Alex, Inc. - General Discussion

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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In the series premiere, a radio journalist quits his job to start his own company.

[thebigboot]

Meh, not impressed.

[biakbiak]

This was what's the phrase...not good, yes that's it this was not good!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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At the office, Eddie and Deirdre compete for Alex's time and butt heads, causing them to almost quit. As a result, Alex tries to be a good boss by coming up with a solution to split his time between the two. Meanwhile, Alex does not like Rooni's handmade costume for Ben's class project on famous people, so they come up with a surprisingly different choice

[Caseysgirl]

This is what happens when comedy writers play Sit com Mad Libs. 

[joanne3482]

I didn't dislike it. I like the family part. I just don't know what a podcast company is supposed to be. Is he making his own podcasts? Producing and working with other artists to make their own podcasts? I'm glad (so far) the show isn't going the sitcom trope of wacky hijinx over a married couple with different ethnicities. 

[luna1122]

I'm really fond of Zach Braff, too, tho it's totally not cool to like him, but whatever. My guy and I still watch Scrubs repeats literally all the time. This was very pilot-y, as in trying to fit too much in too quick, a little too precious, a lot of trying too hard. But there are elements I really like, and I hope it can live up those moments. I'll keep watching.

[Skyfall]

Reviewers have said this is the worst episode of the three they got.

1 hour ago, joanne3482 said:

I didn't dislike it. I like the family part. I just don't know what a podcast company is supposed to be. Is he making his own podcasts? Producing and working with other artists to make their own podcasts? I'm glad (so far) the show isn't going the sitcom trope of wacky hijinx over a married couple with different ethnicities. 

In the real world a podcast company distributes multiple podcasts, secures sponsors, has a single web presence, etc. Right now it just seems like he’s starting his own podcast and may build a company from there? With a 1.1 already (since ABC didn’t use Roseanne properly) it better hope it can retain that rating or it’s one and done.

[rhys]

I never realized how short Michael I is.

Also, they blew a great opportunity during the commercial for this show. It's about the Heimlich & one of the family members asks Alex, "Is that right?"

Alex responds: "I don't know. I'm not a paramedic."

He should have said: 'I don't know. I'm not a doctor. "

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

I didn't dislike it. I like the family part. I just don't know what a podcast company is supposed to be. Is he making his own podcasts? Producing and working with other artists to make their own podcasts? I'm glad (so far) the show isn't going the sitcom trope of wacky hijinx over a married couple with different ethnicities. 

If you want a "spoiler" (quotes because I imagine the show is going to diverge from it) this is the Wikipedia on the company the real Alex started.

[Philip]

I saw this series on YouTube and said to myself 'It's that guy from Scrubs!" so I watched the trailers available and then regretted immediately. Good god, the comedy aspect in that is terrible, not once did I even smile, chuckle or laugh like I used to in Scrubs. I'm already expecting it to be cancelled.

 

The wife and kids don't seem too interesting either nor the podcast thing.

[thebigboot]

My biggest issue is it played off of the usual tropes and cliches. No attempts to make it any different. The minute he brought up the 401k you knew it was a matter of time before he hit it. The martyr trope as he violated several federal laws to approach the plane. Literally the entire episode was this. I know we’re supposed to suspend belief for things like this but I’ll tell you the biggest BS part of this show. 10,000 for three months in that size place in NYC? Nope! Too cheap.

[BubblingKettle]

2 hours ago, thebigboot said:

My biggest issue is it played off of the usual tropes and cliches. 

This was one of my problems with it, too. My other thought was that I would have liked less of the kids. The magician boy and his acting annoyed me. I want to believe that Zach Braff is better than this. 

[twoods]

Hopefully it gets better. I liked that it showed a realistic biracial family (especially with the wife being Indian since we never see that), and want to see it succeed because I love Zach. Maybe Donald Faison can make a cameo to bring in some viewers and laughs.

