'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' 'The League' & Chad Ochocinco
Mixed results in the return of two FX comedies
Chad Ochocinco and Paul Scheer on "The League" season two premiere.
As I mentioned in yesterday's FAQ, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "The League" are two shows that I tend to find too uneven to write about regularly, but that I'll check in on from time to time. Quick thoughts on the season premieres for both coming up after the jump...
In terms of last night's season episodes, I thought "The League" was actually much funnier. Some of the weaker episodes from season one ran away from the fantasy football humor (which, as I've said in the past, is stupid; no one who hates fantasy football is going to watch this show, regardless of whether jokes about it take up 5% or 100% of the episode), but "Vegas Draft" obviously embraced the subject and had a bunch of great gags. I loved the chase through airport security to get the first pick (and Pete being okay with the cavity search that came with Chris Johnson), the helpful stripper(*) finally pointing out that an 8-team league is incredibly lame(**) and that these guys don't know what they're doing, the tension between Kevin and Jenny over whether she could join The League, Chad Ochocinco scolding Andre for using "Child, please," etc. It was just a funny half-hour.
(*) And the stripper was played by new "Human Target" castmember Janet Montgomery.
(**) At press tour, I asked co-creator Jeff Schaffer about the 8-team thing. It's partly a budgetary/dramatic thing - they don't want too many characters, and as it is The League has a handful of phantom out-of-town members whose absence from the draft (even by phone) is always weird - but Schaffer said he once played in an 8-team league, "And it was really competitive. Because everybody's roster was stacked, it became all about who you started and who you sat." Having once played in an 8-teamer myself last year when a couple of guys backed out on the day of the draft, I can only say that this was not my experience; everybody basically put their teams on auto-pilot, and the only difference-making move of the season involved the guy with the highest waiver priority picking up Vernon Davis.
"Always Sunny" wasn't as funny, I thought. I was happy to see Brittany Daniel back as Carmen, the now post-op transsexual, and I enjoyed every single character pointing out that the giant hole in Mac's anti-gay marriage stance, but overall this one felt (even with the To Be Continued ending) a bit rote: Pick a hot-button topic, have at least one member of the gang take a moronic stance on it, and see what happens.
But in general, I've never been as big a "Sunny" lover as many of you. I watch it for the 2 or 3 episodes per season that double me over with laughter, but a lot of the others leave me cold the way "Mac Fights Gay Marriage" did.
What did everybody else think?
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September 17, 2010 at 9:13AM EST Reply to CommentI'm a huge Sunny fan and I found the episode disappointing as well. The ending seemed like a huge stylistic break that seemed a little ployish this late in the series, or maybe it just didn't work. I do hope they delve a little deeper in to Mac's latent homosexuality, it was great to watch him just be befuddled whenever someone mentioned it.
Otto Man They've been laying the groundwork for this for years now -- Mac's obsession with the "physiques" of everyone in Predator, the co-dependent relationship with Dennis, and the tranny sex -- and it would be amazing to see them follow through.
September 17, 2010 at 9:19AM ESTrexmism I agree, I think this is the most disappointing episode of Sunny I've ever seen. I normally love the show, but didn't feel like very much was working. It felt really out of rhythm. I hope this is a one time thing.
September 17, 2010 at 9:44AM ESTFranklin Mac was upset in the first season because his gym teacher didn't molest him when he was a kid.
September 17, 2010 at 1:34PM ESTOtto Man
September 17, 2010 at 9:17AM EST Reply to CommentBoth were solid, but I actually liked "Sunny" a little bit more.
Not the funniest episode they've done, but the running subtext about Mac the homophobe really being the gay one was good, and the meta-moment when Mac and Sweet Dee are repulsed at the idea of their getting married, when the actors actually are, was hysterical.
HugNutz
September 17, 2010 at 9:35AM EST Reply to CommentAlways Sunny was mad funny. I love Carmen the tranny. Mac was great in this episode and I can't wait for next week.
Dean Winchester
September 17, 2010 at 11:28AM EST Reply to CommentI like that at what time frame they were writing this episode of The League they went with Montario Hardesty as a guy that Ruxin would be pumped to have in the late rounds. Too bad he blew his knee out in the last week of pre-season and is missing the rest of the year. Oops.
September 17, 2010 at 11:42AM ESTI thought Ochocinco did a pretty good job, especially his one verse in The "I'm Inside Me (Taco Remix)" (my title), which might have been the funniest part of the episode.
I'm not too keen on this new guy in the league though. It seems like he's just going to steal some of Taco's thunder and the token moron of the group.
Truck On the contrary, I thought the song was some of the worst TV I've ever watched. Downright embarrassing.
