Pilot Review: Partners

Partners (FX)
Premiered August 4 at 9pm

After seeing and enjoying the first few episodes of “Married” and “You’re the Worst,” it’s disappointing to see that they, along with “Louie,” are not all that FX is looking for in terms of its comedies going forward. This show skews much more towards “Anger Management,” a relatively lazy, highly familiar and uninspired sitcom with little to offer in the way of originality. The pairing of Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence seemed suspicious enough to begin with, and these first two episodes affirmed that they’re a random odd couple, and neither of them are putting much effort in here. I never watched much “Frasier” though I do remember Grammer being quite good on it, but I actually preferred him in his underrated role on the short-lived but terrific “Boss” in a much, much more serious part. Lawrence, on the other hand, I can rarely stand, pretty much just in the “Bad Boys” movies, and while he’s actually less grating than Grammer here, he’s not much better. The first episode included some expected stereotypes and easy jokes, and the second all but confirmed that this show is just recycling the most conventional sitcom plots it can, forcing Grammer’s Allen and Martin’s Marcus to pretend to be a gay couple in an installment that feels fresh out of the 1990s as a pale imitator of “Will and Grace.” If possible, Allen’s daughter makes it worse with a combination of her preposterous attitude and dress. I can’t find much to recommend about this show.

How will it work as a series? Back-to-back installments each week mean that lucky viewers will have not one but two opportunities to see Allen and Marcus squabble and manage to win the world over with their bickering and legal teamwork. That doesn’t sound like something I’d like to watch, and I suspect that these first two episodes offer a pretty good picture of what to expect.
How long will it last? Grammer hasn’t been able to hold onto a show since “Frasier,” with “Back to You,” “Hank,” and “Boss” lasting less than a collective four seasons. While the ratings were somewhat better than the reviews, this is operating under the 10/90 model, and I don’t expect that the ratings of the first ten episodes will merit another ninety.

Pilot grade: F

Pilot Review: Partners

Partners (CBS)
Premiered September 24 at 8:30pm

Expectations can be key to how enjoyable a series is. CBS is still in the business of manufacturing laugh-track-assisted sitcoms, and they seem to be doing quite well, since people watch their stuff even if critics don’t love it. This show is most touted as coming from the creators of “Will and Grace,” which isn’t a surprise given how familiar the material is, constantly acknowledging the dichotomy of the gay-straight relationship and how both main characters approach situations differently. In the lead, David Krumholtz of “Numbers” and Michael Urie of “Ugly Betty” make a great pair, and their back-and-forth bickering requires no additional perfecting. That said, Urie isn’t nearly as likeable or endearing as he was on “Ugly Betty,” which isn’t to suggest that he was either of those on the former show. This series doesn’t exactly have much potential, since it’s fairly one-note in its premise, but it isn’t agonizingly boring or off-putting. I will say that both Sophia Bush, of “One Tree Hill” fame, and Brandon Routh, best put to use as Shaw on “Chuck,” aren’t terribly well cast as the significant others of the respective parents, with Bush’s character being too widely drawn and Routh’s too narrow. Most of the jokes can be seen coming from a mile away, but it’s standard fare for CBS, which means that the predictability doesn’t necessarily negate it being funny. It’s the kind of show that could be grown into, assuming that its characters also have the potential to grow, which isn’t entirely indicated by this generally decent yet unmemorable pilot.

How will it work as a series? Now that Krumholtz’s Joe and Bush’s Ali are engaged, we’ll likely see some relationship tribulations for them and for Urie’s Louis and Routh’s Wyatt. Their business partnership will also doubtlessly provide a good portion of the plotlines as their personalities clash in their everyday dealings.
How long will it last? Not too long. CBS demands much higher ratings than most other networks, and given the fact that this show’s numbers were much lower than all of the network’s other fare on Monday night, a bright future does not appear to be ahead for this show. There’s no reason for them to axe it right away, but I don’t think it will last the season.

Pilot grade: C+

What I'm Watching: Nikita

Nikita: Season 2, Episode 4 “Partners” (B-)

It seems that there is an almost infinite number of people that were involved in the road to Nikita’s break from division, and this episode features the return of the latest. I know from seeing the intense 1978 film “Midnight Express” that breaking out of a Turkish prison is no laughing matter, yet it seems that it wasn’t much of a stretch for her to escape. It’s hard for Nikita to catch a break, and therefore the revelation that Kelly was actually working for Ari Tasarov is disappointing but not wholly surprising. What’s a bit more dramatic is the reaction that everyone seems to have to Alex, declaring that her capture is just as valuable as the retrieval of a black box and then deciding that she should be shot on sight going forward. Roan coming with Alex to Turkey to find Nikita seemed somewhat uncalled for, but he definitely knows what he’s doing, and the idea that he was impressed with how Alex carried herself in the field bodes well for the young Division contractor. Her allegiances are clearly still underdetermined, as she allows Nikita and Michael plenty of time to get away before the arrival of Division backup. I’m glad that Alex’s time in the field allowed for Amanda to go have a personal chat and tea with Percy, who seems quite interested in protecting Alex and remains the most intriguing character on this show, even in his present confines, where it seems his onesie doesn’t suit him.