The Unicorn: Season 1, Episode 3 “Widow’s Group” (B-)
Watching this show, there are moments where I feel it really has potential and others where it doesn’t deliver nearly as much. This third installment didn’t feature the same kind of emotionally transformative moment as the second, with Wade yelling out his anger far less compelling than bonding with his daughter. Joining a support group for other widows and widowers made a lot of sense, but naturally he’d be the only male in keeping with this show’s premise that all the good men get snatched up right away. It’s almost as if I expected Betsy Brandt to appear in this episode after her previous very different roles in “Breaking Bad” and “Life in Pieces,” with this one skewing much more towards the latter as she divulged quite a bit about how no one else could possibly (and literally) measure up to her late husband. All of Wade’s friends were very pushy in trying to get him to go to the group, and asking if there were any other men involved would probably have been a smart idea. Getting drunk to the point that he wasn’t able to keep up certain commitments that he had made wasn’t superb, but at least he got to bond with people who are uniquely equipped to understand what he’s going through. I’m not sure yet if I’ll give this show a fourth chance – it’s not wowing me. I like Walton Goggins and Michaela Watkins, and I want to see them do something great, which this just doesn’t seem to be.
Showing posts with label The Unicorn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Unicorn. Show all posts
Monday, October 14, 2019
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Round Two: The Unicorn
The Unicorn: Season 1, Episode 2 “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” (B)
I thought that this show had the most promise out of all the freshmen pilots that have premiered so far, and it did a decent job of living up to that in its second outing even if it’s still not superb. What does work is Walton Goggins, whose previous television gigs have been tinged with humor on serious shows and movies like “Justified” and “The Hateful Eight” and full-on involved in more comedic fare like “Sons of Anarchy,” “Vice Principals” and “The Righteous Gemstones.” I remember him originally from his more stoic but still superb turn as Shane on “The Shield,” and now he’s playing a milder character who is just starting to realize what the world around him now looks like. I wasn’t sure where I recognized Christina Moore, who played Lizzie, from, potentially “That 70s Show” or “True Blood,” but she did a great job in her short scenes as a new romantic interest for Wade who just wasn’t all that appealing. He did fail quite spectacularly in his efforts not to get overly involved. The sweet moment he shared with his daughter when they were taking Instagram pictures for each other at the end of the episode was nice, and I’m glad that this show doesn’t have a laugh track to make that kind of scene feel forced. What I didn’t love as much were the antics of Wade’s friends, notably the guest appearance by Nicole Byer from “Nailed It” as Michelle’s very overeager sister. I’ll give it another shot – so far this remains my top new broadcast show.
I thought that this show had the most promise out of all the freshmen pilots that have premiered so far, and it did a decent job of living up to that in its second outing even if it’s still not superb. What does work is Walton Goggins, whose previous television gigs have been tinged with humor on serious shows and movies like “Justified” and “The Hateful Eight” and full-on involved in more comedic fare like “Sons of Anarchy,” “Vice Principals” and “The Righteous Gemstones.” I remember him originally from his more stoic but still superb turn as Shane on “The Shield,” and now he’s playing a milder character who is just starting to realize what the world around him now looks like. I wasn’t sure where I recognized Christina Moore, who played Lizzie, from, potentially “That 70s Show” or “True Blood,” but she did a great job in her short scenes as a new romantic interest for Wade who just wasn’t all that appealing. He did fail quite spectacularly in his efforts not to get overly involved. The sweet moment he shared with his daughter when they were taking Instagram pictures for each other at the end of the episode was nice, and I’m glad that this show doesn’t have a laugh track to make that kind of scene feel forced. What I didn’t love as much were the antics of Wade’s friends, notably the guest appearance by Nicole Byer from “Nailed It” as Michelle’s very overeager sister. I’ll give it another shot – so far this remains my top new broadcast show.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Pilot Review: The Unicorn
I'm trying something new with my pilot reviews, so from now on, check out video takes on each new series, which I'll embed below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.
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