bondfool-1

The idea that Drew Pinsky has any room to judge Hollywood's sins is absolutely ludicrous, and his presence as one of two pseudo-expert host/narrators undermines this series from the very start. Pinsky, of course, spearheaded VH1's noxious "Celebrity Rehab," "Sober House," and "Sex Rehab," exploiting addicted and mentally ill people, at least ten of whom have since died. Actual addiction counselors use clips from "Celebrity Rehab" as examples of what not to do in addiction treatment. There is *no* ethical way to televise a rehab clinic. None. And yet, here he is, moralizing and speculating wildly about situations he has nothing to do with. This hypocrisy is actually a blessing, as it immediately sets the tone for the rest of the show: sleazy and exploitative, hurling stone after stone out of its glass house without a nanosecond of reflection, pretending to moral superiority while actually just being another parasite feeding on victims.

This episode is no longer than any other episode of The Pitt, but it's more dense with story and emotion than a lot of films. Basically every moment is perfect, with tragedies that devastated me and moments of lightness and relief that would be fun in any episode, but really shone in contrast with the darker stuff. This cast is outstanding, and they just keep topping themselves, especially Noah Wyle, Tracy Ifeachor, Fiona Dourif, and Taylor Dearden. The guest cast is wonderful, too, from the characters we already know from previous episodes to the new admissions and their loved ones. Marci Miller deserves an Emmy nomination. Brace yourselves, this is a heavy one, but it hurts so good.

I really wanted to enjoy this because I love Lauren Graham and Mark McKinney, but it was one of the most instantly awful comedies I've ever seen. Series populated by legitimate monsters of characters like The Righteous Gemstones, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and Veep understand that there has to be SOMETHING there to make the audience interested in what happens next. Some insight into human flaws that makes these characters interesting, without asking you to sympathize with them. This show, meanwhile, presents you with a cast of characters who haven't done anything nearly as harmful, but holds them in far greater contempt. Every character is a shrill caricature of someone the writers hate. It's all very surface level and obvious humor. If you're going to be that unoriginal, you should at least be charming. Unbearable.