I'll tell you what. If I was rating this show on the basis of the story alone, I might give it a seven and credit it with being a solid thriller. If I was rating it for its comedic elements, maybe I'd bump that up to an eight. The story is sound, after all, and the comedy is intelligent and used in just the right amounts.
The way these story tellers blend comedy with darker elements is masterful. It's a show that can literally be a laugh-out-loud riot one scene and jerking tears the next. With that in mind, why not give 'er an eight or nine and call it good?
I'll tell you why. Because outshining all of that are the performances of the show's two main stars; performances as impressive as any I've ever seen. I mean it, too. Until I took a look at this show, half-hearted to begin with, I had no idea what a powerful actress Christina Applegate turned out to be. I was not much familiar at all with Linda Cardellini but now I'll count myself as among her biggest fans. Both of these women knocked their every scene out of the park, whether it was Applegate being hilariously bitchy, Cardellini being a cute misfit or the two of them weeping sloppily over the endurance of their friendship under extremely difficult circumstances.
I don't know if the two women are friends off screen, but in the context of the show, they have chemistry. Tremendous chemistry. Some of the most realistic and intense chemistry I've ever seen on a screen, small or big. Ultimately, the story is about that friendship and these actresses make that story irresistible. All the other plot lines, some of them downright goofy, are just bones on which to hang the flesh of this magnificent story of unconditional love, loyalty and maybe a smattering of co-dependence.
And with these complex mathematical formulas in mind, I have no trouble at all lighting up ten stars for this one.
I love this show, and many of the characters that populate it. Ben, the big dork, is a favorite, although I wasn't so fond of his twin. Those WERE two different actors, right?
The neighbors, friends, coworkers and support group members were all richly played by talented actors, but I tell you. None of those characters, no matter how colorful, could hold a candle to Applegate and Cardellini who just raised the bar on buddy movies forever.
The way these story tellers blend comedy with darker elements is masterful. It's a show that can literally be a laugh-out-loud riot one scene and jerking tears the next. With that in mind, why not give 'er an eight or nine and call it good?
I'll tell you why. Because outshining all of that are the performances of the show's two main stars; performances as impressive as any I've ever seen. I mean it, too. Until I took a look at this show, half-hearted to begin with, I had no idea what a powerful actress Christina Applegate turned out to be. I was not much familiar at all with Linda Cardellini but now I'll count myself as among her biggest fans. Both of these women knocked their every scene out of the park, whether it was Applegate being hilariously bitchy, Cardellini being a cute misfit or the two of them weeping sloppily over the endurance of their friendship under extremely difficult circumstances.
I don't know if the two women are friends off screen, but in the context of the show, they have chemistry. Tremendous chemistry. Some of the most realistic and intense chemistry I've ever seen on a screen, small or big. Ultimately, the story is about that friendship and these actresses make that story irresistible. All the other plot lines, some of them downright goofy, are just bones on which to hang the flesh of this magnificent story of unconditional love, loyalty and maybe a smattering of co-dependence.
And with these complex mathematical formulas in mind, I have no trouble at all lighting up ten stars for this one.
I love this show, and many of the characters that populate it. Ben, the big dork, is a favorite, although I wasn't so fond of his twin. Those WERE two different actors, right?
The neighbors, friends, coworkers and support group members were all richly played by talented actors, but I tell you. None of those characters, no matter how colorful, could hold a candle to Applegate and Cardellini who just raised the bar on buddy movies forever.