Skip to main content

PILOT REVIEW: The Mick

THE MICK











Starring: Kaitlin Olson, Sofia Black-D'Elia, Carla Jimenez, Susan Park, Thomas Barbusca, Jack Stanton, Scott MacArthur

Created by Dave Chernin and John Chernin
Written by Dave Chernin & John Chernin, Directed by Randall Einhorn

The Mick is yet another sitcom about an irresponsible party girl thrust into a responsible situation. I would have to look back but I feel like we get these types of shows a lot. In The Mick, Kaitlin Olson plays Mackenzie, who is forced to start taking care of her niece and nephews when her millionaire sister and brother-in-law are sent to jail and subsequently flee the country. The three kids are rebellious teen Sabrina (Sofia Black-D'Elia), arrogant pre-teen Chip (Thomas Barbusca), and precocious Ben (Jack Stanton). Rounding out the main cast is maid Alba (Carla Jimenez).

I didn't find The Mick funny at all. I actually found it pretty annoying. I think Kaitlin Olson is capable of being funny and she did have a few funny one-liners but overall, she and the show were just trying too hard. The opening sequence that only served to introduce Mackenzie to us, made me groan instead of laugh. The show then settled into such a cliche plot. Of course the teen daughter would want to smoke and party. Of course the middle son would be wise beyond his years. Of course the youngest child would be precocious and say things like "what's a hangover?" These are the same types of kids we've seen in many other shows, American Housewife most recently.

The one thing this show didn't do, which I guess was refreshing to an extent, was there wasn't a heartwarming moment to end the show. There wasn't a moment where Mackenzie did something very sweet with one of the kids and things seemed like everything was going to be ok. This show did not end that way, it ended with as dicey a situation as it started. That makes me at least mildly curious to see what episode two looks like.

Ultimately for this show to succeed though, it's going to have to be a whole lot funnier but I also think they need to find some redeeming qualities for Kaitlin Olson's character. Even some of the more outrageous sitcom characters in history like Steve Carell's Michael Scott on The Office or Danny DeVito's Louie DiPalma on Taxi had layers that made them likable and understandable. This is not something that has to happen in the pilot, but The Mick should give us a reason to root for Mackenzie sooner rather than later. It's a lot easier to laugh at the outrageousness when there's some dept behind the character.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
I might give it one or two more episodes. I didn't like American Housewife very much after the pilot but I've grown to enjoy it and sometimes sitcoms need a couple episodes.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...
Post a Comment
Read more

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls:  Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...
Post a Comment
Read more