With networks premiering a plethora of new pilots, it can be hard to decide what’s worth the study break. Hatchet reporter Eric Robinson takes a look at some of the season’s most promising shows.
“Looking”
Airtime: Sundays, 10:30 p.m., HBO
Names you’ll know: Jonathan Groff (Glee, Frozen), Murray Bartlett (Guiding Light), Frankie J. Alvarez (Smash)
Premise: Three gay friends live together in San Francisco.
Watch if you liked: Girls, Sex in the City
Overall grade: A
There’s one word that you need to use when describing “Looking:” authentic. The comedy-drama emotionally and realistically deals with the lives of gay men in San Francisco, never once delving into the broad humor and stereotypes that are characteristic in even the best sitcom pilots. “Looking” paints complex portraits of three friends attempting to reconcile their various relationships, and it does a masterful job.
Jonathan Groff is a stand out as Patrick, a young video game designer attempting to form a relationship while dealing with the wedding of his ex. A scene that has him attempting to receive a handjob in a public park is both hilarious and stunning in how revealing it is, due in part to Groff’s performance.
The rest of the cast also stands out. Both Murray Bartlett and Frankie J. Alvarez deliver performances as Patick’s roommates that uniformly paint remarkably lively and funny characters.
San Francisco looks absolutely stunning with fantastic direction and beautiful cinematography. A shot in the pilot featuring the distant city from the viewpoint of someone in a suburb is simply breathtaking to take in. It’s very uncommon for 30 minutes comedies to be this technically proficient.
“Looking” doesn’t utilize big plot twists or zany comedy antics in order to gain the attention of the audience member. The pilot simply features the mundane lives of three friends in San Francisco. It’s precisely this simplicity that is likely to turn off hordes of viewers, too. However, the near-perfect execution of acting, writing and direction suggests that those who stick with it are very likely to receive a rich, authentic, and remarkably human comedy-drama.
