Bored to Death -- TV review
From the very first frame of the opening credits*, to the final fade-out in the season finale, Bored to Death is a solidly entertaining viewing experience.
Jason Schwartzman stars as Jonathan Ames (which is also, not coincidentally, the name of the show's creator and head writer), an aimless young professional writer whose once promising life is in a downward spiral. The publication of his novel, which he initially viewed as a triumph, has met with mixed reviews and very poor sales, and despite accepting a sizable advance on his next book, he clearly has no idea how to write it. Adding a personal crisis to his professional one, his girlfriend leaves him early in the pilot episode, complaining that Jonathan is addicted to alcohol (a questionable accusation) and marijuana (an inarguably true assessment). Struggling with both heart-break and writer's block, Jonathan descends into a spiral of boredom until, on a whim inspired by his love for Raymond Chandler novels, he posts an ad on Craig's List, offering his services as an unlicensed private detective. ("The fact that I admit upfront that I'm unlicensed makes it less illegal," he eagerly tells anyone who'll listen.)
Most of the best stories -- adventure, comedy, drama, whatever -- involve ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. The basic concept of Bored to Death -- an inexperienced, untrained man moonlighting as a private eye -- neatly side-steps the problem of how to realistically put everyman Jonathan into extraordinary circumstances week after week. "I'm actually pretty good" as a private eye, Jonathan exclaims with surprise more than pride, pointing out that he has a 100% success rate with solving his cases. Is he a good detective? Hard to say. He either doesn't care or doesn't realize that many of his successful cases are solved through dumb luck rather than through any skill on his part, but even when the cards are against him, he tackles each case with determination and ingenuity, and at the end of every episode, his clients seem satisfied. He charges $100 a day, and there's a nice running gag about how he always forgets to add, "plus expenses," an omission that often results in him actually losing money on most cases, as bribes to informants and other expenses gradually add up. "The guys in Chandler novels always charge for expenses," he reminds himself at one point, but by the time he accepts his next case, he has already forgotten this lesson.
As Jonathan, Jason Schwartzman is a perfect everyman. He is alternately clever and clueless, awkward and charming. Reviews of Bored to Death tend to praise the supporting cast at the expense of acknowledging Schwartzman's contribution to the show; Schwartzman got his start acting in Wes Anderson movies, and Anderson's influence clearly affects Schwartzman's performance here, as he brings an Andersonian poignancy to nearly every line.
The supporting cast does deliver credit, though, for helping to create a believable environment in Jonathan's world. As Jonathan's friends, Ted Danson and Zach Galifinakis bring humor and warmth to their characters. The show is based on characters created in a short story by the real-life Jonathan Ames, but these characters feel like they were written with Danson and Galifinakis in mind, even if they weren't. Danson plays George Christopher, a wealthy magazine editor who routinely hires Jonathan to write fluff pieces for his up-scale magazine, Edition. A self-absorbed womanizer, George still manages to be sympathetic, thanks to a combination of good intentions, loyalty (he continues to be Jonathan's friend despite the class differences), and vulnerability. He often lectures Jonathan on social mores, but the truth is that George clearly wants to be like his friend, as every episode features a moment when George learns about something new going on in Jonathan's life, and George inevitably exclaims that he wants to try it too. Yes, this is not the first upper-class, charming womanizer Danson has played (witness Arthur Frobisher in Damages, Jeremy Brockett in Mumford, etc.) but he keeps getting cast in these roles because he does it so damn well.
As Jonathan's other buddy, Ray Hueston, Zach Galifinakis is equally well cast. While it may be true that Galifinakis may always seem to be playing only minor variations of his stand-up persona (witness Due Date, The Hangover, etc.) I say kudos to him for making every line sound like it was improvised by a comic genius. (Kudos also go to the writers for making the character so distinctively Galifinakian).
Incidentally, I also like how the character of Ray's girlfriend, Leah, is treated; comedies with a "best friend's girlfriend" so often go one of three routes, treating this character as either an annoying third wheel who views the hero with contempt, a shallow source of pity for the antagonist, or a forbidden third point on a love triangle. Bored to Death, wisely, takes none of these routes, and instead depicts Jonathan and Leah as purely platonic friends; Jonathan and Ray may occasionally share "guy talk" that often focuses on Leah's lack of libido, but other than that, neither Leah nor Ray ever try to put Jonathan in the middle of their relationship difficulties. Such a sympathetic, novel approach to the stock character of "the best friend's girlfriend" is refreshing and welcome.
The writing for this show is simply sublime. The characters are both likable and believable, the plots are elaborate enough to be constantly intriguing without ever becoming confused or contrived, and the dialogue never sacrifices either credibility nor wit, but instead finds a perfect balance between the two. Bored to Death is a show well worth watching, and I whole-heartedly encourage you to rent season one on DVD, which is available on both iTunes and Netflix. In the meantime, I will eagerly await the release of season two!
*When I say that even the opening credits are fun, I'm not exaggerating. The graphics feature a cute little animation, taking place on the pages of the short story that inspired the creation of the show. And the theme song is a catchy jazz number performed by Schwartzman's band "Coconut Records" and written by both the real-life Jonathan Ames and Schwartzman, the actor who plays Ames in the show.
