S01.E01: Pilot

[paulvdb]

Quote

As a sometimes ill-equipped but always devoted single parent to his two adolescent daughters, Grace and Natalie, Wade is taking the major step of dating again. His supportive and compassionate best friends, Forrest and his wife, Delia, and Ben and his wife, Michelle, are thrilled he's resurfaced and enthusiastically offer to help set up his online profile. To Wade's amazement, he's a hot commodity with women, and his friends explain that he's the perfect single guy - a "unicorn": employed, attractive and with a proven track record of commitment. With his daughters and best friends rooting him on and hoping he'll find happiness again, Wade and his healing heart are ready to try life... and love... again.

Airdate: September 26, 2019. Episode is already available for streaming on CBS website and other places.

[lovett1979]

I watched the pilot on CBS.com I like most of the cast, and the episode was ok, though not really "funny." I just wonder where the series can really go. Since the premise is about him dating, either he dates someone new each episode (which would make him kind of a playboy, and not a very likeable character) or he finds someone special and commits to them, in which case there is no plot.

Also, it really bothers me that there is already a well-established definition for the term Unicorn w/r/t dating and this is not it.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I liked it.

[SmithW6079]

So his wife is dead barely a year and his friends are pushing him to date? 

Plus, I'm creeped out that Walton Goggins is a widower in real life -- his wife committed suicide -- but here a dead wife is played for laughs. 

[WritinMan]

Well...Goggins deserves better than this.

[Armchair Critic]

On 9/24/2019 at 1:04 PM, lovett1979 said:

I just wonder where the series can really go.

I was thinking the same thing because the end of the show seemed like it wrapped things up with him and the girls facing the future without mom and him getting into the dating world. I did it enjoy it though.

[Frost]

I thought I would like this show, but I couldn't get into it.  It just didn't click.

[Twilight Man]

On 9/24/2019 at 1:04 PM, lovett1979 said:

he dates someone new each episode (which would make him kind of a playboy, and not a very likeable character)

This is Hollywood TV.   They had people like George, Justin, and Fraiser dating women almost every week, and the people on the show are constantly saying what a loser that person is.

[Bulldog]

Didn't live up to all of the raves I had been hearing, but pleasant enough.  I'll give it a few more episodes before deciding whether to bail.  Definitely more dramedy than comedy.

And who knew that Walton Goggins could play a "normal" character?

Edited September 27, 2019 by Bulldog
Knew and new are not the same.

[JenLily]

I wasn't expecting much when I sat down to watch this and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought his relationship with his kids was really sweet and I loved the dynamic with his friends. Like the rest of you, I'm curious what direction the show will take but I'm planning on sticking with this one.

[biakbiak]

I think this could easily morph into a friendship/family show ala Cougartown and Trophy Wife based on the chemistry and talent of the cast.

[marymon]

Ok the guy is still a  mess not cooking or cleaning and letting the  dogs on the counter so his friend's all agree the solution is dating?  Maybe  therapy and cleaning up the house first?

[luna1122]

I will watch anything Walton Goggins does, because he's amazing, but it IS weird to see him play a nice, average guy. I definitely prefer him as the silky voiced devil types we're used to. The writing is beneath him, at this point, tho I think it was all cute and watchable. I agree it's kind of disturbing to hear his wife's death referred to, when his real life first wife actually died. I did read that WG says this role is the most actually like him in real life, so maybe he's still working some stuff out thru this show, I don't know. At any rate, I'll keep watching, because, once again, i'll watch him in anything.

[FrankOFoley]

1 hour ago, luna1122 said:

I will watch anything Walton Goggins does, because he's amazing, but it IS weird to see him play a nice, average guy. I definitely prefer him as the silky voiced devil types we're used to. The writing is beneath him, at this point, tho I think it was all cute and watchable. I agree it's kind of disturbing to hear his wife's death referred to, when his real life first wife actually died. I did read that WG says this role is the most actually like him in real life, so maybe he's still working some stuff out thru this show, I don't know. At any rate, I'll keep watching, because, once again, i'll watch him in anything.

And his name appears in the credits as producer.

[chitowngirl]

I would think that since he knew what the gig was when he accepted the role, he would have declined it if he wasn’t up to it.