September 17, 2010 at 1:25PM ESTCharles
September 17, 2010 at 11:44AM EST Reply to CommentLast night was the first episode of "The League" I ever watched and I was less than impressed. I didn't think it was possible for comedy to be subversive and mundane at the same time but they pulled it off. The whole thing just felt artificial while "Sunny," despite not being as great an episode as some, has a dark, nasty streak of comedy that always feels like it's genuine, no matter how outlandish it is. Plus, I love the idea that Dennis doesn't feel. :)
Q Ball Exactly how I feel and I'm a huge fantasy football fan. "The League" is just has a little too much "frat boy humor" for my tastes.
September 17, 2010 at 12:43PM ESTCharles Yeah, I don't follow football all that much and I'm not part of any fantasy league, but I had no problem keeping up with those elements of the show. Just the execution of the characters. Probably the only one I wound up liking was Jenny(?), the guy's wife who wanted to be in the League.
September 17, 2010 at 12:48PM ESTChrissy
September 17, 2010 at 12:21PM EST Reply to CommentOut of curiosity, how many teams does a more standard fantasy league have?
It's interesting that you say that no one who hates fantasy football would watch this show. I think the League is fantastic (haven't seen the premiere yet, but loved last season). And football is by far my least favorite major professional sport, the only one I just can't stand anything about. I don't care one way or another about the fantasy leagues, but what I love are geeks, which is what these people are. I love groups of people that come together and obsess over some topic that has no direct bearing on their lives, whether that topic be Star Trek, or the movies of Bruce Campbell, or football, or action figures from the 60s. I just think they are fun to watch, and so the League works for me. (It's also hilarious in a very loose, enjoyable way, and so quotable.)
There's also a passion element (not really in play here - these guys are too dicky to really be passionate), but that's why shows like Friday Night Lights and Sports Night are among my faves (and Sports Night aired during a period when I really disliked all sports - now I have a sports boyfriend and have grown to enjoy hockey and soccer).
So, you're probably not wrong - if you hate fantasy football specifically, this show would maybe not be for you. But it's definitely not necessary to enjoy FF, or to care one iota about it, if the show is funny.
Dean Winchester ESPN bases most of its analysis on a "standard" 10-team league. 12 is pretty common as well. Personally, I've never been in a league smaller than 10 and I've been in one as large as 16. 8 is kind of silly, I'm glad they openly acknowledged that on the show. I completely understand why its an 8-team league for tv logistic reasons, but it was a strange inconsistency from the reality that most of us are familiar with.
September 17, 2010 at 1:00PM ESTI would imagine that if they get a third season there is a great vein of humor to be mined from expansion, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see that storyline happen.
Truck Ah good point @Chrissy; I think I liked the first season of The League because it was a bunch of funny guys that had something to be seriously passionate about. That makes for great comedy.
September 17, 2010 at 1:29PM ESTBrown Recluse
September 17, 2010 at 12:39PM EST Reply to CommentRE: The League
Alan, for what it's worth, I'd like to acknowledge the existence of outliers such as myself who don't hate fantasy football, exactly, but are indifferent, in my case at least, and yet that solid cast got me to watch the show and their loose, casual hilarity got me to stick with it.
Truck Same here. I watched the first season and enjoyed most of the characters and humor enough to just let my eyes glaze over during the sports talk. I liked the improv antics much more than hearing them say some football star's name.
September 17, 2010 at 1:23PM ESTAm I wrong for thinking that perhaps their advertisers (the majority of which were football related) might have pushed for the show to change directions? I found myself not caring about the majority of this show simply because it was all boring logistics and football humor.
I am curious: do people watch this as football fans that like the comedy, or are people watching this as comedy fans that don't mind the football jargon? The first season felt a lot more natural with the fantasy league stuff, but this episode seemed a lot more in depth (and ultimately boring). I never noticed enough to care that their league is missing people when watching season 1, but this episode bluntly pointed it out it's all people seem to be talking about.
September 17, 2010 at 1:09PM EST Reply to CommentDon't like Sunny. Never have.
Do like The League, however. First year ever of Fantasy Football, not sure if I'll do it again.
I'm a Falcons fan, but because AD had a game on Thursday where he weirdly disappeared (damn you Brad Childress and Brett Farv-ruh!!!), I was counting on Rashard Mendenhall to pick up the slack. So imagine my horror as the Steelers beat my Falcons in overtime... on a Rashard Mendenhall 50 yard TD scamper.
Yeah, I want to go back to just watching football because I love football.
Definitely think this will be my last FF season.
