The feeling I got from the first episode is good but not great. After reading some of the reviews/feedback from this thread, and in combination with Sorkins writing I thought this would be something special, but in that expectation I was left feeling underwhelmed. Certainly not up to par with HBO pilots like The Sopranos or Six Feet Under.
I thought the main characters (Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer) were very strong, but the supporting cast was flat in my mind. If I wanted to watch a bunch of white quirky college kids and their problems I’d turn on some network trash, at times I felt like I was watching The Real World and not HBO. The beginning rant from Daniels was fantastic and the high point of the episode, but I felt like they didn’t build off it enough, but maybe they will in later episodes. Things got preachy when Emily Mortimer is in his office and going on a rant of her own, just a bit too much idealism in one hour of television.
I was a bit weary when it was revealed that Daniels and Mortimers past relationship was a romantic one. HBO’s best series have had amazingly complex romantic relationships with lead characters (Tony and Carmela) (Nate and Brenda) but this one seems to be the tired story of an old relationship, were feelings still linger, and are reignited by unknowingly being forced to associate with one another. That storyline is fine for a cheap romantic comedy, not for primetime HBO.
Overall the entire episode was coated in this unappealing sanctimonious tone, as if Sorkin thought “I’m smarter than the American public, my opinion is right, and this show is going to show you why”. I’ll give it another watch but the second episode will have to do a lot more for me to spend an hour of week getting told how stupid I am.
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