Reviews: The Crazy Ones

Keepin' It Reel with

Megan Daley

 

Megan is a self-descibed TV addict who believes that television is a heavenly gift. As a queen of sass in the form of truths, you can always rely on Megan to Keep it Reel.

Reviewing:

"The Crazy Ones"

Robin Williams returns to the small screen after 31 years in “The Crazy Ones” as an advertising executive whose antics have been

known to get him into trouble, with more than just his ex-wives. 

Simon Roberts (Robin Williams)is the co-head of a powerful ad agency in Chicago along with his daughter, Sydney (Sarah Michelle Gellar.) Sydney is a type-A personality and with the help of her co-workers, Zach (James Wolk), Andrew (Hamish Linklater), and Lauren (Amanda Setton), attempt to keep her father under control. Big clients means big stakes, and the group must work together to stay successful.

From the beginning, Williams’ physical comedy for which he is known, comes into play, with much of the comedy relying on his natural abilities. Williams and Wolk play well off each other,

clearly pushing the boundaries of the script they’ve been given to read off (Plus, Wolk is sexy as hell to look at).

While I enjoy Williams’ antics, I struggled to enjoy the pilot, mostly because the script seemed weak, lacking funny moments that go beyond physical moments. For example, Lauren and Simon are left in a room together and Sydney encourages Lauren to “inspire” Simon. Lauren, playing up the stereotypical “dumb blonde” character (even though she isn't blonde), asks Simon if he wants to smell her “hair.” The moment was supposed to come off cute and funny and to me, just came off as awkward and unfunny. Plus, I liked her better on "The Mindy Project" but maybe that's just me being selfish. 

The set up of the pilot also threw me off, without the background of the characters explained, it felt like the audience was walking straight into the middle of the series, having already been introduced and acquainted with the characters. Simon and Sydney’s relationship is something the audience is expecting to dive into, with several “touching” moments between the two set to sentimental music. But without having any previous knowledge or understanding of the relationship, it felt inauthentic to me. The show does pull in heavy talent in the form of Kelly Clarkson in one episode to well-known companies like McDonald's and Victoria's Secret.

Williams’ comedic presence will go a long way in getting this show noticed but I’m not sure it will be enough to keep it on the air long term. But the show is sandwiched between CBS’ two comedic heavy hitters, “The Big Bang Theory” and “Two and a Half Men” so it should pull enough of an audience to get off to a good start.

Reporting by: Megan Daley

If you loved what you read then tell Megan!

Don't forget to like us, share us, follow and comment!