television review: reunion

given the plethora of great viewing on tv last night, i finally settled in and gave the encore presentation of FOX's reunion a shot. this is a show that i was intrigued by, given it's "daring" use of time and narrative. (ie: each episode is a year in the lives of the six main characters, culminating in the murder of one of them BY one of them after 20 years (episodes.)) make sense? good. the show is crafty in its use of exposition. choosing to hide certain facts about characters to further the suspense and intrigue. the yearly footage is inter-cut with the present day murder investigation following the funeral.

in the pilot, aptly named "1986," we meet the six friends as graduating high school seniors embarking on lives full of promise and hope. then, of course, all hell breaks loose and i think to myself, "man, if each of the 20 years is as rough as this one, i would imagine they all kill themselves pretty quickly."

fortunately for the producers, that may provide a quick out when the show is cancelled.

though i look forward to finding out, as the series unfolds, "who did it" and "for which reason," and uncovering all of the not-so-hidden clues, i will simply have to wait and read about it in entertainment weekly come next spring. for this show is unwatchable.

let's start with the writing. every line was telegraphed from blocks away. and the one-liners were tired and redone. just because the episode takes place 20 years ago doesn't mean that they had to act like it was written 20 years ago. i laughed out loud more than a few times (reminder: it's a drama, not a comedy) at the inane banter between these characters. ("i think wham! is going to be the next beatles!" ugh.)

and speaking of characters, how interesting are they? let's see, there's the goody-goody who decides her life needs an adventure. there's the "perfect couple" who aren't as perfect as they seem. the upstanding best friend who would do anything to protect the others, but has a secret. then, there's the slut and the boring mama's boy who's secretly in love with the slut. oh yeah, and the goody-goody is secretly in love with the mama's boy.

how inventive.

the actors, though pretty enough, barely pass as likable. maybe it's the writing, maybe it's the over-the-top use of bad 80's fashion, but i tend to think that over-acting is over-acting. period.

the real fatal flaw with reunion is that it sacrifices substance and merit for something as lowly as a gimmick. i can just see the pitch meeting in my head:

exec 1: that 24 show is a big hit. what if we did a show like that, but instead of hours, it's measured in years?

exec 2: i'm listening.

exec 1: we could tell the story of some friends who go through some tough times that shape the relationships and stuff.

exec 3: what if one of them dies?

exec 2: i love it. who can we get to write the story.

exec 1: who cares? people will watch based on the premise alone!

exec 3: that's true.

exec 2: well, i'm convinced. you guys wanna make out?

execs 1 and 3: okay.

...or something like that.

basically, i have seen the characters. i'm moderately interested in how it ends. but, i don't want to watch it ever again. i mean, how long do they expect to continue to refer to the victim as "the deceased?" or "your friend?" and how many disasters can these friends go through? don't they deserve ONE YEAR without a car accident or a miscarriage? well, they DON'T deserve it, but i digress. the entire point of this show is paper thin at best. so, unfortunately, i, along with the other 7 people who watched "1986," may never know the "who" and "why" because this show simply can't last much longer.

and i'm not at all sad about that.