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Advance Review and Full Episode Video: The New Normal – “Pilot”

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  • September 4, 2012

  • 5 mins to read

Advance Review: The New Normal, S1, E1 – “Pilot”

Air Date: Tuesdays, 9:30 pm ET/PT on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

 

“Abnormal is the new normal.” – Bryan

 

There are few shows I declare a hit just from watching a screener of the pilot episode (Homeland comes to mind), but The New Normal is right up there. As hard as it is to believe, I fell in love with all the characters right from the get-go. Ryan Murphy has hit comedy gold with this series, a show based on his life and his attempts to adopt a baby with fiancé David Miller. Luckily for us, the two decided they wanted to be parents because that decision is what gives us a series that forces us to look at the realities of gay life and adoption. Be warned, if you are homophobic, The New Normal is not for you; it’s very in-your-face, doesn’t mince words, and doesn’t tiptoe around anything. I suggest you remove this show immediately from your must-watch list of new shows this fall unless, of course, you want to expand your horizons and join the rest of us normal folk (pun intended).

Shania (Bebe Wood), Bryan (Andrew Rannels), David (Justin Bartha) and Goldie (Georgia King) check out the insemination center.

Bryan Buckley (Andrew Rannels, The Book of Mormon, HBO’s Girls) and David Murray (Justin Bartha, The Hangover) are a loving gay couple who decide to adopt a baby. Along comes Goldie Clemmons (Georgia King), a young woman trying to escape her life and her acerbic, outspoken, homophobic grandmother Jane Forrest (Ellen Barkin). Goldie has an eight-year-old daughter Shania (Bebe Wood), who is the perfect go-between for Goldie and Jane. She’s precocious yet sarcastic, and I fell in love with her immediately. Rounding out the cast is The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Glee’s Nene Leakes as Bryan’s assistant Rocky, who gives us many laugh-out-loud moments, especially in her scenes with Jane.

One of the many things I like about The New Normal—and there are a lot—is the committed relationship between Bryan and David. Too often, that’s not what we see on TV. Cheating couples, gays desperately looking for love, and flamboyant stereotypes have been the norm. In The New Normal, however, David is a gynecologist, and the more straight-laced (no pun intended) of the two, while Bryan is bodacious and more free-spirited. They prove that opposites do attract, and offer us a loving, romantic, and healthy relationship that many heterosexual couples aspire to. I have no idea whether Buckley or Murray are gay in real life—nor is it any of my business—but they certainly make you believe they’re gay. Their acting is that good.

Bryan (Andrew Rannels), Jane (Ellen Barkin) and Rocky (Nene Leakes) wait for the insemination process to be finished.

Jane, on the other hand, isn’t your typical grandmother. She’s disapproving of Goldie and her life choices, and is the “Nana from Hell” on Goldie’s caller I.D., which should tell you something about their relationship. Jane is also open about her dislike of gay people (unless they’re doing her hair), and thinks nothing of brandishing a gun when need be. One of the funniest lines in the Pilot is uttered by Jane when she tells Goldie, “I thought your mother was a fibroid tumor and by the time I figured it out, she had a face and I was screwed.” Let me tell you, Barkin, in a role that echoes Archie Bunker in All in the Family, absolutely steals the scenes she’s in, if not the show. That is not to say the rest of the cast doesn’t shine; they absolutely do. It is a credit to Barkin’s acting skills that she plays such an unlikeable character so well, yet succeeds in making Jane someone I’d like to know more about.

The New Normal is a show that’s not afraid to address the hot button topic of homosexuals adopting children, nor does it shy away from current politics. This story is about love and family, and is told from a loving and intellectual point of view, perfectly balancing comedy with the more sentimental and emotional aspects of the show. There is plenty of witty dialogue, including rapid fire one-liners, and the cast is endearing and solid.

If you can’t wait for the season premiere next week, feel free to watch the full episode here:

The New Normal premieres Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 9:30 pm ET/PT, only on NBC.

Like The New Normal on Facebook.

Follow the show on Twitter @NBCTheNewNormal.

For more video clips and fun things, check out the show’s webpage: http://www.nbc.com/the-new-normal/.

Photos © 2012 NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!