This week, Swanson, Kiorein and Stairmaster meet a new foe for our heroes at Redwall who isn’t nearly as cunning as you’d want. Also, we pay tribute to Tim Curry as Slagar continues to succeed. Want to request a future bonus episode? Donate to our Buy Me a Coffee page https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tvtuners
Looking at a glance, it isn’t shocking that The Big Bang Theory has produced 3 spinoffs to date. Possibly the last monocultural sitcom, the show ran for 12 seasons by which point its first spinoff was already underway. Young Sheldon eschewed the multi-cam style of its predecessor in favor of a laugh-track free flavor. That show begat another spin-off that returned to the traditional sitcom style. As far as “cinematic universes” go, it is certainly the strangest. Things have only gotten weirder with the addition of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
Stuart Fails, a fun shorthand that also describes the basic plot of every episode, focuses on tertiary Big Bang character Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman). For reasons that aren’t entirely clear and don’t matter, Stuart must retrieve a device that will avert a multi-versal catastrophe. Along for the ride are fellow third-stringers Bert Kibbler (Brian Posehn), Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie), and Denise (Lauren Lapkus). The quartet travels to new, potentially interesting universes each week and ruins things for everyone there. It’s like an ineffective Doctor Who with characters slightly less alien.
What immediately stands out about the show is that it looks more cinematic than anything else in the world of Big Bang. That, coupled with the larger scope, helps sell the show as its own thing. You won’t see drone attacks and rock-based explosives in Young Sheldon! While Stuart Fails still plays like a sitcom at heart, the air of sci-fi adventure keeps things interesting.
This is a series full of ideas! Not exactly funny or original ideas, but they reliably fill 22-ish minutes of screen time. In fact, it often feels as though the writers struggle to cram in the full concept of the universe while also creating the circumstances that cause Stuart and friends to ruin it. Maybe that explains why the jokes seem to come in drips and drops. There’s only so many one-liners and sight gags you can add to something when each episode requires world-building. This makes Stuart Fails one of the rare examples of a modern show that should have a longer runtime.
Every good adventure series, even the funny ones, needs a crew of characters to root for. This one has Stuart and friends. While the performers are clearly talented, especially Posehn and Lapkus, they’re all stuck playing one note. The most egregious is Kripke, a character with a speech pattern similar to Elmer Fudd. It’s a joke that I’m astonished is still going. The others aren’t stale so much as they are boring to be around. The material is unhelpful, offering minimal time to develop our heroes beyond simple archetypes. This results in a program with some fun ideas and no way to utilize them to their comedic potential.
I didn’t come into this show with high expectations. If you’re reading with a similarly low bar or happen to be a BBT fan, you’ll potentially be more impressed with what Stuart Fails accomplishes. Ultimately, there’s just not much to the show. It’s designed as a continuation of a comedy juggernaut past its sell-by date, with the celebrity and cast cameos to prove it. When the concept of your show is the most interesting part, you’ve already failed.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is currently streaming on HBO Max. New episodes release on Thursdays.
Swanson, Kiorein, and Stairmaster reach a particularly compelling set of Redwall episodes as the children break free only for Slagar’s best plan yet to take effect. We also discuss the contents of spice cake and the sudden appearance of shrews. Also, Stairmaster can’t wait to discuss the big plot twist in Bleach! Want to request a future bonus episode? Donate to our Buy Me a Coffee page https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tvtuners
Swanson, Kiorein, and Stairmaster continue through season 2 of Redwall as the cast of characters grows and Tim Curry continues to put the other voice actors to shame. Plus, the all-AI Roku channel and a Kingdom Hearts TV series. Want to request a future bonus episode? Donate to our Buy Me a Coffee page
In the mid-00s, Will Ferrell solidified his leading man status with a series of sports comedies. In succession, he played a NASCAR driver, a figure skater, and least successfully a basketball player. These films helped set the example of the typical Ferrell character. A dim, arrogant man-child who, through the course of the movie, learns to grow up just enough to redeem themselves. When done right, that is to say in about 90 minutes, the process works. Anything longer than that and you’re liable to end up with something like The Hawk.
Netflix’s new comedy series finds Ferrell back in the sports world as washed-up golfer Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins. Still reeling from the death of his caddy and best friend, Old Henry (Keith David), Lonnie aims to recapture his glory days by winning the U.S. Open. Oh, and reconnect with his estranged wife and adult son (Molly Shannon and Jimmy Tatro, respectively), that’s definitely on the list. If it all feels a little Happy Gilmore 2, rest assured that the show has other avenues to explore. Organized crime, alcohol-based side hustles, and a trip to Vegas are just some ways the show pads itself out.
No amount of silly diversions can distract from the knowledge that you’ve seen this type of story before. Not only that, you’ve seen it done by Ferrell! While the comedy occasionally finds a beat, the writing of Lonnie keeps viewers at a distance. Ferrell excels at playing egotists, and much of the humor comes from his ability to win you over despite the character’s obvious flaws. For Lonnie, the writing steers him too far into being just an asshole. This is a man who steals his dead friend’s watch and nearly misses his funeral to golf. At a certain point, you begin to root for Lonnie’s continued downfall.
The Hawk employs a cast of comedy heavy hitters, but even that wears thin after a while. Molly Shannon remains a delight, but clearly deserves a meatier role than the foul-mouthed wife (the divorce never got finalized). Fortune Feimster ends up being a perfect foil to Ferrell as his new caddy, Sam. She becomes the most reliably funny performer, even when the show veers into her family history. That particular subplot aims to parallel Lonnie’s own dysfunctional situation, but doesn’t quite stick the landing.
Comedy veteran David Gordan Green directs 4 episodes of The Hawk and adds a visual style full of flourish. Whether it’s the upside-down POV shot of a golf ball soaring through the air or the sudden shift to a music video style when Lonnie gets too into the Thong Song. There is always something interesting on the screen. While it doesn’t redeem the whole project, it makes the more tedious aspects tolerable.
It’s hard to look at The Hawk and not think about the other recent golf comedy show, Owen Wilson’s Stick. While their stories overlap, the general tone is completely different. For a show focused on an old-timer making a comeback, The Hawk remains in the past. A past where Ferrell was the hottest comedy star. Where you could sell mid-budget comedy movies instead of streaming series. Both shows fail to keep you invested, but I’ll take the Ted Lasso-lite approach over whatever Ferrell and his team are doing here.
The Hawk is currently streaming on Netflix.