[Gregg247]

The main thing I know Walton Goggins from is the recent "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" movie.  He was the bad guy in that movie, and he kept saying he had to do all these terrible things so he could one day make it back home to his children.  Throughout this show, I kept pretending like he was playing that same evil character once he made it back home.  All his friends THINK he's a unicorn, but he's really, really not! duhn duhn DUHNNNN! lol

The show wasn't bad, but I felt like I'd seen the entire episode from all those commercials that they hit us with throughout the last 3 months of watching Big Brother.  I knew all the jokes before they said them.

[HazelEyes4325]

I guess it must be my unpopular opinion that I really, really enjoyed this show.  Granted, I came in with the exception that it would be a completely different show.  I know I've seen Walter Goggins in other things, but I couldn't name them with a gun to my head.  I do, however, feel like they were very different kinds of roles?  In any case, I expected this show to be far more crude than it was.  

I get that shows can change a bit after the pilot and that I should wait for a few episodes before I decide if this really is a show for me, but I'll definitely be back next week (it helps that Young Sheldon is one of my "watch live" shows so I'm already tuned in...)

[DoYouLikeMutton]

Maybe he will take the same route as Jerry on Seinfeld.  Date lots of women and none of them work out.  😁

[TigerLynx]

Empty Nest lasted for years.  This show could to.

They can still do the children don't like who dad dates plots, or the children like who he dates, but she's not the one for him.

There's also the women he's dating don't measure up to his wife that died plots.

I like Walton Goggins so I will keep watching.

[roughing it]

I hadn't heard about this show before it aired, and I really liked it.  I usually don't care for "pilot" episodes because they're so clunky, but I felt this one just rolled like it had already been established (unlike the one after Mom with P. Heaton, now THAT one was clunky, and not funny)

And my husband liked it because he saw the lead character and said "hey he was on Justified!", husband's favorite show.

Edited September 27, 2019 by roughing it

[Armchair Critic]

It's driving me crazy what I know the oldest daughter from, I think it may be that she reminds me of Paige from 'The Americans'.

[msrachelj]

20 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

So his wife is dead barely a year and his friends are pushing him to date? 

Plus, I'm creeped out that Walton Goggins is a widower in real life -- his wife committed suicide -- but here a dead wife is played for laughs. 

omg! I didn't know that. How sad. 

[msrachelj]

I will and have watched everything Walton Goggins has been in for years. Nothing will beat Justified but he is very watchable. I liked the show, it had it's humorous moments. What I did not like was , once again, an animals death being treated as just another thing, oh well, on a sitcom. A cat being accidentally let out and eaten by a coyote is not really funny and maybe these things should be dealt with on tv in a realistic caring manner and then just maybe you wouldn't read so much about neglected and abused pets. Just sayin. 

[AuntiePam]

20 hours ago, Bulldog said:

And who knew that Walton Goggins could play a "normal" character?

Can he?  I thought he just walked through this, like his heart wasn't in it.  He spoke his lines too quickly and that made his lines sound rehearsed, which they were, of course, but that's not the intended effect.

Maybe I've just seen him too often as a bad guy. 

I'll keep watching for his friends, especially Michaela Watkins.  Is she a friend or a relative? 

[tennisgurl]

Walton Goggins as a nice normal suburban dad is really strange to see. He is pulling it off pretty well, but every time he opened up that freezer I half expected to see a dead body in it. I really liked this episode, the cast is really great and have a nice cast chemistry, I think the show could kind of become a sort of friendship/ensemble style show and it could be really good. 

I do think that the premise is decently sustainable if played right, like they have him dating a few different women, have some awkward flirtations or bad dates and some good ones that just dont work out, maybe have him start a longer term relationship and have it not work out and maybe deal with the fallout of his daughters getting attached to her, and eventually him finding someone and how a second marriage would work out. 

I liked how Wade handled the older daughter apparently starting to have a thing with their neighbor. He didnt go all crazy over protective dad, he just set some boundaries, talked to her, and had his female friend give her a talk. Like a normal person and not some TV dad asshole who pulls a shotgun at any guy who makes eye contact with his daughter, well into her 20s.

