The Cool Kids - 1.01 - Pilot - Preview

The Cool Kids premieres on Friday, Sept. 28 at 8:30 pm EST on FOX right after Last Man Standing.

High school never ends. That’s what the writers of FOX’s new comedy, The Cool Kids, want us to believe. Utilizing the best cast ensemble of any new show, the series follows a quartet of seniors as they pull pranks, get into mischief, and drive their principal administrator crazy. It stars David Alan Grier, famous for In Living Color, who played this character best as Joe Carmichael on The Carmichael Show. Leslie Jordan reprises his role as Beverly Leslie on Will & Grace, except much sweeter and sometimes a little naive. Martin Mull, from Roseanne and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and Vicki Lawrence, from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, round out the main cast. It’s an all-star comedy troupe with 2 Emmy wins and 3 nominations, 3 Golden Globe nominations, 3 Tony nominations, and 1 Grammy nomination between them. With a cast this seasoned, it should be comedy gold but in a large part, this pilot falls flat. I found a lot if it more cringeworthy than funny.

The leader of these “cool kids” is Hank, a cantankerous man desperate to keep some control over his own life by taking charge of his friends’ lives. He’s feeling especially out of sorts in the pilot because one of the quartet, Jerry, just died. Bound and determined that no one will forget Jerry, Hank wants to throw the best wake Shady Meadows Retirement Home has ever seen. Somewhat less enthusiastic are Sid and Charlie. Sid is more interested in finding a replacement at their table since it is “prime real estate.” Charlie is more interested in reliving his glory days of dropping acid. Enter Margaret, who plops herself down at their table uninvited and shakes everything up. She isn’t about to take anything from anyone, which immediately rubs Hank the wrong way.

As with most pilots, this one is all about introducing the characters and starting to find its own comedic voice. Unfortunately, the characters often come off as stereotypes and the high school metaphor does less to provide laughs and more to dumb everyone down. For instance, when caught in a lie, these seniors fumble worse than any underage kid using a fake ID to buy booze. With their combined experience, you’d think that they would be able to talk their way into what they need or at least attempt it. Over and over again, the pilot goes for the lowest denominator with more sex-based jokes than a frat party and a particularly unfunny bit with Sid and Margaret that goes on way too long.

That’s not to say that it’s all bad. The talent is there and the concept is refreshing. Too few shows feature an older crowd, even though that is the majority of TV viewers these days. By focusing on an underrepresented demographic, they should be able to tap into comedy topics that aren’t stale already. The pilot also does a great job of adding heart at the end. Charlie hits Hank with some home truths, which reveal exactly why Hank is having such a hard time. It’s a poignant, though short, conversation that proves the show can go deeper.

Plus, the cast has great chemistry together. It feels like they are having a blast performing, which is the most fun thing about the pilot. There is a lot of potential here and let’s face it - most comedies start rough before they get better because they have half the time to cover much of the same ground that a drama pilot does. The sheer talent alone gives it a little more leeway for me, so it has 3 episodes to prove that the writing can match the acting. After all, these comedy legends deserve big belly laughs, not just a laugh track.


Grade: C-


Quotes:

“My kids are liars.”
“Oh speaking of enemas, look who just showed up.”
“Peace and quiet? I’m gonna have plenty of peace and quiet when I’m dead.”
“Times sure have changed. I mean in the 50’s a woman wouldn’t dare just come sit at our table like that.” “In the 50’s, you wouldn’t have been allowed in the restaurant.”
“Walked right into that one, Harvard.”
“You know what happens when you mix prescription drugs and alcohol?” “Yeah, a good time.”

The Cool Kids premieres on Friday, Sept. 28 at 8:30 pm EST on FOX right after Last Man Standing.

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, How to Get Away with Murder, The Librarians, and others. She also runs the annual Character Cup. She's addicted to Twitter, loves live tweeting, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Previously she wrote a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."

Quote of the Week - September 9 - 22

A weekly feature highlighting the best quotes on TV as picked by the Spoiler TV team. We'd love to hear your picks too so please sound off in the comments below.

