franzooey Reviews

Three's a Crowd (1984–1985)

Not Bad but Not Great Either

[5/10 · 13 May 2018]

Just finished a Three's Company marathon, complete with spin-offs (I also wrote a review for The Ropers).

TAC is not as bad as some other reviewers have stated, but it's certainly a letdown after Three's Company. It doesn't help that by the time Season 8 of Three's Company came around, the show had grown a bit stale: still enjoyable but running out of steam. That does not make for a great hand-off to the new show.

And the new show is in a lot of ways the same as the old show, only much more tepid. Mary Cordette as Vicki Bradford, Jack's girlfriend, is perfectly fine, but comedy is not her metier. Robert Mandan as Mr. Bradford is a pro. His presence is stabilizing, as is the reoccurring role of Jessica Walter as Claudia, Vicki's mother. Alan Campbell as Jack's surfer-dude sous-chef is a bit grating.

But tepidity is the issue. The show doesn't know what it wants to be. The first five or six episodes are sluggish because they mostly continue the new-couple-in-love storyline that, quite frankly, dragged down the final episodes of Three's Company. In fact, this rom-com-lite feel permeates the entire single season of TAC. Other times, the show tries to go for the tried-and-true formulae of TC: the physical pratfalls of Ritter, the double-entendres, the overheard conversations, the misunderstood conversations. Occasionally, they are hilarious, and one is briefly reminded of the pure farce of TC.

Farce. That's what I and so many viewers loved about TC. The original show did not try to be serious. It did not try to lecture or pander. It refused to turn mawkish or maudlin (NOTE: The show's final hour-long episode is an exception, awkwardly going for gush instead of gut-busting laughs). TAC, thus, is in an awkward position. If it tries to rehash TC's blueprint, it risks being lambasted as unoriginal. If it tries to go in a different direction--lukewarm and fuzzy romance with dashes of humor added in--the show is also painted into a corner.

Nonetheless, the show is far from awful. In fact, it finds its semi-stride for a number of mid-season episodes. TAC is harmless and nostalgic, especially for anyone, like me, who misses Ritter, Three's Company, and 80s neon fashion!

The Ropers (1979–1980)

Not as Bad as History Believes

[7/10 · 13 May 2018]

Just finished a month-long nostalgia kick: all eight seasons of Three's Company, two seasons of The Ropers, and the sole season of Three's a Crowd.

The Ropers is too often maligned, often making Internet lists for "Worst Spin-Off" or "Top Ten Terrible Spin-Offs." Make no mistake. The Ropers is no disaster like Joanie Loves Chachi or AfterMASH. In fact, The Ropers is quite palatable; often, it is hilarious. Norman Fell and Audra Lindley are terrific as always, and Jeffrey Tambor shines (thanks to his bald crown, of course) as the Ropers' uptight, upward-obsessed neighbor.

As others have stated, The Ropers may not be great. The couple are stronger in small doses. Still, the fact that this show lasted only a season plus six (season one is only six episodes) is a shame. The Ropers was a ratings smash for that first mini-season but tanked once it was switched to Saturday nights opposite CHiPS (why do television programmers do this?). It's a shame.

Concerns? As stated, Stanley/Fell and Helen/Lindley struggle to carry the weight of entire show, but what's really missing is a stronger supporting cast. Tambor is fantastic--don't get me wrong--but there's little else. Patricia McCormack is perfectly acceptable as Tambor's wife, and Evan Cohen is likable as the little boy, but Three's Company always boasted at least five strong characters, while The Ropers at times can feel claustrophobic: the two neighboring couples and not much else.

I don't know much about the history of The Ropers' ratings, but my guess is the addition of Stephanie Vallance as Jenny in the last ten episodes or so was a desperate attempt to inject a new storyline. This gambit is understandable, but Jenny, a young adult runaway with a heart of gold who moves in with the Ropers as their surrogate child of sorts, makes for an odd addition. Jenny is perfectly anodyne, and that's the problem. The show desperately needs another character or three, but only if that character is A) interesting and B) funny.

The Ropers deserved a better fate. It's certainly a good enough show to last four or five seasons. It's equally as good as, and often better than, other sitcoms that enjoyed healthy runs. And who knows? Given a chance to grow, The Ropers might have blossomed into something beyond its surface pleasures. Oh well.

Stargate SG-1: The Torment of Tantalus (1997) Season 1, Episode 10

Fascinating Premise, Mixed Results

[5/10 · 6 May 2017]

This is a fan favorite from the somewhat mixed bag that is season one (though I love 'em all and am watching the entire series through for the sixth time). Don't get me wrong. The premise is fascinating and terrifying. As others have noted, imagine being alone, on another planet, for fifty years. Sadly, though, I put "Torment" in a SG category I like to call the Stand-Around-And-Talk episode. Most of "Torment" is limited to a single set piece (yes, I am aware that budgets limit world building and that so many SG worlds are not much in scope), but, honestly, not much happens. The set-up is terrific, but once SG-1 arrives on Ernest Littlefield's "home" planet (where he's been marooned for half a century), things grind to a halt. Everyone shuffles around. Daniel becomes obsessed with a room. Ernest's isolation is addressed, but not with the brutal honesty that such a reality would have engendered. The episode is fair, definitely one that I sort of eye the clock to see how many minutes remain. An interesting bit of trivia is that future SGA actor Paul McGillion (Dr. Carson Beckett) plays the young Ernest, something that I did not know until very recently.

Stargate SG-1: Politics (1998) Season 1, Episode 20

I'll Go Against the Grain Here

[7/10 · 6 May 2017]

Yes, yes, yes. This is a "clips" episode. Footage from previous season-one episodes are folded into "Politics," which is usually a clue that the writers were struggling with ideas or simply needed a creative break.

But I like this episode, so let me defend it. For one, the clips aren't terribly long, and they do fit better than they do in the much more forced "Out of Mind" that ends season two. Also, "clips" episodes typically have very flimsy frames that basically exist to set up the past footage, and though some might argue that "Politics" does exactly this, I disagree. An important character, Senator Kinsey, is introduced, played by Ronny Cox, who is phenomenal as the budget-conscious, God-loving (and God-invoking), probably Republican official who will become an important figure in future SG story lines.

Moreover, the episode's central premise, a heated debate in the conference room, is well-acted, well-scripted, and passionate. Kinsey wants to shut down the SG because it is a fiscal drain, and he also considers the Goa'uld an overrated threat (he believes that America, which is protected by the hand of God, can defeat any invader). Hammond, O'Neill, and the rest of SG-1 believe otherwise, of course. They've been off-world and know what's out there; they've dealt with the Goa'uld first hand.

So, sure, if you love action and a fast-moving plot, "Politics" will disappoint, and the fact that it also folds in clips will only deepen that disappointment. But for those who love debate-driven drama (think of courtroom scenes), there's much here to like once one forgives the past episode footage. This is where the O'Neill-Kinsey standoff begins, and the episode's ending actually sets up the excellent finale that follows. Give "Politics" a chance...even though it's a "clips" show.