The one issue I really had were his friends kind of pushing him into dating. I mean, maybe go for therapy or something first? I guess getting out helped him out of his rut, but there were clearly other issues here. A year isnt really that long.

"Its like the Disney Channel Grey Gardens!"

[coconutcookie]

I loved him in Justified and wish he had found a better vehicle than this. It's a stinker, imo.

[Lifesabeach]

I am not familiar with Walton G (yes I’m old) so I thought he was fine.  The show was kinda entertaining.  And .........

Ugh! Don’t call me kiddo. 

[bros402]

This was an odd pilot. This felt like an ABC comedy got lost and ended up on CBS - and I mean that in a good way. No laugh track! Characters that might be interesting!

[Harvey]

11 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

The one issue I really had were his friends kind of pushing him into dating. I mean, maybe go for therapy or something first?

On 9/27/2019 at 7:07 AM, marymon said:

Ok the guy is still a  mess not cooking or cleaning and letting the  dogs on the counter so his friend's all agree the solution is dating?  Maybe  therapy and cleaning up the house first?

Guys...he IS going to therapy. That is the plot of the second episode of the first season 🙂 His friends encouraged him to date because many women were salivating over him and he simply didn't notice. And you know the saying....you get over someone by getting under someone else. So I understand what the friend  group was trying to do, and it is not the only way they try to get him out of the rut he is in.

[ctlady]

13 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I do think that the premise is decently sustainable if played right, like they have him dating a few different women, have some awkward flirtations or bad dates and some good ones that just dont work out, maybe have him start a longer term relationship and have it not work out and maybe deal with the fallout of his daughters getting attached to her, and eventually him finding someone and how a second marriage would work out

True, if the writers plan this out carefully, but I'm not completely sold.  I don't know if this show's creators really thought of any long term plan for TU.  Like so many new shows that have the newbie effect in the first season, only to get written into a corner in the next.  The base premise is him being this perfect type of man (good father, widowed so not a player, homeowner, has a steady job, volunteers for daughter's soccer team) that he'd have no trouble finding ladies who appreciate those qualities, but if you want to sustain this type of premise for several seasons, then they can't have him in a steady relationship or even remarry else he's no longer The Unicorn.  But if it's stretched out, like someone stated above, he may start to resemble a 'player' or even have viewers lose interest in watching him go from date to date for 2,3,4 seasons. 

23 hours ago, TigerLynx said:

Empty Nest lasted for years.  This show could to.

But wasn't EN more about the widowed father's and daughter's basically navigating through life rather than them hounding him to date because he's such a catch?  EN wasn't pigeon-holed into that sub-premise so there was room to grow into tackling family dynamics without straying from it's 'base'. 

On 9/27/2019 at 11:37 AM, DoYouLikeMutton said:

Maybe he will take the same route as Jerry on Seinfeld.  Date lots of women and none of them work out.

Yeah, but Seinfeld was a show about 'nothing' and.....everything 🙂  The name of this show alone leaves little room to go off into episodes about 'sparing a square' or it being 'the summer of Wade' without completely derailing itself from what it's actually supposed to be about

And am I the only one who didn't think Tracey was THAT uber-smoking-hot?

20 hours ago, roughing it said:

unlike the one after Mom with P. Heaton, now THAT one was clunky, and not funny)

Just watched that one before TU and amount to go comment as well over on that board

[Harvey]

2 minutes ago, ctlady said:

And am I the only one who didn't think Tracey was THAT uber-smoking-hot?

Um she was gorgeous 🤩

[ctlady]

3 minutes ago, Harvey said:

6 minutes ago, ctlady said:

And am I the only one who didn't think Tracey was THAT uber-smoking-hot?

Um she was gorgeous 🤩

Then I guess I'm the only one 🙂

I thought she was attractive, but the way all the guys were acting, you'd think Gisele Bunchden walked in the room.  Or Tom Brady

[TigerLynx]

29 minutes ago, ctlady said:

But wasn't EN more about the widowed father's and daughter's basically navigating through life rather than them hounding him to date because he's such a catch?  EN wasn't pigeon-holed into that sub-premise so there was room to grow into tackling family dynamics without straying from it's 'base'. 

It actually started out about the father being a widower who no longer had his children (three daughters - college, career, married getting divorced) living at home.  Then Carol and Barbara moved back in, and it was no longer an empty nest, and that happened in the first season.

