PILOT REVIEW: Rel

REL

Starring: Lil Rel Howery, Jessica "Jess Hilarious" Moore, Jordan L. Jones, and Sinbad

Created by Lil Rel Howery & Kevin Barnett & Josh Rabinowitz
Written by Lil Rel Howery & Kevin Barnett & Josh Rabinowitz, Directed by Gerry Cohen

IN SHORT: A beta version of The Carmichael Show.

THE PREMISE:
Based on his real life, Rel stars comedian Lil Rel Howery as Rel, a man whose wife recently left him after he found out she was sleeping with his barber. He is left trying to rebuild his life in Chicago with his kids far away. He leans on brother Nat (Jordan L. Jones) and friend Brittany (Jessica "Jess Hilarious" Moore) for support while also dealing with his overbearing father (Sinbad).

THE REVIEW:
Rel started on an unbelievably awkward note with the Rel on the phone delivering the line "I can't believe this man, who'd have ever thought my wife would have an affair with my barber." Then there was a slightly awkward short pause followed by an obviously canned laughter. The canned laughter continued throughout the very unfunny first scene (save for one funny reveal that he was talking to his internet provider's customer service rep).

The good news is that was the worst part of the episode. The bad news is it didn't get that much better. I actually think Lil Rel Howery has the potential to be a pretty likable lead. I felt a little bad for his character as he tried to carve out a new life. But the writing has to be better and I had a major groan when Sinbad appeared. Maybe you're a Sinbad fan and you will be happy to see him again, but I find him incredibly irritating. Every line is delivered in such a forced way for comedic effect but it never has the desired effect.

The other two series regulars are okay. Jessica "Jess Hilarious" Moore is not hilarious like her name implies, but she's decent. I thought Jordan L. Jones showed some comedic chops. Lil Rel thought he was being pretty funny doing double duty as the pastor and the fake audience seemed to think so too, but I found that scene over the top and annoying (as I did when I saw the trailer in May). The only other funny moment in the show was the sight gag of Rel walking in to confront the barber and then us seeing the height difference.

BOTTOM LINE:
I guess if I can name two funny parts of a pilot, it's better than some comedy pilots I've reviewed over the years. But Rel is mostly annoying, not funny and it's not for me. With so many people from the acclaimed The Carmichael Show involved, this should be better.