Dom
September 17, 2010 at 1:45PM EST Reply to CommentI think that your wrong about The League Alan as I don't even understand fantasy football let alone play it and I still love the show. I know just enough about football to just go with it. I actually like when they get away from the fantasy football thing and go a little crazy. The cast is just great and the improvisation makes the friendships feel that much more real. I used to love It's Always Sunny but the characters have turned into complete douches that I just can't relate to anymore. The only thing I noticed about The League is that the episodes feel choppy but that's because they cut a good amount of stuff out. I just watched the extended unrated blu-ray of season one and it's much better and much more vulgar.
mgbouton
September 17, 2010 at 2:55PM EST Reply to CommentSunny was a bit disappointing especially the corporate plugs. Coors Lite joins as a sponsor and all of a sudden everyone's drinking silver bullets and there's Coors swag everywhere in Paddy's? And the meeting in Subway where it is prominently displayed in every scene. It felt 24ish with Ford or Sprint phone plugs. Doesn't go with the counter-culture atmosphere of the show. That said I wouldn't mind some alley almonds...
sean Corporate plugs? Coors Lite "joins" as a sponsor?
September 17, 2010 at 3:57PM ESTThey asked to use those companies (Coors, Subway). It's an industry standard. They had Budweiser stuff in the first season.....it didn't bother you then?
Glenn Howerton, who plays Dennis Reynolds wrote the following few notes on Twitter:
"People used to bitch about shows using generic products. We get the RIGHTS to do a scene in Subway and people bitch about that. Ridiculous."
"Would most folks rather us drink cans of beer that say 'BEER' on it on Sunny or get paid by COORS to make a good show that people like."
"I think it makes the show WORSE to drink generic beer and eat in generic restaurants. It screams fake."
"As far as selling out: we sold out the second we decided to do a TV show. And now we're FINALLY getting paid to do it. I'm ok with that."
brad literally not one shot in paddy pub doesnt have "coors" somewhere in it. ridiculous. drink their beer, that actually makes sense, but dont be overboard whores about it. I actually couldnt enjoy the show with the grotesque over marketing. I didnt notice it that bad though, this week.
October 1, 2010 at 1:29AM ESTHow great is the league though...with sunny's downfall incoming, I'm glad I've found the league because of my season 2-5 love of its always sunny.
SlowFame
September 17, 2010 at 5:01PM EST Reply to CommentThough Always Sunny was hilarious and felt it was an appropriate ending and look forward to whats coming up next. Who is the girl that played dead tooth?
JeremyJ Catherine Reitman played Maureen Ponderosa. She is actually Ivan Reitman's daughter and very funny and cute.
September 18, 2010 at 11:28PM ESTSlowFame
September 17, 2010 at 5:11PM EST Reply to CommentI dont thik the league is funny and ive been playing roto/fantasy football for the last 8 years. I think its really forced and would be surprised how much football those guys follow. Even if they are the biggest fans ever it seems way to cliche and out of sorts. I like Paul Scheer in other shows but I dont know if its the character or what but he bugs me in this show. My girlfriend whom is not a football fan and looks down on fantasy football thought it was pretty funny. The 8 man league is unreal and just because you did it once doesnt mean it works on a show. Most leagues do have out of state players and I think they could have worked it for good cameos through out the season or season finales. I dont think it would be weird at all but the 8 man league is weird. I dont get the justification they gave you.
rhys1882
September 17, 2010 at 6:23PM EST Reply to CommentOkay seriously, you need to get off the "has to be about fantasy football" kick. Yes, no one who *hates* fantasy football is likely to tune-in, but plenty of people who are ambivalent about fantasy football do tune-in and don't care whether they focus on fantasy football at all. I am one of them. I was hesitant to start watching last season because I don't care about fantasy football. But then I caught a random episode and thought it was extraordinarily funny in its own right and quickly became a fan. I even showed the show to a bunch of friends who had similar ambivalence about watching it because of the supposed premise and they all freaking loved it. The world is not broken into people who love fantasy football and people who hate fantasy football. I think the humor is actually extremely original and very honest. Much more so then even some of the better comedies on network TV. I'd actually rather watch the League then Modern Family, even though I think Modern Family is awesome. Modern Family is really good at more traditional humor, whereas the League is crass and over-the-top in awesome ways that few other shows would dare.
Dave Wilson
September 19, 2010 at 1:46PM EST Reply to CommentI thought this week's Sunny was one of the best. Last season was by far their most consistent. While it was maybe a tired subject and there was too much product placement, it was a well played show, everyone was in top form.
Ben
September 20, 2010 at 1:24AM EST Reply to Commentwhich episodes of Sunny did that to you?
david
September 22, 2010 at 1:43PM EST Reply to CommentI don't know anything about fantasy football but I love the show. It amuses me that fantasy football fanatics are under the illusion that they are the only ones watching and enjoying the League.
But anyway, I found both shows to be a bit weak last week, especially sunny.