garage thrown out was hard to believe since there was really no thought put into it, but there’s the suspension of disbelief required to watch this show. Dave’s frustration at the notion of “The Crown” being spoiled because its events actually happened was funny, and Joanna definitely hasn’t taken on the role of helpful child, insisting ahead that her father pay her back the money he owes her, leading to accidental $5000 transfers to random people. This show’s dismal ratings and reviews mean that there isn’t likely much time left, but I’ll enjoy this show enough while it lasts.
While this show is decidedly unsophisticated, it still made me laugh a few times in this episode, winning the most points for its ability to represent a very real issue. While it sometimes goes by other names, the mental load is definitely something relatable, an imbalance in relationships where one person – often the wife or girlfriend – feels burdened by the responsibility of remembering to get all the important things done, including having to tell the other partner what to do. Dave demonstrated his lack of competence right away by buying two hundred bars of the wrong kind of soap, and I like that, in order to make things even, they decided to swap loads. That’s where things got a bit absurd, though I guess it wasn’t even that exaggerated to see Stew and Deb rely entirely on their children for any kind of help, including physically sorting through the garbage to look for a wallet that was never lost at all. Deb having every box in the garage thrown out was hard to believe since there was really no thought put into it, but there’s the suspension of disbelief required to watch this show. Dave’s frustration at the notion of “The Crown” being spoiled because its events actually happened was funny, and Joanna definitely hasn’t taken on the role of helpful child, insisting ahead that her father pay her back the money he owes her, leading to accidental $5000 transfers to random people. This show’s dismal ratings and reviews mean that there isn’t likely much time left, but I’ll enjoy this show enough while it lasts.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Round Two: Indebted
Indebted: Season 1, Episode 2 “Everybody's Talking About Dav” (B)
After enjoying the first episode of this show and watching this installment, I was curious to see what the general consensus was. A Metacritic score of 36 is pretty bad, and while this show might be relatively predictable and expected, it still manages to be funny. The actors are all used well, with Fran Drescher and Adam Pally allowed to be themselves and follow their characters’ whims in reacting to each moment. Steven Weber is terrific as usual, and I also like the two cast members I’m least familiar with, Abby Elliott, daughter of actor Chris Elliott, who plays Rebecca, and Jessy Hodges, who plays Joanna. Rebecca’s shock at the notion that Dave was part of a gifted program as a child due to his regular display of a lack of intelligence was fodder for Dave and Deb to get into their own heads about their lies, prompting Dave to do the same thing for Asher to get him into the program. I like that Rebecca wasn’t just blissfully supportive of her son but instead went a little overboard in representing her newfound elite group. Joanna’s love life is definitely a mess, and having her father happen to be her rideshare driver home didn’t help too much. It was nice to see the two of them bond when she needed her father, and it’s helpful to have five characters on this show so that they can split off and interact with each other. It seems like the ratings may be just as poor as the reviews, but I’m hopeful that we’ll get to enjoy this show for a while before it gets cancelled.
After enjoying the first episode of this show and watching this installment, I was curious to see what the general consensus was. A Metacritic score of 36 is pretty bad, and while this show might be relatively predictable and expected, it still manages to be funny. The actors are all used well, with Fran Drescher and Adam Pally allowed to be themselves and follow their characters’ whims in reacting to each moment. Steven Weber is terrific as usual, and I also like the two cast members I’m least familiar with, Abby Elliott, daughter of actor Chris Elliott, who plays Rebecca, and Jessy Hodges, who plays Joanna. Rebecca’s shock at the notion that Dave was part of a gifted program as a child due to his regular display of a lack of intelligence was fodder for Dave and Deb to get into their own heads about their lies, prompting Dave to do the same thing for Asher to get him into the program. I like that Rebecca wasn’t just blissfully supportive of her son but instead went a little overboard in representing her newfound elite group. Joanna’s love life is definitely a mess, and having her father happen to be her rideshare driver home didn’t help too much. It was nice to see the two of them bond when she needed her father, and it’s helpful to have five characters on this show so that they can split off and interact with each other. It seems like the ratings may be just as poor as the reviews, but I’m hopeful that we’ll get to enjoy this show for a while before it gets cancelled.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Pilot Review: Indebted
Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.
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