Jason Schwartzman stars as Jonathan Ames (which is also, not coincidentally, the name of the show's creator and head writer), an aimless young professional writer whose once promising life is in a downward spiral. The publication of his novel, which he initially viewed as a triumph, has met with mixed reviews and very poor sales, and despite accepting a sizable advance on his next book, he clearly has no idea how to write it. Adding a personal crisis to his professional one, his girlfriend leaves him early in the pilot episode, complaining that Jonathan is addicted to alcohol (a questionable accusation) and marijuana (an inarguably true assessment). Struggling with both heart-break and writer's block, Jonathan descends into a spiral of boredom until, on a whim inspired by his love for Raymond Chandler novels, he posts an ad on Craig's List, offering his services as an unlicensed private detective. ("The fact that I admit upfront that I'm unlicensed makes it less illegal," he eagerly tells anyone who'll listen.)
Most of the best stories -- adventure, comedy, drama, whatever -- involve ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. The basic concept of Bored to Death -- an inexperienced, untrained man moonlighting as a private eye -- neatly side-steps the problem of how to realistically put everyman Jonathan into extraordinary circumstances week after week. "I'm actually pretty good" as a private eye, Jonathan exclaims with surprise more than pride, pointing out that he has a 100% success rate with solving his cases. Is he a good detective? Hard to say. He either doesn't care or doesn't realize that many of his successful cases are solved through dumb luck rather than through any skill on his part, but even when the cards are against him, he tackles each case with determination and ingenuity, and at the end of every episode, his clients seem satisfied. He charges $100 a day, and there's a nice running gag about how he always forgets to add, "plus expenses," an omission that often results in him actually losing money on most cases, as bribes to informants and other expenses gradually add up. "The guys in Chandler novels always charge for expenses," he reminds himself at one point, but by the time he accepts his next case, he has already forgotten this lesson.
As Jonathan, Jason Schwartzman is a perfect everyman. He is alternately clever and clueless, awkward and charming. Reviews of Bored to Death tend to praise the supporting cast at the expense of acknowledging Schwartzman's contribution to the show; Schwartzman got his start acting in Wes Anderson movies, and Anderson's influence clearly affects Schwartzman's performance here, as he brings an Andersonian poignancy to nearly every line.
The supporting cast does deliver credit, though, for helping to create a believable environment in Jonathan's world. As Jonathan's friends, Ted Danson and Zach Galifinakis bring humor and warmth to their characters. The show is based on characters created in a short story by the real-life Jonathan Ames, but these characters feel like they were written with Danson and Galifinakis in mind, even if they weren't. Danson plays George Christopher, a wealthy magazine editor who routinely hires Jonathan to write fluff pieces for his up-scale magazine, Edition. A self-absorbed womanizer, George still manages to be sympathetic, thanks to a combination of good intentions, loyalty (he continues to be Jonathan's friend despite the class differences), and vulnerability. He often lectures Jonathan on social mores, but the truth is that George clearly wants to be like his friend, as every episode features a moment when George learns about something new going on in Jonathan's life, and George inevitably exclaims that he wants to try it too. Yes, this is not the first upper-class, charming womanizer Danson has played (witness Arthur Frobisher in Damages, Jeremy Brockett in Mumford, etc.) but he keeps getting cast in these roles because he does it so damn well.
As Jonathan's other buddy, Ray Hueston, Zach Galifinakis is equally well cast. While it may be true that Galifinakis may always seem to be playing only minor variations of his stand-up persona (witness Due Date, The Hangover, etc.) I say kudos to him for making every line sound like it was improvised by a comic genius. (Kudos also go to the writers for making the character so distinctively Galifinakian).
Incidentally, I also like how the character of Ray's girlfriend, Leah, is treated; comedies with a "best friend's girlfriend" so often go one of three routes, treating this character as either an annoying third wheel who views the hero with contempt, a shallow source of pity for the antagonist, or a forbidden third point on a love triangle. Bored to Death, wisely, takes none of these routes, and instead depicts Jonathan and Leah as purely platonic friends; Jonathan and Ray may occasionally share "guy talk" that often focuses on Leah's lack of libido, but other than that, neither Leah nor Ray ever try to put Jonathan in the middle of their relationship difficulties. Such a sympathetic, novel approach to the stock character of "the best friend's girlfriend" is refreshing and welcome.
The writing for this show is simply sublime. The characters are both likable and believable, the plots are elaborate enough to be constantly intriguing without ever becoming confused or contrived, and the dialogue never sacrifices either credibility nor wit, but instead finds a perfect balance between the two. Bored to Death is a show well worth watching, and I whole-heartedly encourage you to rent season one on DVD, which is available on both iTunes and Netflix. In the meantime, I will eagerly await the release of season two!
*When I say that even the opening credits are fun, I'm not exaggerating. The graphics feature a cute little animation, taking place on the pages of the short story that inspired the creation of the show. And the theme song is a catchy jazz number performed by Schwartzman's band "Coconut Records" and written by both the real-life Jonathan Ames and Schwartzman, the actor who plays Ames in the show.
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