American Horror Story -
1. Andre: "The stew is Stu." (Sam)
2. Venable: “There is no excuse for tardiness when there is nothing else to do.” (Sam)
3. Coco: "Brock, do you remember the contract that we had? At any time, we could unilaterally release each other from our monogamous obligations. You are now free to see other people." (Sam)

American Vandal -
1. DeMarcus Tillman: “It's like every handshake is a McNugget. You know, it's completely unique.” Sam: “Well, I don't think every McNugget is completely unique. I think there's only like four shapes actually.” (Ellys Cartin)
Peter: “We are not the worst generation. We are just the most exposed.” (Ellys Cartin)
DeMarcus Tillman: “This my man Squeak. We look different, all right? But this is still my man. It don't matter. I'm no more important to the rest of the team than this guy. Even though I might score 31, 12 rebounds, just nasty, Squeak might get like two free throws. Squeak's still just as important to the team as I am. Like sometimes low-key I'll be wondering why he plays basketball, 'cause he not that good. I think his mom probably signed him up or something.” (Ellys Cartin)

Better Call Saul -
1. Kim Wexler: “You don’t know the whole story.” (Shirleena)

BoJack Horseman -
1. BoJack: "Now that’s a good story about my mother. It’s not true, but it’s a good story, right? I stole it from an episode of Maude I saw when I was a kid, where she talks about her father. I remember when I saw it, thinking, “That’s the kind of story I want to tell about my parents when they die.” But I don’t have any stories like that. All I know about being good, I learned from TV. And in TV, flawed characters are constantly showing people they care with these surprising grand gestures. And I think that part of me still believes that’s what love is. But in real life, the big gesture isn’t enough. You need to be consistent, you need to be dependably good. You can’t just screw everything up and then take a boat out into the ocean to save your best friend, or solve a mystery, and fly to Kansas. You need to do it every day, which is so… hard. When you’re a kid, you convince yourself that maybe the grand gesture could be enough, that even though your parents aren’t what you need them to be over and over and over again, at any moment, they might surprise you with something… wonderful. I kept waiting for that, the proof that even though my mother was a hard woman, deep down, she loved me and cared about me and wanted me to know that I made her life a little bit brighter. Even now, I find myself waiting. Hey, Mom, knock once if you love me and care about me and want me to know I made your life a little bit brighter. [silence, owl chirping.]" (Lindsey)
2. Diane: “There’s no such thing as bad guys and good guys! We’re all just guys! Who do good stuff, sometimes. And bad stuff, sometimes. And all we can do is try to do less bad stuff and more good stuff. But you’re never going to be good! Because you’re not bad! So you need to stop using that as an excuse.” (Lindsey)

Carter -
1. Harley: “Since you seem to know, what is a Kiki Loki?” Dave: “A half chicken, half elephant, half totally awesome kirin-type creature.” Harley: “Why stop at 3 halves?” Dave: “Kiki-Loki spits in the face of human arithmetic.”
2. Dia: “A soft drink company took a character many people had never heard of and created a mythology. But really Santa Claus is just a hermit who enslaves elves, forces them to make toys. Then in the middle of the night, breaks into your house. To preserve the story, parents lie to their children. I find that terrifying.” Harley: “Well yeah, but presents.” Dia: “Made by slaves.”
3. Dot: “If you had divorced her when I told you to, none of this would have happened.” Harley: “You told me to divorce her at our wedding reception.” Dot: “And now here we are. Who was right?”
4. Rick: “I mean it’s amazing nobody got killed in here.” Harley: “Well I don’t think they were expecting Wonder Woman as one of their bridesmaids.”
5. Adam: “So according to these guys, our honeymoon will be some place called protective custody.”
6. Dave: “I think one of the Assassins of Thirst killed her.” Harley: “You think she was killed by a fictional character?”

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia -
1. Frank: “The most important aspect of a man’s success is to never trust another man.” (Mads)
2. Dennis: “Mac, sometimes I’m just riffing. Would you allow me to riff? As the leader, can I riff? CAN I RIFF!?” (Mads)
3. Charlie: “His neck is high. It makes me trust him. Good posture, bro.” (Mads)
4. Artemis: “The rose quartz is a healing gemstone as well as the lapis lazuli, and the goddess-stone is for putting up your snatch.” (Mads)
5. Dee: “Great. You’re a soy boy beta cuck.” (Mads)
6. Dee: “Women don’t have a prostate, god dammit.” Artemis: “Or is that what men want you to think.” (Mads)

Mayans MC -
1. Emily: “I know what you have to become to manage this.” Miguel: “I don’t become something else—” Emily: “Yes, you do. You have to.” (Mads)
2. Angel: “How was your trip to the upside down?” (Mads)
3. Miguel: “The only thing I can’t lose is my son.” (Mads)

The Purge -
1. The Radio: On Purge night, America lives up to its promise. So how will you use this freedom? Will you right some wrongs? Will you heal? Will you hurt? Will you give life? Will you take life? Just don’t let yourself or your country down. The Purge is America. So be an American and purge.
2. Paramedic: The Purge notwithstanding, the natural human bent is towards order. In the absence of that, people find a way to pay homage.
3. Allison: Sometimes it feels like purging is the only answer. (Mads)
4. Allison: So... do you notify HR about my promotion or is that on me?
Pete: If I had a heart it’d be bleeding for you right now.
Cult Members: Tonight we give so that tomorrow will be a better place.” (Mads)

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, How to Get Away with Murder, The Librarians, and others. She also runs the annual Character Cup. She's addicted to Twitter, loves live tweeting, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Previously she wrote a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."

