Channel Surfing: Camping - "Pilot"

Scene from Camping
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.
In the eight years since Lena Dunham made her directorial debut Tiny Furniture, she has experienced the entire range of public outcry. While there was initial support for her fresh take on the ennui that faces 20-somethings in the modern era, by the end of Girls' impressive run, the show bated controversy weekly, and sometimes from other places - including Dunham's own social media presence. While it makes sense then that Dunham and partner Jenni Konner return to HBO, the network that made them famous, it seems like it will only create more of a lightning rod for those who already dislike her. Camping is her second series, and has the added benefit of not actually featuring her - though her writing is fairly recognizable to those who love and hate its approach to self-indulgence and bad decisions. As much as Dunham has become a negative poster child for left-wing idealists, her latest doesn't really give her much wiggle room around that persona.
True, Kathryn (Jennifer Garner) isn't in any form of her 20's, nor is she possessing any abhorrent skills in theory. She is merely running a campsite where she wants to keep order with a group of frivolous characters that seek to break her. Even husband Walt (David Tennant) seems to be on the fence of not following her strict codes. It's a decent enough establishment for a sitcom, especially given that this is adapted from a European show of the same name. However, it becomes clear that those that found Girls a bit nagging will find plenty to dislike in this show's attempt to give characters agency and purpose, and some of it comes in the episode's final moments as Kathryn asks her group to stop having fun ("swimming is tomorrow") and go bird watching. There's a lack of control, and she seems desperate to get it back.
The question soon becomes where the show can go from here. Is this an example of Kathryn's older, stricter behavior being torn down in favor of the more wild behavior? It's hard to tell, though Dunham and Konner don't do the character much justice as being more than a typical nag at first. In some sense, the rest of the characters find camping as a time to relax and perform duties on their watch. This includes such acts as nude swimming, and going into lengthy conversations that keep activities from starting on time. Individually, there's a good chance that these are harmless. When piled on, it makes sense that Kathryn's anxieties for control plow through any semblance of purpose. She is useless to them, and it does seem like she'll either have to break down and have fun, or become the perpetual nag that has kept a strong contingent against Dunham for almost a decade now.
Is the show entertaining? It has plenty of moments that read as fun on paper, but maybe get a bit mushed up in execution. The idea of having Garner play the worrywart is a smart move, especially with her charming demeanor and ability to carry the unpleasant behavior well. However, this is a clashing of egos at the start, and Girls at least built its first season around a friendship. There's not much here that doesn't have some elements of hostility. While this could play for humor, it may also end up making the show likely to tank faster than the small good will people would give it.It all depends, as the show pits a lot of unpleasant ideas against each other, and hopes that the audience will find something to relate to. It's not a total waste. Anything with a cast this committed deserves some credit. However, it doesn't quite have the hook yet.
Camping is a sitcom looking for a deeper meaning. While it would always be difficult to suggest that Dunham and Konner break through their reputations so effortlessly, there was still hope that by adapting someone else's show, that they would have some guidance for how to make it pop with life. There's still a chance that the show could have an admirable turnout by the end, though it's underwhelming and already on the low end of people's enthusiasm. There's not much of a reason to keep watching if you believe that Kathryn's quest for control is the focus of the show. How interesting of a comedy would that be? There's a lot of promise here for a show that might work, but first the show has to have more than a story of control versus chaos, where the protagonist is also too much of a wet blanket to be fun. There needs to be something more, and it isn't quite there yet. 

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