Married – Series Spoiler-Free Advance Review. Not My Cup of Tea

Series Premiere Airdate: Thursday, July 17, 2014, 10:00 pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

The Bowman family holds a funeral for Norman, the fish.

As an avid fan of FX Network and its various shows, I was really looking forward to watching Married, and was happy to receive the first four episodes for review purposes. I am sad to say Married isn’t the laugh out loud comedy I was hoping for.

Married revolves around the lives of four people—Russ (Nat Faxon) and Lina (Judy Greer) Bowman, and their BFFs AJ (Brett Gelman) and Jess (Jenny Slate). Each has a reason to be unhappy with their situation—Russ and Lina have three little girls and are deep in debt; AJ is in the middle of a divorce and pretending he’s ok when he’s not; and Jess is married to an older man who has trouble keeping up with her. Russ is very childlike in his demeanor, which Faxon pulls off perfectly. Russ is also a freelance graphic designer who doesn’t seem to work very often, if at all, and all he’s concerned about is having sex, and more sex, with Lina, who just doesn’t want to be bothered. With their three girls—Ella (Raevan Lee Hanan), Maya (Rachel Eggleston), and Frankie (the adorable Skylar Gray)—now in school, Lina realizes she needs to find something to do with her life.

Russ just can’t get what he needs from Lina in the bedroom.

The opening scene of the series premiere sets the entire tone of Married; Russ and Lina are in bed and he’s trying to trick her into giving him a blow job. She’s too busy reading a book about vampires to care about Russ’ needs. Sex plays a large role in Married, which is disappointing to me. I was expecting a TV series that is truly funny but as a colleague of mine reminded me, “Too often, writers resort to bawdy scenes instead of good, sharp writing.”

Speaking of being funny, or not, I didn’t even laugh out loud until episode #4, “Invisible Man,” which contains a phone sex scene. Granted, I smiled here and there but when I watch a comedy, I want to be entertained. I want to laugh. Married falls short on both. The writers try too hard to make the show humorous, but the constant references to “sex,” “boobs,” “masturbation,” “skanks,” etc. do the opposite of what I’m sure the writers intended. It turned me off! I am not a prude, by any stretch of imagination, but they take this too far. There’s even a reference to “incest.”

AJ and Jess listen to Russ’ problems

I suppose I wouldn’t object as much if there were any positive moments in each episode to counterbalance the ridiculousness but again, the writers miss the mark on this. The four main characters are all extremely self-centered, needy assholes who complain all the time instead of trying to solve their problems to make things better. They have no redeeming qualities at all. That said, I do think Married will find its core audience. It’s not a belly laughing kind of series; rather, it’s awkwardly funny. I was disappointed that Paul Reiser, who plays Jess’ older husband Greg, doesn’t appear until the fourth episode. I understand Greg isn’t a major character in Married but Reiser, to me, is a comic genius, and I think the writers are doing him a great injustice by not giving him a larger role. I hope that changes, for Married’s sake. I don’t care for the way Gelman plays his character, AJ, as it is just too over the top for me. The rest of the cast, though, is great, despite the dreary material they’ve been given. Nonetheless, their timing is spot on, and I particularly love Greer and Slate in their roles. But, Married is just too single-minded, with one-dimensional characters, to be the hit series FX is hoping for.

Tune in to the series premiere of Married Thursday, July 17, 2014, 10:00 pm ET/PT, which will be followed by the series premiere of You’re the Worst, only on FX Network.

What did you think of Married’s series premiere? Leave me a comment here or hit me up on Twitter @SeasideTV. I’d love to discuss it with you.

Check out Married’s official website.

LIKE Married on Facebook.

Follow the series on Twitter, using hashtag #MarriedFX, FX Networks @FXNetworks, as well as the cast: Russ/Nat Faxon @NatFaxon, Lina/Judy Greer @missjudygreer, Jess/Jenny Slate @jennyslate, AJ/Brett Gelman @brettgelman, Stacey/Michaela Watkins @michaelawat, Bernie/John Hodgman @hodgman, Roxanne/Regina Hall @regina_hall, and Greg/Paul Reiser @PaulReiser.

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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!