Oh, Carpoolers
Posted on October 13, 2007 at 05:04 PM
I've been reading a few comedy and pop culture blogs lately, and while people are quick to condemn Cavemen (with what sounds like good reason) and give the obligatory (and well-deserved) hat-tip to The Office, there's an eerie silence when it comes to Carpoolers. "People!" I want to yell. "People! This is Bruce McCulloch! This is one of the men…may I say, quite possibly the best man? Who changed our comedic lives on The Kids in the Hall!" But nobody who I read regularly is making a peep. So I will.
And I'm disappointed.
It pains me to say that. It's like sticking a little knife into my comedy heart. Bruce McCulloch is one of my top three favorite comedians. But I've watched two episodes of Carpoolers so far, and while I can see bits of Bruce shining out, the plotlines have been stale. For example (spoiler alert), in the second episode, one of the characters is caught sneaking into a motel room instead of going to his office. Why Bruce, why? Are you going to be daring? Are you going to figure out how to really turn the whole "I'm-having-an-affair" piece on its head in an exciting new way? Nope. The guy is sneaking to the hotel room to have alone time. A plot necessity? Yes. Funny? Not really. It's a twist, but a pretty predictable one.
I don't mean to bash the whole show. When Bruce shines through, he really does. There are some absolutely brilliant bits of comedy, and I "LOLed" more than once. But I was really hoping that the man I loved so much for his brilliant sketch ability could easily parlay that ability into an equally brilliant plot-driven show.
The second episode was better than the first, so I'm hoping that maybe Carpoolers will continue chugging forward until it's full-speed at the end of the season. And I do suggest watching. I mean, come on people. It's Bruce.