Review: 'Bunheads' - 'Channing Tatum is a Fine Actor': Catching Katniss
Carl and Boo meet the parents, and Truly's store gets a new location
Julia Goldani Telles and Sutton Foster in "Bunheads."
A quick review of tonight's "Bunheads" coming up just as soon as I shave above my knees...
After all these years, it's pretty easy to recognize a Daniel Palladino script even before the writing credit appears, as both the pop culture references and the quirkiness tend to be laid on at least a layer or two thicker than when it's Amy Sherman-Palladino (or another writer, presumably being rewritten by Amy). "Channing Tatum is a Fine Actor" was no exception — it was an episode that in the first half alone invoked the names of Donald O'Connor, Fiorello LaGuardia, Bob Barker, Claire Danes and Katniss, among others, and that introduced us to French New Wave glamour of new kids Frankie and Cossette — and yet overall, it worked because the lines were funny and because it fit into the messy template "Bunheads" has established for itself in the last few outings.
Even with no Fanny tonight, there was a lot going on — so much that we never actually saw the mysterious Marion from Michelle's fix-up (probably for the best, as no actor could live up to those descriptions) — including Boo and Carl each meeting each other's parents(*), Truly moving her store into Michelle's home, Sasha's parents both leaving town, and Melanie attempting to cram her entire summer reading list into a few days, among other stories and running gags. Some stories resolve themselves (Carl and Boo have a nice heart-to-heart), others are left hanging until next week (presumably, Sasha will move in with either Michelle or one of the other Bunheads), but all of them are primarily excuses to tell effective jokes. And the actors have become incredibly comfortable with this dialogue (as they discussed last week at press tour), to the point where when the Palladinos bring in a ringer like Liza Weil to play Truly's sister, the regular performers don't seem outclassed.
(*) Carl's mom was played by Alex Borstein, whom some of you may recall was originally supposed to play Sookie on "Gilmore Girls" (and did in the unaired pilot), until she couldn't get out of her "Mad TV" contract. As a consolation prize, she appeared occasionally as the Independence Inn's surly harpist, and then later as Emily's stylist Miss Celine.
What did everybody else think?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupBrian
January 14, 2013 at 11:17PM EST Reply to CommentQuestion for Bunheads fans, from someone who's never seen it: Alan makes it sound like the show has become very much worth watching recently. Would it be best to jump in with Season 2, or do you kind of have to watch from the beginning?
Atta Other than Hubbel dying in the first episode there really isn't much you'd be missing by jumping in now. There is no major plot line that I can think of at the moment.
January 14, 2013 at 11:31PM ESTmccommas This is actually the "back 9" or so order for the first season, so you haven't missed a bunch. I think Dan said in the podcast and I agreed with him that maybe watch the mid-season finale and then you could easily pick up enough to enjoy these new episodes.
January 14, 2013 at 11:32PM ESTAnthony Foglia You might also want to check out the first episode. It's a good introduction to Michelle and Fanny, and with a little bit of Truly. (Truly and Michelle's relationship has changed 180 degrees since the pilot though.) Unfortunately, it gives short shrift to the girls. There's probably a better episode than the mid-season finale for them, but I can't think of it. (The mid-season finale is good, but I think you'd be better with an episode with more character development and less plot.)
January 15, 2013 at 12:17AM ESTKarenX I don't remember a lot of details, but I thought the dance academy auditions episode encapsulated Fanny's character, good and bad. The good and bad aspects of Fanny as a person, I mean.
January 15, 2013 at 2:21PM ESTSlackerInc I recommend "Khaleesi's Dragons",' the penultimate ep of the summer set. You could probably skip from that to the second January episode and dispense with both ends of the obligatory cliffhanger plot.
January 19, 2013 at 4:07AM ESTAnthony Foglia
January 15, 2013 at 12:12AM EST Reply to CommentRe: Alex Borstein. This also wasn't the first time she appeared on "Bunheads". She was in the pilot; she was the hooker at the motel/apartment complex Michelle was living at in Vegas.
It was nice to see Liza Weil again. I only hope it was more of a recurring role.
Anthony Foglia Oh, and what happened with Melanie's brother Charlie? They're setting up this new guy as a romantic interest of Ginny, but last I remember, she and Charlie were still interested in each other?
