It's an interesting concept, one night being the premise of a TV show. Taking it a step further, "Mixology" is about one night, one bar in NYC and 10 people looking for different kinds of love. ABC's new concept which premiered February 26 and now airs Wednesdays at 9:30 is a little bit of everything, which isn't exactly a good thing.
Creators Jon Lucas and Scott Moore ("The Hangover") created an interesting and playful environment surrounding single people at the bar Mix in the Meatpacking District. The idea is compelling; delve into the worlds of single New Yorkers on a night out and actually pay attention to more than just one couple.
The problem that arises is the necessary back stories seem awkward. Voiceovers are always hit or miss, and "Mixology" attempts to make it normal by having a man narrate the life of his best friend. But when he starts to narrate the life of someone he's never met it comes off as creepy and forced.
Now as far as pilots go, there was a fair amount of explanation about the situations of the two main characters of the episode. It's clear that each episode will focus mostly on a particular couple which will change weekly, so the lack of attention paid to certain characters wasn't troubling. The troubling part was that the two characters who were the focus of this episode, Tom (Blake Lee) and Maya (Ginger Gonzaga) fell flat.
Both Tom and Maya had slightly unusual back stories, but their stories were almost too unique. There seemed to be no common ground and they seemed fake because of where they came from. I understand a jaded childhood, but it's really hard for me to comprehend it taking three full years for Tom to realize his dad left when he was a kid. Just like I find it hard to believe that Maya was bathed with beer right out of the womb. While it's understandable that those were attempts at humor, in this setting, the ridiculousness that thrived in "The Hangover" is entirely out of place and doesn't feel right.
These out of place attempts at comedy coupled with real romantic struggles and desperation seemed out of place. It was as if the show was trying to appeal to a few too many emotions at once, and the result was a little confusing.
Despite the interesting TV twist on the typical bar scene, "Mixology" was a little humor, a little love and a lot of falling short. Maybe the show's creativity will carry it, but based on the pilot, it's nothing exciting.
Samantha Giedris can be reached at samantha.giedris@student.shu.edu.
