Monday, November 02, 2009
Bored To Death
As a few of you may remember, I quit watching Bored To Death after the first episode. Just couldn't get into it. Last night because I couldn't find anything else I tried it again. Carol came in and sat down when she heard me laughing. I really enjoyed the first part of the The Case of The Missing Semen. Next week part two. Zach Galifianakis is still for me the best part of the show. I knew ten of him in college and they were just as much pained and painful fun as he is. He's the Puck of existentialists. Jonathan Ames is serviceable but I think I'm maybe too old and weary to be much interested in naifs. The trouble is still Ted Danson who seems to have no idea what his character is about. He tries to cover this fact with all his usual studied Ted Danson bits of business but we're dealing with an empty vessel. Oliver Platt nailed his man in one asshole line. (And the idea of Jonathan getting to box the critic who ripped up his novel--a writer's most sacred dream!) The interviews with all the lesbian couples was really a hoot and it was fun to see Samantha Bee outside Jon Stewart's show. Instead of being punished for my for being so hasty in dismissing it, the gods are rewarding me--now I can go on On Demand and watch all the episodes I've missed.
Indeed. This was the first episode I've seen...Zach G. was going to have to be the most valuable comic actor at hand, and (almost Of Course, this being US tv) the women involved were much too good-looking for the men they are or were involved with. And the disappointed lesbian customers montage was indeed quite good.
ReplyDeleteI've grown into this show and like Ted Danson's character a lot in it. I was never a big fan of Sam Malone in Cheers but his character's willingness to come along on their crazy escapades in BORED TO DEATH has completely won me over and they make a crazy threesome. He's a rich bored man looking for some fun. He perfected this role in DAMAGES last year and is playing it to even more effect here. IMHO, of course. I think the missing episodes might clarify his role. But maybe not.
ReplyDeleteYeah Patti two people told me to see Damages to see Danson. I don't have anything against him he just seems limited to the same few mannerisms over and over. But then he seems to be living in a mansion these days doesn't he? So just maybe I'm wrong. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah Patti two people told me to see Damages to see Danson. I don't have anything against him he just seems limited to the same few mannerisms over and over. But then he seems to be living in a mansion these days doesn't he? So just maybe I'm wrong. :)
ReplyDeleteI liked him in HELP ME HELP YOU, and he's usually good in CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM...but I tend to like his work, even when, as with DAMAGES and CHEERS, I'm not so impressed with the series. He helped make BECKER more watchable than it would be otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you gave the show a second chance. Jason Schwartzman, who was a bit undefined in the early episodes, is now my favorite thing in it. He does a fine job playing a well-meaning narcissist. Every case is about him. He's the bizarro Lew Archer. Hell, even the pothead humor works for me.
ReplyDeleteOkay, Ed, I'll give it a 2nd shot too. I didn't like the first episode at all but I was still smiling from Curb Your Enthusiasm reruns when I saw Bored to Death. Danson on Curb is wonderful, but I thought it was the same old shtick on Bored. I'll go it again.
ReplyDeletePatti: American Salvage -- GREAT collection of short stories. Thanks.
Oh, glad you liked it. You should see her in person reading them. She's one tough mama.
ReplyDeleteNot the best show, not the worst around...We'd been watching for lack of anything preferable on air at the same time...
ReplyDeleteA yawner to begin with, it kept inching toward better, and last night's episode was actually enjoyable on a lot of levels...