PILOT REVIEW: Me, Myself, and I

ME, MYSELF, AND I

Starring: Bobby Moynihan, Jack Dylan Grazer, Brian Unger, Jaleel White, Kelen Coleman, Christopher Paul Richards, Mandell Maughan, Skylar Gray, Reylynn Caster, with Sharon Lawrence, and John Larroquette

Created by Dan Kopelman
Written by Dan Kopelman, Directed by Randall Einhorn

THE PREMISE
A comedy with a bit of a This is Us premise, Me, Myself, & I is centered on the life of Alex Riley at three different stages: as a 14 year old (Jack Dylan Grazer) in 1991, as a 40 year old (Bobby Moynihan) in the present day, and as a 65 year old (John Larroquette) in 2042. With a huge cast for a sitcom thanks to the multiple time periods, there are many in Alex's life including his daughter, Abby (Skylar Gray as a kid, Kelen Coleman as an adult), and a childhood crush, Nori (Reylynn Caster), who he meets again as a senior citizen (Sharon Lawrence). Other cast members include business partner Darryl (Jaleel White) and step-brother Justin (Christopher Paul Richards).

THE REVIEW
Well, I absolutely love this concept. I think it is ambitious and creative. The pilot had some good moments but it is clear that this show is not there yet in terms of being able to put it all together. That's not surprising given a concept that is difficult to execute, especially in a 21 minute sitcom episode. I just wish it had been a little more sure of itself and less frenetic but I'm still hopeful it can get there.

One reason I'm hopeful it can get there is there is a strong cast. So far of the three Alex Rileys, I like Bobby Moynihan's era best. Moynihan was great of SNL and he is relaxed and enjoyable here. He has a natural charm and can be quite funny even though the entire episode was not particularly funny. John Larroquette also is a proven sitcom veteran while the young Jack Dylan Grazer is promising. Other sitcom vets include Jaleel White and Sharon Lawrence so there is no shortage of experienced comedians. So why was this show so stingy with jokes and funny moments?

I think part of the reason was the immense exposition required for a show like this and I don't even really have a solution for that. Some comedies I think can get there naturally but a complicated premise like this really does need exposition. Still, there should have been more of a place for jokes. It wasn't even like they attempted funny moments that fell flat, they really just didn't even attempt many funny moments. I also didn't like the obvious segues into different eras. It's clear that the show is going to try to tie in the stories of the week together in the same way a show like The Goldbergs does. They don't need to set it up in such obvious ways with lines like "imagine yourself in 25 years" before immediately switching to a scene 25 years later. I hope this show will choose to be more subtle and not waste time in a show that seems as though it will have a lot of stories to service on a weekly basis.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Yes. As I said before, I love this concept. I'm curious to see what it's like when it settles into regular week to week episodes and how they will balance the three eras.