September 12, 2006: The Odds Are Good, but the Goods Are Odd
The
Men in Trees pilot episode was pretty good.
Anne Heche is Marin, a relationship coach who realizes she knows nothing about relationships and sets out to actually learn something as she writes her next book in Alaska. The premise of the show has the potential to be completely unexciting and predictable, but somehow manages to touch on true emotion. Sure, some of the scenes seemed contrived. Yeah, Jack just happened to be out in the middle of nowhere looking for bears and was able to rescue Marin as she fell through some thin ice. Oh, and of course they were stranded there for the night and had to lie down on top of each other, naked, for warmth. And don?t forget that she lives next door to a prostitute. Endless comparisons between the two are sure to follow from that convenient pairing. But through it all, Heche was completely believable. She really seems like a woman in a complete state of confusion ? granted, she has some past real-life experiences to draw from.
The message is fantastic: Be happy and the rest will follow. Marin may have been mistaken about her own love life, but she had the first step down. During her lectures she advised to be at peace with yourself and to take control of your own life. One observation: for a woman who just had her entire world crumble down around her, she seemed surprisingly calm. Yes, she made a major life decision to stay in Alaska and to attempt to learn something about men, but where was the scene where she stays in bed and cries? She didn?t even really yell at her fiancé on the phone when he admitted to cheating on her with her friend. Not even a few curse words when she heard the aforementioned friend in the background while ending her engagement. Her reaction did not entirely ring true to me.
The supporting cast is great, too. Of
ER fame,
Abraham Benrubi, Ben the bartender, and
John Amos from
Good Times added a little bit of wisdom and humor to the show. Ben's spiel about the Dirty Harry Syndrome (women want the impossible from men) was entertaining and probably true. Also, you might recognize Sarah Strange (Theresa) and Sue Mathew (Sara) from
Da Vinci's Inquest. All in all, a strong first episode. Excellent Tuesday-night viewing, but what will happen when it moves to its permanent slot on Fridays? We will soon see.