January 15, 2013 at 12:19AM ESTMon I think the Ginny/Charlie thing is done... she saw him in his car with that other girl in the macing ep and told Mel near the end that she hated him ;)
January 15, 2013 at 1:02PM ESTAustin Also, maybe he graduated?
January 19, 2013 at 6:42PM ESTJon88
January 15, 2013 at 12:23AM EST Reply to CommentRandom thoughts: I'm a little surprised Carl didn't light out for the hills in the face of Boo's excessively immature fantasizing; fingers crossed that they'll modulate that in the future. The trick to rapid-fire dialogue is in the inflections, and happily, the kids have started to master that element. And while I grant that it's no one's idea of interesting television to watch people change their shoes, there's no tap-dancer in creation who would leave the studio without doing so.
Steven Flores
January 15, 2013 at 12:49AM EST Reply to CommentIt was good to see Liza Weil back. Once it was revealed she was Truly's sister and a former lover of Hubbell and then learning that Michelle married Hubbell. I found myself going Joey Styles saying... OH MY GOD! thinking that the angry Paris is coming back. I love that character. I'm digging this show. Just bring in Lane, Mrs. Kim, the rest of the townies, and things will be fine.
Jeremy Smith Oh God, you're not serious.
January 15, 2013 at 5:33AM ESTIt's bad enough that they had Kirk for an episode and that they keep using Gypsy.
I hated the 'kooky townspeople' thing. That - along with people being a lot meaner for no discernible reason - was always a Daniel Palladino trademark.
The town meetings.
Jeeeesus, the town meetings...
If I see Taylor Doose bringing his niece in for a ballet lesson, I might actually kill myself.
SMB Then why in the world are you watching Bunheads? "Quirky Townspeople" is ASP's thing. It would be like watching Homeland even though you hate shows about terrorists. It took me seven years but I figured out how to enjoy Amy Sherman Palladino: suspend logic, embrace the crazy and appreciate the random cultural pop references because it's smarter than mostly anything else written on TV. Also, with Bunheads it's kind of fun to pick up the occasional (ok, the frequent) Gilmore Girls recycled bits.
January 15, 2013 at 7:13AM ESTJeremy Smith Yeah, the quirky townspeople are her thing, but not a huge thing.
January 15, 2013 at 7:23AM ESTIt's not like they'd have given Kirk or Miss Patty an A-story, is it?
They usually would take up a few minutes an episode, though, and that's just far too much time.
I wasn't disputing that they're both cleverly-written shows, either.
Seriously, re-read what I wrote 'cause you're addressing issues I didn't make.
I hate the 'craaaaazy, oh-my-god-so-random' townies, not the proper characters.
And actually, considering Truly could kind of be considered a side character, they've done well in Bunheads in not making me hate her.
Kerry
January 15, 2013 at 12:40PM EST Reply to CommentI love this show and love that they are bringing in the kooky townspeople from Gilmore Girls. I was very sad when it ended and yes, I am over 40 but love this show. It's clever, witty and entertaining, and not a Kardashian or Honey Boo Boo. I'd love to see more of the old people brought in to this show as well, and YES Townsmeetings!!!
jprichard
January 15, 2013 at 2:47PM EST Reply to CommentGreat fact about Alex Borstein, Alan. I didn't know that she was the original Sookie. Glad the role ended up going to Melissa McCarthy, though, because of the sweetness she brought to it.
sepinwall You may recall that in the pilot, Sookie is extremely clumsy and accident-prone. That's a relic of Borstein's take on the character; it was easier to just reshoot those scenes with McCarthy as originally written, and it wasn't for another few episodes before she turned into the Sookie we remember.
January 15, 2013 at 6:35PM ESTjerseylin isn't she the voice of Stewie's mom also?
January 17, 2013 at 5:22PM ESTralphgoings
January 16, 2013 at 8:50PM EST Reply to CommentI like bun heads from the beginning. But last episode I now love bun heads. The French kids, Truly and her boutique. Whoever turned up the heat, great!????
SlackerInc
January 19, 2013 at 4:00AM EST Reply to CommentLoved the jokes although the surreal elements (the new kids) are getting a tad too unrealistic even for an ASP show.
The Liza Weil character's deadpan snark about her friend Leonard (who may well not even exist) was perfect. I love Boo and her boyfriend's relationship too.