The dad can date, and still be a good guy.  They could do a reverse Charlie Harper.  Wade doesn't have to nail every woman he dates, and treat them like crap.  The connection can just not be there.  Although, they shouldn't do that with EVERY episode.

[paulvdb]

The premise may not be sustainable in the long run, but the show can evolve to a different premise. It wouldn't be the first show where that happened. Cougar Town comes to mind as a show that started about a divorced woman dating a younger man, but it evolved into a show about said divorced woman, her neighbors, her ex, her son and the woman who worked at her real estate agency. And the divorced woman ended up with a man around her own age.

[MissLucas]

As far as pilots go it was okay but I had expected more after having seen some raving reviews. Like others I'm struggling a bit with Goggins playing a non-villain. Boyd was such a fantastic character that it's hard to let him go. 

How sustenaible is the plot? Everwood managed to produce four seasons out of the widower-with-kids premise but it had the advantage of having thrown various other narrative devices into the plot (fish-out-of-water/quirky small-town etc.) to keep things interesting. HIMYM also started with a thin premise and kept going (for too long). I think what will make or break this show are the secondary characters. Too early to tell after one episode if the cast beyond Goggins can pull this off

[AnnaRose]

3 hours ago, ctlady said:

Then I guess I'm the only one 🙂

I thought she was attractive, but the way all the guys were acting, you'd think Gisele Bunchden walked in the room.  Or Tom Brady

You're not the only one.  I didn't think she was particularly attractive at all, and couldn't understand what the fuss was about.  Maybe it was because she kept throwing herself at him? 

2 hours ago, paulvdb said:

The premise may not be sustainable in the long run, but the show can evolve to a different premise. It wouldn't be the first show where that happened. Cougar Town comes to mind as a show that started about a divorced woman dating a younger man, but it evolved into a show about said divorced woman, her neighbors, her ex, her son and the woman who worked at her real estate agency. And the divorced woman ended up with a man around her own age.

That previous comment made me think of Cougar Town also.  I don't care if a show strays from its original premise and name, as long as it's good.  (I'm not sure this one will be though.)

[Darian]

I liked it more than I should have considering I had gripes throughout. I don't think I've seen Goggins in anything, so I had no expectations, and I loved him. I came for Tiffany Haddish, frankly, and I liked her. 

I'm a bit of a neatfreak/germaphobe, but I admit, I was getting annoyed on Wade's (oblivious) behalf about the horror that the dog was on the counter and they were eating out of the freezer. It was touching when he broke down over the last frozen meal. It became real in a way it hadn't before.  Until then, it wasn't exactly real life. It's not like the children are feral and so what if Wade knows a...computer game (?). It's not an emergency. Pushing him to date is fine, I guess, but in context of "the kids are eating frozen meals for dinner and the dog's on the counter, got to get him a wife" it smacks of 1950s stereotypes. If it's about the food, teach him to cook. If it's breaking him out of the obliviousness beyond that it still doesn't mean push him to date. He's coaching soccer, the kids are fed and clothed. I'm terminally ill and did most of the cooking and I'm teaching my husband to cook using quicker, easier recipes that fit with his more limited free time. Give Wade a gift card for cooking classes or Hello Fresh. But that would be pretty dull for a sitcom, so wacky dating premise. 

But cast was just so likable I guess I'm coming back for an episode or two. 

(I know he cooked chili at the end, but it was terrible and I kind of took it like it's the one thing he can cook)

Edited September 28, 2019 by Darian

[geauxaway]

On 9/27/2019 at 2:33 PM, Armchair Critic said:

It's driving me crazy what I know the oldest daughter from, I think it may be that she reminds me of Paige from 'The Americans'.

I just finished watching it and thought the EXACT same thing!!!

[debbie m]

On 9/26/2019 at 6:59 PM, SmithW6079 said:

So his wife is dead barely a year and his friends are pushing him to date? 

Plus, I'm creeped out that Walton Goggins is a widower in real life -- his wife committed suicide -- but here a dead wife is played for laughs. 

Walton Goggins  was not a widower in real life because it was his EX- wife that committed suicide several months after they divorced.  

