The Guest Book

Mount Trace Realty is a mountain vacation retreat where one rents Froggy Cottage from married couple Wilfred (Charles Robinson) and Emma (Aloma Wright). Their nephew Eddie (Eddie Steeples) has various menial jobs. Local stripper Vivian (Carly Jibson) runs a blackmail scam with her adopted stepson Frank (Lou Wilson). Dr. Andrew Brown (Garret Dillahunt) lives next door with his son. Officer Kimberly Leahy (Kellie Martin) is the local sheriff. The renters have crazy adventures and write them down in the guest book. In the second season, Vivian hitches a run with Eddie on his way out of town. They find themselves involved with a different rental house and another guest book.

Creator Greg Garcia got a concept which leaves the show in an unusual anthology style. Each episode is about new guests. It's a style better fit for dramas. Comedies do need constant leads with whom a relationship can be built between the viewer and the show. It is unusual but eventually the recurring roles keep the show anchored more than the guest book premise. The guest book becomes nothing more than a McGuffin and even less than that. Greg's humor is still fun and he brings back quite a few of his cohorts. I don't usually write the reviews until the show is canceled and then I hear Greg's comments on a podcast. I certainly hope that he's joking about retirement.

I enjoyed the first two episodes and look forward to see where this is going. Great cast of characters and actors. I like the unique way there are reoccurring characters and new characters every show. It definitely has Greg Garcia's signature style. If you like "My Name is Earl" you'll probably like this one too.

I watched the first episode and was not sold and didn't plan to watch anymore but stumbled on episode 3 and was totally blown away. This is basically Room 104 done right with an incredible sense of humor, good dialog, great acting and no laugh track.

Highly recommended.

If you're at all interested in this show, first watch Episode 8 with Jenna Fisher in the one about the Alzheimer's patient. If that one doesn't get you hooked, than this isn't your kind of humor. The very first episode was the weakest in the bunch and isn't a good indication of the laughs to come. Certainly in the same comedy vein as My Name is Earl and The Last Man on Earth. Really glad to see there's a Season 2 on the way!

This show is unique, along the lines of My Name is Earl. It's not your typical fare, and that's a nice change of pace. Season 1 is different from Season 2, and I think I liked the premise of Season 1 better, but 2 is still funny and entertaining. Give yourself a chance to get to know the characters, some of which aren't in 2 and vice versa.