Slings & Arrows: Rarer Monsters
Slings & Arrows: Rarer Monsters
Movie Central
11 July 2005
Dramedy
DVD
C+
This is not only the weakest episode so far but the one that made me switch the "sitcom" tag to "dramedy." It's not that the show has exactly become darker so much as depressing. Geoffrey and Ellen are torn apart by his collaboration with the ghost of Oliver and by the (pretty obviously) manipulative actor playing Macbeth. I could forgive this if it were darkly funny or even insightful in the way Season One often was. I might've gone with a B-, but the plot about the (pretty obviously) manipulative president of Frog Hammer Advertising-- oh, sorry he hates the word "advertising"-- selling a horrendous ad campaign to the admittedly pushover Richard just added to the feeling that the characters are losing the truth that they were formerly grounded in. Only the return of Darren Nichols, who no longer hates theater, well, he likes the idea of it, made me smile. Also, losing Jack and Kate (permanently?) is turning out not to be good for the series either, as the actress who's taking the Juliet role is more forgettable, and her Romeo is a condescending gay man.
Maria Vacratsis, Tanja Jacobs, and Pragna Desai make their first of three appearances as respectively Witch #1, Witch #2, and Witch #3. Roy Lewis is Banquo for the first of four times. Benedict Campbell would be Director #1 once more.
Movie Central
11 July 2005
Dramedy
DVD
C+
This is not only the weakest episode so far but the one that made me switch the "sitcom" tag to "dramedy." It's not that the show has exactly become darker so much as depressing. Geoffrey and Ellen are torn apart by his collaboration with the ghost of Oliver and by the (pretty obviously) manipulative actor playing Macbeth. I could forgive this if it were darkly funny or even insightful in the way Season One often was. I might've gone with a B-, but the plot about the (pretty obviously) manipulative president of Frog Hammer Advertising-- oh, sorry he hates the word "advertising"-- selling a horrendous ad campaign to the admittedly pushover Richard just added to the feeling that the characters are losing the truth that they were formerly grounded in. Only the return of Darren Nichols, who no longer hates theater, well, he likes the idea of it, made me smile. Also, losing Jack and Kate (permanently?) is turning out not to be good for the series either, as the actress who's taking the Juliet role is more forgettable, and her Romeo is a condescending gay man.
Maria Vacratsis, Tanja Jacobs, and Pragna Desai make their first of three appearances as respectively Witch #1, Witch #2, and Witch #3. Roy Lewis is Banquo for the first of four times. Benedict Campbell would be Director #1 once more.
Comments
Post a Comment