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| Scene from Rel |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
The film Get Out was one of the greatest surprise hits of 2017 down to getting an Oscar win for writer Jordan Peele. However, it's hard to ignore the breakout work that actor Lil Rel Howery did in the film as the comedic folly. Often with no more than a cell phone and a mediocre apartment, he filled the film with so much life that it deconstructed tropes within some of the film's scariest scenes. Considering that everyone else in the film has moved onto bigger and better things post-Get Out, one has to wonder what's in store for Lil Rel. Considering that his love has been comedy, it only makes sense then that he would try and tackle the genre on TV with the series Rel. So, the question now becomes whether or not he's able to capture the same magic on the small screen as he did on the big one.
The answer is a bit of a mixed bag. For starters, it's not a terrible premise given that Lil Rel has admitted that it's in some parts autobiographical. A man gets broken up and left nothing, which includes kids. The catch is that his ex-wife is dating the barber. That's pretty humiliating enough. But where does the show go from there? Its supporting cast includes a brother who was in jail for selling ecstasy, mistaken by his father as "crack." There's plenty of humor on display between the character dynamics, and Lil Rel clearly has a lot that he wants to put into this show. However, there's one thing that may stand in the show's way in the long run. It's the staged nature of the show.
It's technically not the fault of Rel, but it definitely does give the show too much of a retro charm. Fox, like most networks, is trying to resort to the cheaper model of three camera sitcoms. This includes the presence of live audiences and laugh tracks. Considering the recent success for it on the reboot of Roseanne (and presumably the success of Last Man Standing), there's no reason to believe that this isn't a good idea. After all, it worked for decades in the past and would make the program feel more in line with what the audiences want. Then again, Rel is maybe not going for the same audiences as Roseanne and Last Man Standing. It's going for a more urban audience, or even those who loved Get Out enough to give another chance. Given the pilot's broad comedy appeal, it's hard to not think that it's a bit mismatched in ways that are jarring.
Maybe it's because the show would seem too depressing at points without a laugh track, but Rel's big issue is the three camera model feels a bit dated. The show feels picked from a mid-90's sitcom that may have its appeal, but inevitably feels somewhat disposable. It distracts from what Lil Rel is doing within the series to mix emotion with comedy in ways that have a lasting impact. Even his supporting cast has plenty to like in the way they handle his strange desperation to have a post-break-up lifestyle. However, it also becomes jarring when it streamlines what the audience is thinking, most notably when Lil Rel has a failed date where the woman says that she's strong and independent before being played off with enthusiastic cheers that feel straight out of sitcom hackery. The moment itself isn't bad, but it's such a signaled moment that it feels unsure of itself from the audience standpoint.
Rel can be good because Lil Rel has proven that he's a very funny fellow. Even within the episode, he's got plenty of strong moments that could be built upon and given interesting depths. That is, if he actually wants to make this more than a silly sitcom. If that's all he wants, this show is already in top form. Maybe it's that the laugh track comes with too much of a taboo these days, but it's actually hurting the show and making it seem too rooted in a simpler time for TV. Again, it isn't the worst thing int he world, but it doesn't have enough of the energy to stand out as a significant series in the modern world. It's good, but after Get Out, it's easy to believe that Lil Rel and his writing staff could do better.
The answer is a bit of a mixed bag. For starters, it's not a terrible premise given that Lil Rel has admitted that it's in some parts autobiographical. A man gets broken up and left nothing, which includes kids. The catch is that his ex-wife is dating the barber. That's pretty humiliating enough. But where does the show go from there? Its supporting cast includes a brother who was in jail for selling ecstasy, mistaken by his father as "crack." There's plenty of humor on display between the character dynamics, and Lil Rel clearly has a lot that he wants to put into this show. However, there's one thing that may stand in the show's way in the long run. It's the staged nature of the show.
It's technically not the fault of Rel, but it definitely does give the show too much of a retro charm. Fox, like most networks, is trying to resort to the cheaper model of three camera sitcoms. This includes the presence of live audiences and laugh tracks. Considering the recent success for it on the reboot of Roseanne (and presumably the success of Last Man Standing), there's no reason to believe that this isn't a good idea. After all, it worked for decades in the past and would make the program feel more in line with what the audiences want. Then again, Rel is maybe not going for the same audiences as Roseanne and Last Man Standing. It's going for a more urban audience, or even those who loved Get Out enough to give another chance. Given the pilot's broad comedy appeal, it's hard to not think that it's a bit mismatched in ways that are jarring.
Maybe it's because the show would seem too depressing at points without a laugh track, but Rel's big issue is the three camera model feels a bit dated. The show feels picked from a mid-90's sitcom that may have its appeal, but inevitably feels somewhat disposable. It distracts from what Lil Rel is doing within the series to mix emotion with comedy in ways that have a lasting impact. Even his supporting cast has plenty to like in the way they handle his strange desperation to have a post-break-up lifestyle. However, it also becomes jarring when it streamlines what the audience is thinking, most notably when Lil Rel has a failed date where the woman says that she's strong and independent before being played off with enthusiastic cheers that feel straight out of sitcom hackery. The moment itself isn't bad, but it's such a signaled moment that it feels unsure of itself from the audience standpoint.
Rel can be good because Lil Rel has proven that he's a very funny fellow. Even within the episode, he's got plenty of strong moments that could be built upon and given interesting depths. That is, if he actually wants to make this more than a silly sitcom. If that's all he wants, this show is already in top form. Maybe it's that the laugh track comes with too much of a taboo these days, but it's actually hurting the show and making it seem too rooted in a simpler time for TV. Again, it isn't the worst thing int he world, but it doesn't have enough of the energy to stand out as a significant series in the modern world. It's good, but after Get Out, it's easy to believe that Lil Rel and his writing staff could do better.
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