Better Off Ted: "Pilot"
Better Off Ted is zany, off-the-wall, ridiculous, and over-the-top. And yet, highly intelligent. It's pretty clear that the series-arcing theme is in the sly allowance of acerbic commentary on how conglomerations and Goliath corporations are taking over the world and, in the process, creating "drones" to do all of the work.
All that appreciated, it's also damn funny too.
I laughed out loud a number of times (Phil's post-freezing penchant for indiscriminate screaming, Veronica's sheer inability to recognize how tightly wound she is, killer pumpkins) and found myself eager to see what sort of ludicrous shenanigans the employees of Veridian Dynamics would get themselves into next. Also, the Veridian Dynamics "promos" are as laughable as they are frightening.
The cast of characters are also a delight. Jay Harrington brings levity as Ted and his consternation at some of VD's (heh) exploits gives the audience a viewpoint. The relationship with his daughter, Rose, also stands as an emotional anchor of the show. Even as Ted might get sucked into the politics of the corporation, Rose keeps him grounded as she reminds him that he is the one who has taught her the beauty of ethics and morality. Also, she might very well be the cutest, most intelligent, most precocious little girl ever.
Andrea Anders as Linda provides the rebellion -- the good employee who has no desire to be too good and does little things like stealing creamer to enhance her point. And she has just enough edge to transcend the boundaries of the typical "love interest". Jonathan Slavin and Malcolm Barrett, as Phil and Lem respectively, give the show just the right doses of nerdiness and eagerness. And what about Portia de Rossi as Veronica? De Rossi excels at icy, uptight characters who are so wrapped up in their own bubble that they don't even realize that they are in a bubble, and Veronica is no exception. She's the ultimate drone who has no idea that she is a drone, and her self-awareness that, no doubt, will come in time stands to be a hilarious and squirm-inducing exercise in self-control.
Will this show last? Hopefully. Will it be high-camp fun while it does? Undoubtedly.
Thoughts?
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Based on the commercials for this show, I did not expect to like it...actually I didn't think I'd even try it out. Finding nothing else of interest on, we tuned in and were very glad we did. At the very beginning I was skeptical, but then it had me laughing out loud. I think I'll be watching again next week to see how it progresses. I like the over-the-top feel of the characters and I'm particularly fond of Ted's relationship with his daughter.
I think a show like this is actually quite necessary in these troubled times. Not only does it poke fun at the big companies, but it does so in such a ridiculous way. Laughter really IS the best medicine.
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