[Skyfall]

6 hours ago, thebigboot said:

My biggest issue is it played off of the usual tropes and cliches. No attempts to make it any different. The minute he brought up the 401k you knew it was a matter of time before he hit it. The martyr trope as he violated several federal laws to approach the plane. Literally the entire episode was this. I know we’re supposed to suspend belief for things like this but I’ll tell you the biggest BS part of this show. 10,000 for three months in that size place in NYC? Nope! Too cheap.

Incubator so a lot of companies are paying the leader of it for the space.

[sarkygal]

My Zach Braff love means I have to give it at least 3 episodes, but it wasn't very good.

 

I must say I chortled pretty hard at the robot baby rocker sight gags. It reminded me of Angie Tribeca, which now makes me want Zach, Rashida and Andy Samberg in the same show.

 

My brain goes to strange places. (Shrugs)

[Beezella]

I tried this because I like Michael Imperioli, but he was pointless in this. I liked the kid's magic show. Liked the fake out there. What were his wheels under that robe? At first I thought he had a segway, then maybe those wheelie shoes. At the airport it looked like he a round platform there with wheels on it.

Edited March 30, 2018 by Beezella
Ah! Hoverboard!

[Pop Tart]

51 minutes ago, Beezella said:

I tried this because I like Michael Imperioli, but he was pointless in this. I liked the kid's magic show. Liked the fake out there. What were his wheels under that robe? At first I thought he had a segway, then maybe those wheelie shoes. At the airport it looked like he a round platform there with wheels on it.

Pretty sure he was on a hoverboard. 

I think my biggest roadblock with this one is that it follows so soon on the debut of RISE. I so hated that middle-aged, white guy going through some kind of mid-life career crisis and his making major, life-changing decisions that would adversely and exponentially affect his family, that it's hard for me to get past Alex doing the exact same thing here in this pilot.

I actually liked the family and the dynamic the husband/wife have - where they seem to actually be in a partnership with each other. There was a smidge of the usual sitcom trope where he's just a lovable, screwup, happy-go-lucky charmer and she's the scolding "mother", but it was relatively muted. So there's that. But I did find myself thinking as I watched, "do we really need another family sitcom about a white guy trying to figure out life and stuff?" 

All this said I will give it another episode at least mostly because I know a lot of my reaction was actually still due to RISE and not this show. 

Edited March 30, 2018 by Pop Tart

[Cherry Cola]

My very first opinion from opening scene was...Chris Sacca? I hate it already.  I cannot stand that dude from when he was on Shark Tank.  I assume he is only in this episode, but big turn off.  

I thought Alex was going to go into a dream scene like JD from scrubs when he looked up when he was thinking.  

Not the best, but it has potential and I do like Zach. 

[sonyab]

Oh wow I was laughing so hard I had tears! :)  I love this show. I'm in! :)

[iMonrey]

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Reviewers have said this is the worst episode of the three they got.

So that's . . . encouraging? Man, I really wanted to like this but I don't think I laughed once. I really like Zach Braff though so I'm sure I'll give it another episode or two. But, ouch, it needs to be funnier by a mile. I think the only time I even smiled was when the investor asked him what his secret weapon was and he did the jazz hands.

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10,000 for three months in that size place in NYC? Nope! Too cheap.

And why does he even need an enormous office space if he's just starting out? He can do a podcast from home. Really dumb plot point.

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

And why does he even need an enormous office space if he's just starting out? He can do a podcast from home. Really dumb plot point.

I wasn't paying that close of attention but wasn't it an incubator? So he is sharing the space and services with other startups.

Edited April 4, 2018 by biakbiak

[iMonrey]

I'm not really familiar with what an incubator is (aside from the ones they use for chickens) so you may be right. But he still doesn't need a designated office space when he's just starting out. The show is only doing it that way because they want a work environment separate from his home environment.

[biakbiak]

16 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

The show is only doing it that way because they want a work environment separate from his home environment.

I haven't listened to the podcast since it came out but I am pretty certain having outside office space from the beginning is accurate. He wasn't just starting a podcast he is starting a company.

[biakbiak]

It still wasn't good but it was better than the pilot which was garbage. I might have even chuckled once. They also clarified that the incubator culture will be a part of the show.

Whatshername is bigger than an A cup. 

