My TV shows preferences have been largely centered on bromance lately.
The boys from Entourage said goodbye after eight (awesome I might add) seasons on the air; Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Howard continue to nerd it out on Big Bang Theory though Leonard’s friendship with Raj could face testing times after the latter’s supposed hook-up with Penny; Chuck and Morgan (to a certain extent, with Casey and “Awesome”); we all know How I Met Your Mother, despite arcs about Lily and Robin, is reliant on the trident of Marshall, Barney, and to a lesser extent Ted; Abed and Troy are practically inseparable on Community, while Joey and Chandler are, well, Joey and Chandler.
I tried to continue along the bromance route with the season premiere of the Sheen-less Two and a Half Men, but alas, Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher were as funny as dry paint. Not even a surprise cameo from Dharma and Greg could save this sinking ship from going down in flames.
However, this season’s fall TV shows are looking to change that trend Bridesmaids-style! While I have been waiting forever for Zooey Deschanel’s New Girl ever since it was announced all those months ago, I only found out about 2 Broke Girls a couple of days back. I’ve been a moderate fan of Kat Dennings since Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, plus she was in Thor as the other girl who was not Thor’s mum, Natalie Portman’s character and the other Norse warrior.
2 Broke Girls is about, basically, two broke girls who are waitresses in a dingy diner. Max, played by Dennings, is edgy, down-to-earth and street-smart (but of course if she was THAT smart she probably would have known her boyfriend was a douche) whilst newcomer Beth Behrs’ Caroline is a spoiled former trust fund baby who has lost everything. Are they the ultimate odd couple? While there were genuinely funny moments (the pink taser comes to mind), I am still to be convinced by the premise of the show. The riches to rags to riches story has been told through the ages, but it only works when you have an affinity for the fallen heiress who learns humility. Honestly, I just don’t really like Caroline.
Meanwhile, is it just me or could New Girl do with a better theme song? While the pilot displayed real promise and most importantly, some heart that is sometimes lacking in comedy these days, I felt mildly disappointed after the 20 minutes were up. I do concede that my expectations for this show were sky high from the get go though I can’t help but feel that something was lacking.
Zooey’s Jess was well, at her quirkiest best, which unfortunately became slightly overbearing after a few scenes. After she finds her boyfriend cheating on her, she moves in with three guys. Schmidt’s character was fairly interesting; I don’t know whether to punch him or to like him, but the douchebag jar quip was simply inspired. Coach, well, his storyline will be pretty straightforward: personal trainer who can’t seem to talk to women, Jess to the rescue I suppose. Lastly, Nick, the sensitive one who is still not over his ex who dumped him six months ago, seems perfect for Jess. A potential housemate romance brewing? Either way, I thought the scene where the boys left the party to comfort Jess was kick ass with a pretty endearing rendition of “Time of my Life”.
Sisterly love and a FRIENDS-like living arrangement may not be the new bromance, but I can safely say that come next week, I will be tuning in to 2 Broke Girls and New Girl again, if only for Kat Dennings and Zooey Deschanel.