S01.E01: Pilot

[Charlotte Vale]

I was eating dinner during the vomit scene, so . . . no. Just no.

 

Other than that, I liked the cast; the concept and execution are just weird, and not in a good (or sustainable) way. If Henry has no romantic interest in Eliza, why on earth would a busy man like him take on a makeover of a horrible horrible person he hates? And a romantic sub-plot would further ruin the show. Their suddenly liking each other at the end of the pilot did not remotely ring true.

 

I just don't see where this can go, character or plot-wise.

[Kromm]

I don't know about Freakonomics.  I"m an actual black person and yes, it's a stereotype, SOME black people have complex names; but when I was a kid we used to say that if you called "Cheryl" half the block would look and I grew up in a black neighborhood too.  It burns me up when writers, who usually aren't black, use stereotypes which is based on limited knowledge.  I still feel the characterization was racist.

Fair enough.

 

Although if it helps even a smidgen (I wouldn't dare claim it's the same experience or knowledge as being black) it's worth noting that the show creator/head writer doesn't appear to be the usual white male. It's Emily Kapnek, and while I don't really know what mix she is, she's clearly half and half of something (from her eyes she looks either half Hispanic or Asian).

 

As far as the complex names thing goes, I think it's interesting that we're having this argument over a character named Charmonique, when the actress behind her is a real person named Da'Vine.  

 

(also, as I sit here typing this, this very moment, I'm watching on my TV a designer (another real person) named Charketa on Project Runway.)

Edited October 3, 2014 by Kromm

[Oscirus]

They somehow managed to make this show worse in the edit. I get that they had to edit for time, but the way that they chopped up/ changed around scenes made for a fairly incoherent plot. Also please don't try to do racial humor with the guy from "Harold and Kumar." That joke was so bad that it wouldn't have even made it into Harold and Kumar 2.

 

I think the leads are fine, but mostly, I'm wondering about the supporting cast. Nobody really stands out to me from that bunch. Charmonique is fine but how many times have we seen a character like that? Ditto the boss. The friends on both sides don't really stand out either. I'll watch it for now because the main characters are fun. But I'm not getting attached.

[whack-a-mole]

I'd like this 20ish minutes of my life back.

[Rae Spellman]

I can't agree that the "higher proportion of black females are overweight or obese relative to population" justifies Hollywood casting of the stereotype, over and over and over again. 

 

In any case, the character, as presented in the pilot (at least the online version I watched), is a stereotype. 

 

Agreed. Americans in general are overweight or obese. As was mentioned earlier, plenty of black women don't have names like Charmonique. The fact that an individual actress who is both fat and named Da'Vine exists doesn't inherently make this character less problematic, less stereotypical, or less off-putting. Surely, there were other, less trite options.

 

 

It's not a stereotype that black people give unique, complex names. You can read about it in Freakonomics. 

 

Freakonomics didn't say that black people as a group give their kids unique names. Rather, Dubner and Levitt said that there are consequences when they do. Black people with "black" names are discriminated against, sight unseen, for having black names. FWIW Ebony, Nia, Jada, and Jasmine were among the 20 blackest names referenced by the authors of Freakonomics.

Edited October 5, 2014 by RaeSpellman

[Charlotte Vale]

 . . . that doesn't mean that the majority of black women  . . . look as fat as Da'Vine Joy Randolph. Or have names like Charmonique.

 

 

I agree, but that would have been a lot more effective had the actress in question not been named Da'Vine.

[Whimsy]

we have a thread about Race and Ethnicity on Television here: http://forums.previously.tv/topic/2738-race-ethnicity-on-tv/page-3#entry289187

If you want to continue discussing these issues, you can do so there.

Let's keep the discussion here about the Pilot episode. Thank you.

[johntfs]

Edited October 7, 2014 by johntfs

[Whimsy]

Seriously, move on.  Take this discussion to the appropriate thread I posted above. 

[phillychick33]

I watched it because of John Cho but I thought the entire show was pretty cute. I hope this sticks around for a season at least. I like having Cho on my tv weekly.

Agree!  I was put off by the title of this show but when I saw Mr. Cho in the previews I had to watch! lol  He is just too cute!!  Also think the show is cute.. I'm just hoping he & stuck up (hehe) don't move past friendship -- that will spoil it for me.

[Jac]

I didn't completely hate it but I didn't laugh and I found Eliza's speaking in txtspk insufferable. That said I like Karen Gillan enough to keep watching for another couple of episodes to see if it improves. 

[Kromm]

I didn't completely hate it but I didn't laugh and I found Eliza's speaking in txtspk insufferable.

I thought that was supposed to be the point (that we'd hate Eliza for doing that).

The problem with a show like this is the balancing act. You have to make how Eliza acts convincing enough as needing drastic change, but at the same time you risk viewers doing a "the lead is unlikable thing" and contemplate giving up on the show because of it. Some of the changes from the initial pilot to the broadcast were probably them scrambling over this very thing.