The Real O’Neals – “Pilot” Review. Raining Condoms.

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2016, 8:30/7:30c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

“I’m gay, mom.” – Kenny

Meet Eileen (Martha Plimpton).

The O’Neals are pillars in the community. There’s Eileen (Martha Plimpton), the loving mother who finds a way to insert Jesus into every conversation; her husband, Pat (Jay R. Ferguson), a Chicago policeman; their children, 17-year-old Jimmy (Matthew Shively), 14-year-old Shannon (Bebe Wood), and 16-year-old Kenny (Noah Galvin). Together, they make up what appears to be the perfect Catholic family, or so everyone thought until their dirty laundry is aired in front of the congregation.

Turns out Shannon is a kleptomaniac con artist and Jimmy is anorexic. Eileen and Pat are getting a divorce, and Kenny is gay. With the wall of the O’Neals’ perfect exterior lying in the rubble, Eileen tries to regain control of the perception of her family in the community while trying to convince Kenny that he likes girls. “It’s like when you were little, you said you hated papaya but you hadn’t even tried it; then once you tried it, you couldn’t get enough.”

The Real O’Neals, which is loosely based on a memoir by sex-advice columnist Dan Savage, isn’t without controversy. Religious groups like the American Family Association and the Family Research Council, among others, have called for boycotts and created petitions calling for ABC not to air the series. In response, ABC has been vocal that the evolution from the original concept by Savage and the finished product has been dramatic and better reflects the tone of the other family comedies on ABC.

Family canoe time.

The series reminds me of Malcolm in the Middle for a new generation, replacing Malcolm’s (Frankie Muniz) genius IQ, which contributed to his struggle to fit in, with Kenny’s homosexuality. Both shows also break the fourth wall to talk to the viewers. There is an uneasiness to the first few episodes because you don’t know whether to laugh or feel ashamed for wanting to laugh because it might be politically incorrect. Much of the humor stems from Kenny adjusting to life after just coming out. That doesn’t mean you have to be homosexual to enjoy the humor, as most of us can relate to wanting to fit in at school, falling in love, and just being a teenager regardless of sexual orientation. Galvin, who is gay in real life, does a wonderful job with his portrayal of Kenny, especially given the subject matter and controversy surrounding the show. Watching the first few episodes, I couldn’t help but wonder how much input Galvin had in incorporating actual events from his life into the story lines.

A rare quiet moment.

Despite the gains over the last few years, homosexuality continues to be a touchy subject for many. Having been raised in a Catholic family, I’ve seen my share of Eileens. While Shannon and Jimmy are fine with their brother’s announcement, their parents, like most of the community, take the news very differently. As farfetched as some people’s reactions to Kenny’s outing may seem, the dislike of gay people is a part of our everyday society. Just in the last two years, the high school I attended fired the president and a teacher simply because they are gay.

Overall, I found The Real O’Neals to be entertaining. While the focus for many will be Kenny’s homosexuality, I enjoyed the interaction between the siblings. I also saw elements of my own parents in some of the parenting scenes with Eileen and Pat, especially when it comes to the topic of sex.

Eileen: “That will scare them out of having sex for another 20 years.”

Pat: “I already scared them out of having sex, remember?”

Eileen: “You can never be too scared.”

Admittedly, the show isn’t for everyone, and some might find themselves offended by the jokes about religion, sex, masturbation, homosexuality, and more. The Real O’Neals makes an interesting addition to the ABC lineup of comedies.

Tune in to The Real O’Neals Tuesday, March 2 at 8:30/7:30c, only on ABC.

Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about The Real O’Neals – “Pilot.”

For more information on The Real O’Neals, visit the official website.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.