The Return of Jezebel James

I just finished watching the 2-episode premier of The Return of Jezebel James. I recorded it from earlier in the evening, because I have kids, who wouldn’t let me watch in peace. But I did get to watch, and I counted how many times I laughed during the 44 minutes of programming. I laughed 60 times during the first episode, and an additional 7 during the second, totaling 127 laughs in 44 minutes.

But what impressed me most was something other than the humor. Five things, actually. Or at least I made 5 notes while I was watching.

1. The jaw-drop moments - I didn’t count them, but I remember them, dramatic moments in which I just couldn’t believe my eyes. Matt “hit on me 5 years ago”? Is that a joke, Coco? As big of a joke as “And here is your room! … You don’t think you can have orange with your complexion, but you can.” By the way, is Coco really that invisible? With parents like that, no wonder she feels lonely.

2. The deep characters - Sarah is outgoing, a list-maker, needs to plan everything out ahead of time, probably an ESFJ. Coco is more spontaneous, reserved, independent, a loner, but also lonely, and this may be the first time in a long time she has had a real connection with someone in her own family. Even by the beginning of the second episode, I already knew that Coco was not made for a Hello Kitty cell phone, and that Sarah was already planning Coco’s life for her. When you can put a character into a new situation and instinctively know how she’s going to react, that’s a deep character.

3. The fight scenes - These are staples of relationship stories, because they add passion to the mix. I believe that Sarah really wants a kid—and that this is the only way for her—just because she yells so loudly in the diner. I believe in Coco’s independence because of the fight in the bedroom. These are the scenes that had me on the edge of my seat, eyes wide, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

4. OMG! The pink! - What is with Sarah’s apartment? Pink flowers, pink carpets… Even the Post-it notes are pink! I can understand why Coco wants to decorate her own room herself. Surprisingly, Dad cleaned that couch up real nice, and unfortunately, the pattern Mom picked for it fits in just perfectly. Ugh. I think I’m gonna be sick to my stomach. Ha! I love it!

5. I already want to watch the next episode. - Really. I want to find out what happens next in the story. I want to find out how Coco furnishes her room—or if Sarah even lets her. I want to find out whether Marcus is going to be able to live with this sex-only-no-talking relationship. Sheesh! How will he react when he finds out Sarah’s sister is having her baby? I want to find out whether Coco delivers, and what happens afterward, because that’s the tree at the bottom of the ski slope. I’m already feeling a connection to these characters and their relationship. That’s something that extremely hard to pull off in only 2 episodes of a half-hour show, and Amy Sherman-Palladino pulls it off expertly, as always.

By the way, like all of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s work, it’s even better the second time around.

In conclusion, am I going to watch again next week. Yes, absolutely… But then again, I’ve been waiting for this show for a year. You’d better believe I’m going to watch! Besides that, I’m a big fan of Amy Sherman-Palladino. She could sneeze into a napkin, have the actors interpret the drippings, and I would still be glued to my set. So a better question might be: If I were not a fan, would I watch next week. Honestly, I think I would, and there are 2 reasons why.

Firstly, there’s the 4-episode rule. Ever since Scrubs, I give a show 4 episodes to prove whether it’s worth watching. When I first saw Scrubs, I didn’t get it. I thought the characters were stupid, the jokes didn’t work, and the cinematography was ripped off from Ally McBeal. But a friend of mine recommended it so highly, I gave it another chance. Four chances, actually. By that time, I found myself laughing spontaneously at the jokes, identifying with the characters, and appreciating the underlying themes. But it took 4 episodes. Hence, the 4-episode rule.

There are exceptions to the 4-episode rule. Some shows disgust me so intensely that I simply cannot bear even 2 episodes, never mind 4. But if a show is even mildly interesting, I don’t consider it a fair chance unless I watch at least 4 episodes before passing judgement.

Secondly, I am honestly finding that I enjoy watching The Return of Jezebel James. It’s not funny in the way that Til Death is, but it’s deep in a way that strikes at my heart. I could see myself popping in a DVD set of Jezebel James and watching disc after disc after disc, just for the fun of it. That’s a quality that I treasure in a television series.

-TimK

P.S. Parker Posey handles the character of fast-talking Sarah Thomkins wonderfully. I know this was a big thing with the critics. The critics are idiots.

P.P.S. The laugh track, as Dr. Robert Cialdini predicted almost 25 years ago, made the jokes funnier, even the stupid ones. Didn’t get in the way, not at all. I know this was an even bigger thing with the critics. The critics suck.