Just for arguments sake though lets say you have all the time in the world and you've already worked your way through breaking bad men, orange is the new dead and House of Sherlock or whatever else the cool kids are watching and you want to add a sitcom to your rotation to lighten things up a bit.
This year it seems like there is a lot of sitcom choices, NBC has "Crowded", ABC has "the Real O'neals" and Netflix has "The Ranch" and that's just off the top of my head.
Now personally I have been cursed with an over abundance of time which affords me the chance to check out more shows than most, most people will probably check out a new show based partly on premise and partly on cast (Which is unfortunate because of the aforementioned, "The Real O'neals" while having a less recognizable cast is by far the superior sitcom) leaving Netflix entry with the most name power.
Fans of sitcoms and people who drink (Lets face it, with 3 or 4 beers in him Al Sharpton could spend a pleasant afternoon watching "last man standing) will find something to amuse them on a lazy Sunday, especially if they are fans of "that 70's show" or just enjoy Sam Elliots occasional cameo in comedies.
The first few episodes feel like the show is still getting its legs under it and the serious points in the show feel unnecessary and and ill placed in a comedy but a few shows in the writing feels a little more organic, either that or I was desensitized, I definitely never thought I'd see a day when I thought I'd be hoping to watch Ashton Kutcher Stave Sam Elliot's head in with a coffee thermos. Oh, did I forget to mention that Elliot's character is highly unlikable? I know sitcom dads are supposed to be hard headed and have old fashion notions that broken down through the story, and generally that theme drives me nuts, but they could use a little more of that here. Elliot's character is a unsympathetic, inflexible asshole who's only interaction with his kids is guilt tripping them about not being wholly dedicated to his failing ranch. The crux of the plot is that Ashton Kutcher's character left home after high school to pursue a football career (unsuccessfully) and stayed away while the ranch and his chances of a football career dwindled. I get the feeling you are supposed to see that both the father (Elliot) and son (Kutcher) both have some valid points, But Elliot's character is so unlikeable and unsympathetic to the prodigal son that it makes it impossible to fathom anyone sticking around to tolerate that kind of abuse, And even if his callus attitude toward Kutcher's character was forgiven he displays the same attitude towards Masterson's character, Who has put aside all of his own ambitions and dreams to stay by his fathers side. It is mad clear in the course of the series that the Ranch's only real value is in the property value but Elliot's character doesn't want to sell off the land that belonged to his father, which seems noble until you consider he is maintaining his fathers legacy at the cost of his sons having the chance to build one of their own.
If this review seems unfocused and disjointed that's how my interest in the show turned which seems a pretty good indication of whether or not it's worth watching. I lost interest on and off and in the end the show was good fit for me strictly because I have lots of time and the show does have some redeeming qualities. If your a fan of the cast or like the idea of a sitcom that is a little edgy without being vulgar just for vulgarities sake give it a chance, otherwise your viewing time is better spent elsewhere.
I give "The Ranch" a 6 out of ten, which if you break it down to a percentage (60% for those who failed remedial math) is about twice the score I give this review, but hey, you get what you pay for!
No comments:
Post a Comment