Too Close to Home

I really wanted to like this show. An Intern Gone Wrong premise, a comely cast with a Southern setting, the return of Heather Locklear...what's not to like? Well a lot, unfortunately.

Lets --- start ---with--- the--- excruciatingly---long ---pauses ---between ---words. Why oh why is that, do the writers get paid by the word? Then there is the cartoon-like, stereotypical characters. The overly solicitous waitress, the scrawny, screechy coke whore, the beefcake with the heart of gold, the twangy sheriff etc. The story line limps along at a snails pace with an episode's worth of "action" painstakingly dragged out for three episodes (writers paid by the idea?!?)

The only shallow reason why I give this a 2 instead of 1 is because of above mentioned beefcake Brody. His biceps are the breakout stars of the show. If you want to record these shows and then just fast forward to the Brody sections you won't be disappointed. If you want to watch the sections in between, don't say you weren't warned.

So this one started off good and focuses on rural Alabama instead of urban Atlanta. It's a nice mix of rednecks, country bumpkins, trash (White and Black) and others. All around a protagonist trying to escape her miserable poor, dysfunctional, abusive, socioeconomically challenged upbringing to reinvent herself in Washington DC.

Which works until it doesn't work.

In typical Tyler Perry fashion shenanigans ensue on the first episode. Everyone is problematic and you end up hating all of the characters equally. Which works for the first season, until he introduces a bunch of new characters on the second season.

If you can forgive how racist, sexist, classist and xenophobic this show is you may actually like it. But everyone competes for attention and you quickly forget all about the protagonist. It's a downhill ride from there.

I like the story line, but this show suffers more from script and directing issues than from poor acting. No one on this show is so bad that his/her performance can't be helped with better writing and directing. I'd go as far to say that of the two, the writing is the greater handicap - especially when it comes to disagreements between characters. There doesn't seem to be any commitment to depth - just overplay the lines. To assume your audience at large is shallow enough to buy into dialogue that even a soap opera wouldn't touch is a loss for everyone. I don't just want eye candy - I want heart and soul, and that has to exist in the script and in the direction. Even the best actors can only do so much.

I scanned some of the other reviews. I do not agree. I enjoy it. I've enjoyed Tyler Perry's other shows--The Haves and the Have Nots and If Loving You Is Wrong. I can no longer watch them as I don't have the channel anymore. Some of the acting could be better, but I still plan on watching it if it continues. I like the fact that I knew one of the actors--the one that plays Bonnie. I like seeing her do this kind of role. I may not know all the other actors but I like them. All of the characters and the struggles of them are relevant to what goes on in small towns. I like the fact there is a gay story line as well as the story line about a parent leaving their child with family while they try to improve their lives.

The show is fine for a scripted TLC drama. The actors are, of course, quite lovely. The acting is not as bad as on some other Tyler Perry shows, but sometimes the dialogue has a tendency to be slightly clunky at best. The plot lines are mostly believable, but still have room to improve. Honestly, overall, the show is quite enjoyable. I enjoy most of what Tyler Perry produces, with a few notable exceptions. This show definitely has room to improve on a few aspects, but I can also definitely say that it does have promise (as long as it doesn't get too ridiculous). So far, the relationships are believable and the acting is good. I finished the first and second season (at least up to the last episode released so far) in the past week so my interest, to say the least, is peaked. Hopefully, it only gets better with time.

Pros: -definitely brings the drama -acting is good -story line is mostly believable and easy to follow -cinematography and wardrobe are well done -characters have thought out backstories with room to grow

Cons: -some subplots are iffy at best -dialogue shifts can be slightly clunky and stiff -conflict resolves are hastily done at times -music is overdone and more obtrusive than complementary -shifty accents (Shelby's accent is a little stereotypical at times)