There are many drama series that attempt to foster a feel-good, love-conquers-all, we're-in-this-together, united-we-stand atmosphere. The recently-departed Parenthood is one. This is Us is another. Most of the hospital dramas, I imagine, are like that (I've only watched New Amsterdam, and it is a third example). These shows make us feel good about ourselves and help restore our faith in the goodness of people. Whether it is reflective of reality or not, it's a world we all want to believe in: humanity over profit, good over greed, love over ambition. The aforementioned series have done a better job at striking that fine-balance between idealism and reality such that we really care about the outcomes to the characters and want to tune in the following week to see how the narrative unfolds.
The Village fails on all of these accounts.
As a preliminary matter, I imagine the title is taken from the old saying, "It takes a village . . . .", and so over the course of the (now four aired episodes) we learn about the entanglement and support and interconnections among the residents of an apartment building in New York. Despite their personal circumstances and dramas, everyone cares about everyone else's welfare, and they stick together through thick and thin. It's a nice premise, and in and of itself - as unrealistic as such a premise may be in New York - it's one that I could watch and enjoy if executed property. In the case of The Village, however, the drama is smacked in one's face. Every single character has a major dilemma and challenge to face - from war-induced PTSD, unplanned pregnancy, deportation, family reunification, terminal illness, etc., etc., etc. - it's every major social drama one could expect thrown into a 40-minute show. The only thing missing is a character who is dying from late-stage AIDS and its complications.
This is not to say that there is no entertainment value in these sorts of dramas, but the writers and the showrunners have to hit the right balance. The Village is so overblown, so melodramatic, so manipulative and overbearing that it could cause a diabetic coma from its syrupy saturation. There's not enough heart in The Village to make it work. The characters have so little development; rather, they are defined primarily by their circumstances. There is little self-reflection or awareness on the part of the characters to help us identify and appreciate their circumstances, their decisions, and their dilemmas. I'll give an example unrelated to the show - to avert spoilers - to make this point. Let's say that one character is a flamboyant homosexual whose father is an evangelical priest who believes that homosexuality is an abomination against God. Another character is a Nobel Laureate in Math or Physics whose child is an illiterate high school dropout, addicted to drugs, and living in an abandoned tenement. A third is a gang leader married to the District Attorney whose number one priority is to stamp out illegal sex and drug-related crime that her spouse regularly engages in without her knowledge. Lets throw them all in one building and despite these conflicts and differences make everything work out. Love conquers all. Family above everything else. The radius of plausibility is just too great. How about toning it down? How about one issue or two instead of ten or twenty? How about building the characters such that natural conflict arises out of more realistic plot devices that help us appreciate the humanity that these people bring to their lives? Instead, each characters' circumstances are maxed out at a "10" (on a 1-to-10 scale) and by virtue of that plot manipulation alone, we are supposed to care. Well, I don't. After four episodes, I feel manipulated. Earn my care; don't beat me over the head demanding it. I don't like or dislike any of the characters. I'm rather indifferent. None of it matters. It's all just gross manipulation anyway.
Juxtapose this with, say, This is Us (which The Village replaced after the This Is US' season finale), whereby we care about the characters because of their histories and how they've remained close despite their differences in attitude and upbringing. Or, compare to New Amsterdam, which follows The Village, in which the hospital director, suffering from his own medical challenge, wants to do everything he can to help people no matter what. In my personal experience, I have never been to a hospital that put my needs above profit nor have I encountered a doctor (who treated me) who has ever seen me as a three-dimensional person with circumstances that extend beyond the appointment's window. Rather, it's typically wham-and-bam, prescription, next. But I can get behind an image of a hospital that makes its priorities what I believe they ultimately should be. I can watch how the writers construct a world where people rise above profit and the collective concern is one that everyone seeks to rally behind. There needs to be a singular thematic focus instead of a buffet of everything. With The Village, the buffet boasts Italian food, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Greek, Armenian, Turkish, Peruvian, American, and Japanese. Plus, there is bakery bar, a sandwich station, and made-to-order omelettes. Everything on offer means that nothing is done right. Welcome to The Village.
It could be redeemable. It is possible that if those in the writing room or the showrunners or the network get their heads screwed on that in subsequent seasons, once the underlying predicates are established, can dial the drama back and allow nature to take its course. It is possible. I hope they figure it out. I would not hold my breath.
Truth be told, I want an unrealistic drama that makes me feel good about humanity. Truth be told, this isn't it.
After four episodes, I cannot in good conscience recommend.
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