Edited September 28, 2019 by debbie m

[SmithW6079]

5 hours ago, debbie m said:

Walton Goggins  was not a widower in real life because it was his EX- wife that committed suicide several months after they divorced.  

Ex-wife or current wife, it's still creepy to me to play a character with a dead wife when you have one in real life, and that's played for laughs. 

[BooBear]

On 9/26/2019 at 11:46 PM, Bulldog said:

Didn't live up to all of the raves I had been hearing, but pleasant enough. 

Boy they pushed this but I thought it was terrible. Walter Goggins imho can't play a normal person and he doesn't pull it off here.  Finally, not sure I see where this show can go. I mean this week seemed like the entire story. 

And just me, but annoyed again to see his date is a much younger woman.  Goggins is not that hot. 

[AnnaRose]

7 hours ago, BooBear said:

Boy they pushed this but I thought it was terrible. Walter Goggins imho can't play a normal person and he doesn't pull it off here.  Finally, not sure I see where this show can go. I mean this week seemed like the entire story. 

And just me, but annoyed again to see his date is a much younger woman.  Goggins is not that hot. 

It annoyed me too.  Not only that, but also because:

The woman at the restaurant meets him through an online dating app.  It's obvious to her that he's been wearing a wedding ring.  She confronts him and he pulls out the ring and tells her that he's not wearing it because his wife died.  The woman's response is to suggest skipping dinner and going back immediately to her place instead, presumably for sex...  With this man she just met online...  Who could just as easily be lying about the dead wife thing after being caught out...  This man she doesn't know at all.  (It seemed like they were just eating appetizers, so they spent maybe 20 or 30 minutes max together so far.)  I thought her sudden proposition for sex with this stranger was totally gross, quite frankly!  And way too desperate.

So between that and the other woman repeatedly throwing herself at him, the whole pilot just really rubbed me the wrong way. 

The only thing that saved it for me was the scene at the end with him and his daughters at the restaurant.  I haven't decided yet whether I'll tune in for another episode.   Ratings were terrible anyway, so I don't think this series will be around very long.  It sure got a lot of promotion though.

[BooBear]

1 hour ago, AnnaRose said:

I thought her sudden proposition for sex with this stranger was totally gross, quite frankly!  And way too desperate. So between that and the other woman repeatedly throwing herself at him, the whole pilot just really rubbed me the wrong way. 

Yes I have often said that Hollywood constantly pushes this idea that women are supposed to have sex at the drop of a hat to condition everyone watching that they should do that. I am just used to it at this point. I didn't know what the "unicorn" referred to going in but the entire concept is insulting. I would have bought it if it was some great looking guy who also was like a lawyer or something but I am not even sure this guy works. 

Also, Walter Goggins is listed as a producer so perhaps some of the experiences are from what happened in real life. 

[Harvey]

11 minutes ago, BooBear said:

Also, Walter Goggins is listed as a producer so perhaps some of the experiences are from what happened in real life. 

True.

He had this to say during his recent interview:

Quote

"The opportunities I've been given over the course of my career, more often than not I've been able to kind of hide behind something," he said. "But 'The Unicorn' is me. That's the relationship I have with my son, with my wife, with our group of friends. What these people go through on the show is what I have to go through getting out of the house." 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walton-goggins-talks-new-cbs-show-the-unicorn-cbs-this-morning/

[Lady Calypso]

16 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

Ex-wife or current wife, it's still creepy to me to play a character with a dead wife when you have one in real life, and that's played for laughs. 

It's interesting, but I just watched the episode and I don't actually think it WAS played for laughs. Sure, it played as a focal point of the show, and why the show is called The Unicorn, but at no point did they use the dead wife as a funny punchline. Sure, the show is considered a comedy, but it was definitely more of a heartfelt comedy with some serious moments, rather than a Big Bang or Modern Family-esque vibe. 

I mean, I agree that having the friends pushing Wade to date instead of simply just getting out of the house isn't the greatest. I'm not even adding a "but" in there because that was my biggest quibble of the entire pilot. 

