The Critic (TV Series) Miserable (1994) User Reviews

Misery and all

[safenoe · 7/10 · 9 March 2024]

The overarching parody for Miserable was Misery which starred James Caan and Kathy Bates. There were many other parodies, and one I loved was the New Yorker one, which was amazingly sharp. The jibe at Oscar winner Dr Haing S. Ngor was guarded, and sadly he passed away two years later in tragic circumstances, and it reminded me of the infamous Simpsons episode Team Homer, which had a nasty swipe to Dr Ngor, and the episode was screened just a month before his tragic death.

I learn something every day, Judd Apatow was a consulting producer for The Critic. Anyway, the Misery parody was hilarious.

Miserably in Love

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 22 September 2022]

This is another of my favorite episodes of the show; but also, one of my favorite "Halloween" episodes and "Valentines Day" episodes. I know a non-conventional pick for "Valentine Day" but that's part of why I like the episode.

It's of course springtime which means spring fever, which also means love is in the air. But for Jay it's just another day as he's just luckless in love. You'd think his troubles are over once he just found someone that's into him who happens to be a projectionist (voiced well by Pamila Reed) ironically and both are hitting it off; unfortunately Jay's love troubles have only just begun.

It's just funny seeing Jay just going though the motions of his "Misery" like dilemma. There are so many funny moments, like one moment where Jay just gets knockout out with some sedative and just has Jay keeps losing time it just keeps getting funny; this is sort of a parody on the whole jumping time cliche which is in most suspense thrillers just as a device just to move the story along. Or another scene when Jay surprisingly can move the bed toward the kitchen and he trying to reach for a knife to get out and defend himself; but of course any of us that have seen the suspense thrillers can easily guess best laid plains never go well which makes sense because if they did there's no more story.

Jeremy is also good in the episode really like seeing how he's not totally self-centered, that he really does care about Jay and is doing everything he can to help him. One highlight with him is seeing him at this vending machine that sells guns, which of course parodies on the vending machine subculture going on in the 90's and now. On that scene I always wondered what happens if you typed in the other answer.

Can Jeremy save Jay on time, will Jay be able to escape a crazed fan's clutches, and can Jay's luck in love change; you'll just have to wait and see.

Rating: 4 stars.