[bros402]

This was much better than the pilot, but that is not saying much.

Did anyone else groan/cringe when the JD-esque narration started? I mean, it was good in Scrubs and it makes sense in this show, but, ugh, it felt a lot like a Scrubs voiceover. 

Also, with the meetings... why not have the producer interview the CEO - or have the producer & 2nd cousin go to the sponsor/ad meeting? Do they just want to blow through every single major sitcom trope in the first few episodes to get it out of their system?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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Alex gets mad at Eddie for making work decisions without him; Rooni gets distracted by work while chaperoning Soraya's field trip; Ben takes up guitar playing and is determined to get his dad to let him score music for the podcast.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Articles, interviews, and other media go here!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Zach Braff discusses Alex, Inc:

[joanne3482]

5 hours ago, 17wheatthins said:

 

I liked it. I find the family scenes very charming and the work scenes funny. 

 

I agree. So far I really like the family. I'm okay with him learning how to be the boss of his own company. I presume it is vastly different than being a middle manager. I loved the notes the daughter left. They made me smile. And I liked that the Eleanor Roosevelt costume won and was treated with dignity. I'm glad he didn't a - chicken out of wearing it or b - get bullied for it. 

 

8 hours ago, bros402 said:

Also, with the meetings... why not have the producer interview the CEO - or have the producer & 2nd cousin go to the sponsor/ad meeting?

I did wonder about this. There are 3 total people in the company. Surely one of the other two could have done the other meeting. 

[iMonrey]

Ugh. OK, it's bad. I wanted to give it a fair shot but aside from the two times Alex was ejected from the broken chair there was nothing even remotely amusing going on. The family scenes are cloyingly, sickeningly sweet, and the work scenes are trite and predictable. There's just no talent in the writing room. Too bad, it's a great cast and a lot of wasted potential. 

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Did anyone else groan/cringe when the JD-esque narration started?

It was really dumb that they did a voice-over when he was reading his daughter's note. Hey guys . . . we can read. Boy, they're really not taking anything for granted, are they?

[Skyfall]

3 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Ugh. OK, it's bad. I wanted to give it a fair shot but aside from the two times Alex was ejected from the broken chair there was nothing even remotely amusing going on. The family scenes are cloyingly, sickeningly sweet, and the work scenes are trite and predictable. There's just no talent in the writing room. Too bad, it's a great cast and a lot of wasted potential. 

It was really dumb that they did a voice-over when he was reading his daughter's note. Hey guys . . . we can read. Boy, they're really not taking anything for granted, are they?

What if you’re not paying attention of you’re too far away to read the writing or you’re out of the room? I don’t mind them reading it.

[Whimsy]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Ugh. OK, it's bad. I wanted to give it a fair shot but aside from the two times Alex was ejected from the broken chair there was nothing even remotely amusing going on. The family scenes are cloyingly, sickeningly sweet, and the work scenes are trite and predictable. There's just no talent in the writing room. Too bad, it's a great cast and a lot of wasted potential. 

It was really dumb that they did a voice-over when he was reading his daughter's note. Hey guys . . . we can read. Boy, they're really not taking anything for granted, are they?

 

58 minutes ago, Skyfall said:

What if you’re not paying attention of you’re too far away to read the writing or you’re out of the room? I don’t mind them reading it.

I actually appreciated that because I was squinting at the screen trying to read it.  Good thing I have an eye exam tomorrow, because my tv isn't that small.  I also am frequently multi-tasking so I hate when I have to read during shows. 

I guess I didn't hate it as much as other people.  My main question is who the heck wants to listen to that boring podcast?  No one knows who he is.  It's not like he's already a household name.  I don't mind the show, but I would never listen to that podcast. I hope they start lining up others soon.  

[TheRabbi]

I'm in the minority here, in that I thought the pilot was serviceable enough and had potential, but I thought this episode was just dreadful. That Mrs Doubtfire setup was painfully bad and done to death.

The pilot at least got me to record the second episode (I can't say the same for the other newbie on ABC, Splitting up together), but I'm only giving this show one more.