Lethal Weapon - 3.01 - In the Same Boat - Preview

Lethal Weapon premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 25 on FOX at 9/8 C.

Rocked by scandal last year, Lethal Weapon returns without beloved character Riggs. Tensions are still high in the fandom, which makes this premiere perhaps even more important to the show’s future than its pilot. If you have already made up your mind about this season, there is nothing I can say to change it. However, if you, like me, approach this new season with caution but hope, there is both good and bad news.

The Good:

1. The New Guy: I have to admit. When I heard they were casting Seann William Scott, I was less than impressed. I saw him as a dumb comedy frat boy actor, which wouldn’t fit into a show whose characters get more depth than your typical crime procedural. Instead, he rose to the challenge. A good part of the new character, Cole, is straight up spy thriller action hero. He can kick butt better than most but has an aversion to guns and uses them as a last resort. On his last mission, something went wrong and he switched to police work because of it. He also has a daughter and ex with whom he is trying to reconnect.

2. Cole Isn’t Riggs: The show’s writers are smart enough to know that Cole can never replace Riggs. They straight up add that to the dialogue at the end of the episode. Yes, there are similarities and yes, they both take dumb risks. Still, they do it for very different reasons. Cole is not suicidal. You won’t see him walking on the ledge of the roof just for fun. His crazy lies more in a desire to get things done in the most efficient way possible, often putting options on the table that most people wouldn’t even consider. It comes from his spy background where they don’t have to follow the same rules that cops do. Think of him more as Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible in his choices than Riggs.

3. Fight Scenes: A big kudos to the stunt coordinator on Lethal Weapon. One of the biggest improvements that I noticed in this premiere was how awesome the fight scenes were. They are more intricate and well-paced.

The Bad:

1. 6 Months Later: By far the worst decision of the premiere was to rush to the time jump. By doing so, they rushed the impact of Riggs’ death. Instead of watching other characters react to the news, they have all been dealing with it for 6 months. The only two who have real scenes of grief are Roger and Cahill. That won’t be enough closure for many who are already unsure about this season. I understand that the show wants to move on, but even reaction shots from other characters would have been helpful for grieving fans wanting closure.

2. The Conspiracy Theory: While this plays a large part of the first half of the premiere, it never really seems to go anywhere. I’m not sure if this will be the overarching story for the season or if it is done already. Was it just a way for Roger to grieve or is it something that will help fans find closure in subsequent episodes? The premiere seems to support both theories.

My Advice: 

The best way to enjoy this premiere is to think of it as a brand-new fall TV show. If you judge the premiere on its own merits, it is a fun way to spend 42 minutes. Cole is an intriguing character and there is action, humor, and camaraderie that make the episode fly by. If though, you focus on the real-life drama, then some of the more poignant scenes will be hard to take. I miss Riggs. I will always miss Riggs. But as a show making a new start, this premiere was still entertaining.



Grade: B

Episode Awards:

Best Reason to Watch - it’s fast paced and high adventure
Reason You Will Watch - to see how the new guy plays out
Best Cameo - Riggs’ truck
Best Tough Love - Trish
Best Addition - Cole / Nat
Best Emotional Scene - Cahill and Roger talk about Riggs
Worst Luck - Avery’s political career gets derailed
Worst Plan - 6 month time jump
Worst Disguise - Roger calling as the Mayor so Trish doesn’t know it’s him
Least Needed - the meter maid conversation
Weirdest Lucky Charm - gum
Dumbest Criminals - the rock, paper, scissors duo
The “Welcome Back” Award - Maggie Lawson from Psych



Quotes:

“I can’t ever replace him so I won’t even try, but I want to make this work.”
“Because I love you.”
“I’m living proof that with hard work, dreams do come true.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Is your father’s grief getting in the way of your social life?”
“Sir, there’s a lot of homeless shelters in the area.”
“Sometimes chaos is what is required.”
“We love you and don’t care about your cholesterol.”
“We were just chatting and...uh, we’re not going to do the big bag of socks deal today.”
“You want to help your daughter? Make this world a safer place for her, but those wounds you have, we can’t help you heal them.”
“You’re a nut job, Murtaugh.” “Well I’m off the clock but I’d support that diagnosis.”

Lethal Weapon premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 25 on FOX at 9/8 C.

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, How to Get Away with Murder, The Librarians, and others. She also runs the annual Character Cup. She's addicted to Twitter, loves live tweeting, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Previously she wrote a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."