I will say that the woman that was throwing herself at Wade was more pathetic than hot or charming. Wade's friend who was pushing for him to go to her place at the end was so off the marker on that one. Sure, Wade was oblivious to her advances (but I consider that kind of aligning with the idea that he was stuck in a fog until the last meal in the freezer, when he was hit with reality) but that lady was nowhere near hot and her throwing herself at the widower made her unattractive to me.  

I also wasn't impressed with the other lady, who also invited him back, probably for sex, after she found out about Wade's dead wife. Yeah, I agree that it was gross and it was basically what Wade feared to begin with.

I plan to give this show another chance, but mostly for the family dynamic. I don't think I'll be sticking with the show for that long, since comedies, even ones like this, aren't my thing. 

On 9/28/2019 at 12:53 PM, paulvdb said:

The premise may not be sustainable in the long run, but the show can evolve to a different premise. It wouldn't be the first show where that happened. Cougar Town comes to mind as a show that started about a divorced woman dating a younger man, but it evolved into a show about said divorced woman, her neighbors, her ex, her son and the woman who worked at her real estate agency. And the divorced woman ended up with a man around her own age.

True. Plus, I could count many times where there's been comedies in the past that have initially built themselves on one primary idea and they've had no choice but to grow past that in order to last a few episodes. Yes, Cougar Town is one of them.  

I mean, The Unicorn, as of right now, means that it's about someone who is a widow/widower who dates around for that reason (roughly). So, Wade could date around for a couple of seasons. He doesn't need to date someone new every episode. He could be in several short term relationships. But the title of the show is still vague enough where it could work out. 

I mean, if How I Met Your Mother's gimmick could work out as long as it did, I think The Unicorn could. 

[Harvey]

2 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

Ratings were terrible anyway, so I don't think this series will be around very long.  It sure got a lot of promotion though.

Just FYI, from the 12 new shows that premiered this week, The Unicorn actually had the highest amount of ratings. 6 million viewers. So while it might not seem like a lot, it still did the best out of all recent pilots.

source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/12-new-fall-tv-shows-ranked-by-premiere-viewers-from-e2-80-98perfect-harmony-e2-80-99-to-e2-80-98the-unicorn-e2-80-99-updating/ss-AAHTf1Q#image=1

[AnnaRose]

33 minutes ago, Harvey said:

Just FYI, from the 12 new shows that premiered this week, The Unicorn actually had the highest amount of ratings. 6 million viewers. So while it might not seem like a lot, it still did the best out of all recent pilots.

source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/12-new-fall-tv-shows-ranked-by-premiere-viewers-from-e2-80-98perfect-harmony-e2-80-99-to-e2-80-98the-unicorn-e2-80-99-updating/ss-AAHTf1Q#image=1

The demo, which is the thing that matters, was poor for a CBS new show premiere.  It lost a lot of its lead in demo, and shows usually drop a lot after their pilot episode when the folks who only tuned in once out of curiosity (and didn't like it) tune out.

Edited to Add:  Was this episode available online before the broadcast premiere?  If it was, that may help prevent the less than impressive demo ratings from dropping with the second episode.  (Or at least maybe not dropping as much.)

Edited September 29, 2019 by AnnaRose

[AnnaCody]

On 9/26/2019 at 8:59 PM, SmithW6079 said:

So his wife is dead barely a year and his friends are pushing him to date? 

Plus, I'm creeped out that Walton Goggins is a widower in real life -- his wife committed suicide -- but here a dead wife is played for laughs. 

I totally agree.  One year is not a long time after losing a spouse.  I quit watching it, then went back and finished it.  I'll give it one more episode.

[AnnaCody]

On 9/27/2019 at 3:33 PM, Armchair Critic said:

It's driving me crazy what I know the oldest daughter from, I think it may be that she reminds me of Paige from 'The Americans'.

I do that too then I discovered imdb.com.  Has saved my sanity more than a few times 😀 

[bros402]

9 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

The demo, which is the thing that matters, was poor for a CBS new show premiere.  It lost a lot of its lead in demo, and shows usually drop a lot after their pilot episode when the folks who only tuned in once out of curiosity (and didn't like it) tune out.

Edited to Add:  Was this episode available online before the broadcast premiere?  If it was, that may help prevent the less than impressive demo ratings from dropping with the second episode.  (Or at least maybe not dropping as much.)

It was available online for a few weeks before, I think. OR at least a week