[bros402]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Ugh. OK, it's bad. I wanted to give it a fair shot but aside from the two times Alex was ejected from the broken chair there was nothing even remotely amusing going on. The family scenes are cloyingly, sickeningly sweet, and the work scenes are trite and predictable. There's just no talent in the writing room. Too bad, it's a great cast and a lot of wasted potential. 

It was really dumb that they did a voice-over when he was reading his daughter's note. Hey guys . . . we can read. Boy, they're really not taking anything for granted, are they?

I actually liked the voice over of the daughter reading the note.

[paulvdb]

11 hours ago, TheRabbi said:

That Mrs Doubtfire setup was painfully bad and done to death.

I don't remember Mrs Doubtfire, but I've seen this before although it's usually done with a character having two dates to the school dance. Having two business meetings is slightly different, but not different enough to make it funny.

[JasmineFlower]

I thought the second episode was much better. Thought it was more fleshed out than the first in showing what it wanted to be. Not great, but something I can work with.

Now, I think I'm alone in this, but Michael Imperioli is so rarely the right choice to me outside of more caricature performances. I did find the knitting stuff amusing and I liked the interplay of jockeying for position with the co-worker, so maybe there's hope, but in general, not a huge fan of that casting. Think a different choice would've helped the show more.

Now, another minor problem I have that I'm likely alone on is these kids - why do I constantly see parents on these shows let their kids run roughshod over them? Hey kids, dial back the attitude, dad's starting a new job, lay off the guilt trips, we'll adjust to his new schedule and your world will not end. And I think this is ringing particularly false on this show as I don't honestly buy that this Indian-American mother would be like, yes, it's okay to say or write snarky messages to your dad and I won't say a word. That would be a hard sell for me with any POC really. The son was a bit annoying, but he at least handled it a tad better, but he was still very me, me, me, and I didn't need him talking as much trash about his mom as he was. So yet again, problem with kids on a show for me, though honestly, as is happening more often, it's the writers I really take issue with.

[Philip]

The boy that plays the son of Zach Braff was on Mr. Robot. He did a pretty good job so he's obviously talented yet if someone is given a crappy script then he/she will have a hard time making that stuff believable.

 

I've tried to watch soap operas from around the world but they're so unbelievably bad (a few are good) I don't know how anyone can watch it every single day and surprisingly, it isn't cancelled. It takes talent and skill to make a series but not a soap opera.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 4/5/2018 at 4:49 PM, TheRabbi said:

I'm in the minority here, in that I thought the pilot was serviceable enough and had potential, but I thought this episode was just dreadful. That Mrs Doubtfire setup was painfully bad and done to death.

The pilot at least got me to record the second episode (I can't say the same for the other newbie on ABC, Splitting up together), but I'm only giving this show one more.

I much prefer Splitting Up Together.

The things I objected to in this episode:

1) The chairs: at least twice they showed  Eddie and Deirdre sitting in the 2 green chairs in front of Alex's desk, so don't bother me with this "one good chair" nonsense.

2) The Wax Museum, which requires a fairly elaborate poster, is on Wednesday and Ben is just choosing his character (and costume) on Tuesday?  In real life, the character would have been chosen weeks ago so that the child could do his research, which is the actual point of the project, not the costume.  Thus, there would be no picking out the costume at the last minute.  And we are to believe that Ben did the research and the poster by himself the night before the presentation.

3) All the elaborate costumes bothered me.  Except for the mis-matched sock beard, Ben's homemade Lincoln costume was much closer to what his costume should have been like then a rented costume.  Anyone with money can buy or rent a great costume.  It's much more instructive to approximate the costume by putting together bits and pieces of clothes and objects that are around the house.

4) Rooni is a full-time lawyer who dumped her Tuesday afternoon case on an inexperienced attorney to go costume shopping?  And then took off Wednesday afternoon to go attend the Wax Museum?  Who's her employer?

5) Unless Alex's daughter goes to bed remarkably early (and assuming his commute is within half an hour), Alex had to hang around his office until at least 7 pm two nights in a row just to listen to Eddie and Deirdre argue?  Who does that?  That does make him a rather lousy father since he made the commitment to read to her.

