I never understood what was funny about Kevin James to begin with. Even my 16-year-old son pondered, "Who the hell thought Paul Blart: Mall Cop needed a sequel?" We all have seen sitcoms that you wonder if they'd even work without the laugh track. Although Mom is not for me, I respect that the show mixes darker subjects in with the cheap laughs. It helps that they have a stellar cast, too. In Kevin Can F Himself, I wouldn't be surprised if they do both comedic and dramatic readings of the sitcom segments, just so that it is clear that it works as both comedy and tragedy.
I have read a few online articles that Mom was a Good Sitcom that did deal with Dark Subject Matter(think it was Alcoholism?). I saw that Series just ended. Not sure how many Seasons it ran for, but somehow I never caught an episode, but maybe in the future will do so on a Streaming Site or in syndication on regular tv. I also have been wanting to watch Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock, as just never got around to watching those Series when they were on(NBC?).
I watched the first 3 episodes last night. This is a very bizarre and uncomfortable show. There's very little comedic about it, unless we consider that life is but a joke. The "sitcom" scenes are equally disturbing as the scenes outside of her life with Kevin. I feel a strong feminist vibe, as Kevin represents the patriarchy of privileged white men who feel ignorantly bound to subjegate all that lies before them. How do you bring down something like that? How does one become free? John Brown and partners raided Harper's Ferry, with a new Constitution in hand, yet swung from a rope because of it, no matter the noble intentions. Also, we find the disillusionment of Western domestication. There is your homelife with others, and then there is the time you spend away from family, wondering what the **** just happened. Who are these people and when do you let go? Often we find ourselves asleep among other people, because waking up is too horrific to do (or at least it seems). This show is well cast. Annie Murphy puts on an acting clinic without appearing like she's acting. The only small issue I have is with casting Raymond Lee as the love interest. He makes the cast a little too Hollywood-soaked by his presence. Then again, he represents the grass being greener on the other side, even though the grass isn't green on either side, unless you make it so. No one person is going to fill up that empty space within you. It's curious, because we see his wife, and wonder how he could be displeased with such a dish. Well, this is perhaps another point of the show, especially in light of the sitcom dimension: that we often look at other couples, or groups of people, and imagine that their lives are as perfect as they appear (like the sitcom), only their personal lives might be as imperfect as yours, or worse. The sitcom always represents our hapless heroes creating a jam and then getting out of it. Everything will be okay in the end, right? Yes! - only what is "right" is always judged against what is "good," when real life is seldom like that. Cue laugh track.
It's a sharp, very well written and acted show that has something to say. They could have settled on doing a parody of the "loveable fat idiot with wife that's way too hot for him" genre of sitcoms, but they went beyond that to make salient points about the portrayal of women in popular culture. Excellent show.
You can also replace ‘Sitcom’ with other peoples ‘Social Media Pages’, as most people like to portray how great their life is and how happy they are, when in reality not is all as they like for their friends(on-line ones, soon several cases not really friends in the real sense of the word) to believe. A lot of these people actually have problems and unfortunately in some cases suffer from depression.
I saw the first 2 episodes not sure if I will continue. Seems like it's 1/2 sitcom and 1/2 drama all in the same episode.
Fortunately, I've been off of all social media for a few years now, save for various forums. I get enough of my depressing s*hit at home. Or on TV. Perhaps one have to learn from the darkness to better equip one's self for the light. And vice versa, as they might just be the very same things. Darkness and light.
i have a soft for The King of Queens, thought it was funny, this does feel like a skewering, same cast make up (kinda) house set up etc....even little detail are a callback. ive only seen one ep but dig it so far
Haven't seen the latest one yet: The biggest hurdle is gonna be when these two worlds collide...... Perhaps, it'll be in a "Pleasentville"-type way, where the sit-com-y actors see what really happening? It'll kill the show, but, what else can they do?
Loving this show. It's like they fused aspects of shows like Better Call Saul and Kevin Can Wait. Each time they shift perspectives, I find it incredibly refreshing. Am I alone in thinking the title should be "Kevin Can Go F___ Himself"? I grew up not too far from Worcester and that's how they would say it in the Boston area.
Can't put this show down. On Ep 5 but I'm really enjoying the contrast and the darker feel. Seems a shame for anyone who might take the sitcom stuff at face value. But either way, it's a cool concept. Started watching because of Annie, having just finished Schiit's Creek for the second time. Really enjoy her performances.
The OP mentioned Black and White scenes. Almost through the first episode and the colors are less vibrant in the non-sitcom scenes, but is there actually any black and white? Haven't seen it.
Haven't seen it, either, though the non-sitcom scenes are considerably duller than the sitcom ones. That must be what the OP meant.
Aren't almost all the leading men in sitcoms idiotic cartoons? Isn't the fat/stupid/goofy guy with the hot/witty/smart wife pretty much the standard trope for EVERY sitcom? The point of the show is how bad women are treated on these show (and real life), right? It seems to me is that the guy almost always looks idiotic/bad/terrible in these things already, so what's really new here (aside from the flipping back and forth from "serious" to "sitcom")? Pretty sure the guy as idiot is pretty well-covered.
It's all in the presentation, though. This one has the right presentation, at least for me. It's dark. It leaves me thinking. It might be because this show is exactly what I need right now. My marriage is crap, and I won't point fingers, unless they're directed at me first.
This show doesn't seem to be so simple as "men are clumsy idiots." I do find it interesting we've only seem Kevin outside of the sitcom universe once.
Yes, I should described the contrast in scenes better, but the point was mainly contrasting a Sitcom Style Show with a Dramatic Show like Better Call Saul(which also utilizes different shades in the scenes with Saul as Gene to present a darker part of that Series). I liked the recent episode, and was first time I enjoyed the Sitcom Part, where Kevin challenged Former Rangers Player, Sean Avery to the Steak Contest to defend the honor of Boston Sports Fans for what Avery had done in the past to the Bs. Although, the Habs are the real rival to the Bs, as it is the Greatest Rivalry in NHL History, but get that Kevin was playing off the Boston/NY Rivalry for all Sports in general and not just Hockey, but it was a Former Ranger Player, who he saw in the restaurant. I am a Flyers Fan, but the Habs are my 1A Team, and also watch several of their Games. Habs have been cursed ever since they benched Patrick Roy in a Game, that lead to his demand to be traded. When I heard the voice of Nick, it sounded familiar. Realized in about 10-15 Minutes that it was the same dude, who played the Penguin in the Gotham Series(or a younger version, as Gotham was based on characters before they became older and fully formed criminals, although there were a few scenes with some of them in the Arkham Asylum). It was ironic that I watched Gotham, as do not watch other Shows or Movies based on Comic Books(except the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy and saw one of the Spider-Man Movies), but Gotham was a solid Drama Series with some good actors(except the kid, who played a Young Bruce Wayne). Well worth my time to have watched it. 2 Episodes left this Season. Wonder how much will get done(an attempt by Nick to kill off Kevin?), or will there be a 2nd Season? No idea about the Ratings, and if that will impact the decision to continue this show. I am hoping Gangs of London will have a 2nd Season(being a UK Show, might have already been completed and shown there, like the 1st Season was shown there prior to AMC showing it in the US). OT-I also started to watch the Britbox Show on AMC, The Beast Must Die. Only have seen the first 2 episodes, but plan to keep watching it, as has potential to be a good show.