6) Maybe Rooni is always joking when she talks to Alex (with a completely serious expression), but if she didn't know that kids need frequent baths, or many of the other things that she didn't seem to know about her kids, then she has been a fairly absent mother, even if Alex was the primary caretaker.  (I would say the same thing if a father commented that he didn't know that kids smelled bad.)

7) FINALLY: the entire premise of his podcast bothers me.  Bringing the mic into bed at night?  Worse, telling the kids to forget the mic is there, taping their family breakfast discussions and playing the results on the air for strangers to hear?  Why should his children lose any semblance of privacy?  And Rooni agrees to it?  Terrible parenting.  That's just an aural version of those E! reality shows where celebrities exploit their children.

Edited April 11, 2018 by ItCouldBeWorse

[ElectricBoogaloo]

12 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

FINALLY: the entire premise of his podcast bothers me.  Bringing the mike into bed at night?  Worse, telling the kids to forget the mike is there, taping their family breakfast discussions and playing the results on the air for strangers to hear? 

Plus who wants to hear someone just narrating his day? "And now I'm pouring my coffee" is not exactly the interesting kind of podcast that I would listen to. If I were Rooni, I would have kicked his ass out of bed for recording while I was trying to sleep. Although we haven't seen every room in the house, I know that there has to be at least one room in the entire place that doesn't have sleeping spouses or kids in it. Go record in the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom, or hell, inside your car if you feel that your thoughts are so profound that they MUST be recorded right now while everyone else is asleep.

Edited April 11, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[TheRabbi]

9 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I much prefer Splitting Up Together.

 

I hated the pilot of that show. Just felt like a bunch of sex and masturbation jokes for shock value, without actually being funny. This I felt had stronger potential, so I'll give it another week or two. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

NOTE: This episode is airing on Tuesday. The show will return to its regular Wednesday night timeslot on the following night.

Quote

Alex thinks he fired their part-time babysitter, Rosalba after he and Rooni find her sleeping on the job, but the situation gets more complicated when Rosalba shows up for work. Meanwhile, Ben takes over as babysitter and watches Soraya after school; Rooni loses cell service and gets nervous about the kids being left home alone.

[joanne3482]

It's probable I'm the only one who likes this show, but I liked this episode. I can understand Alex's frustration with his cousin (somehow I missed they were cousins).   I think they should have said to the incubator that the sound booth in the main space is a value add for them because they could rent it by the hour to others in the incubation space who may need privacy or recording time. Alex Inc can't be the only group who periodically needs quiet.  

I loved the son learning guitar on YouTube. That's how I learn new crochet stitches.  It really has revolutionized learning for people. 

You knew the moment they talked about the rare butterfly it was going to die, but as I recall, those butterfly pavilion type places are basically death traps for butterflies because of the number of people going through constantly (and butterflies don't have the longest life span to begin with apparently adults live 1 - 6 weeks)

[Beezella]

I liked the idea of the classroom court case against the mom. (name?) I would say involuntary butterflyslaughter would be the correct charge.

Michael Imperioli was comedy gold talking to his mom.

[bros402]

I liked this episode

[Cherry Cola]

I think the show is getting better.  I am sticking it out due to residual Scrubs love.  I see bits of JD in this character.  

I loved the son scaring the parents with his guitar soundtrack...he was pretty funny at that part.  

Edited April 13, 2018 by Cherry Cola

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Rooni's mother, Joya, comes to New York and Alex tries too hard to impress her, including a disastrous celebration of Holi which makes him look worse. But a conversation between the two leads to a surprising development for Alex's new company. Meanwhile, Ben wants to learn more about his heritage from his grandmother to impress a girl in school

[rhys]

Aww, I liked the ending. But it did remind me of color runs where you find pink snot 3 days after the race along with weird blue gunk in your hair for days!

[biakbiak]

I would think Alex would be all over Holi. Fantastic food and making a mess. 

Ajānā is a better name than Gimlet Media.

[bros402]

I enjoyed this episode - I think the show has found its rhythm, But I doubt it is doing well in the ratings, so it'll be 13 and done.