Starz
So yeah, we need a dramedy about a suicide support group like Mary Louise Parker needs to get back with that sick piece of shit Billy Cudrup. Nonetheless, Gravity stars Krysten Ritter as suicpiede1 failure Lily Champagne which immediately gets Aerial Telly’s attention. Having featured as Gia Goodman in the magnificent and much missed Veronica Mars and Jesse‘s girlfriend Jane in the glorious Breaking Bad this delightful piece of raven haired pie has been tagged as "one to watch"2 and Ving Rhames as wheelchair user group leader Dogg McFee don’t hurt none either. It’s also on Starz who have just had their first original programming triumph with the dirty, dusty Spartacus. Got to be worth a look at least.
"He turns up at her flat, asks inappropriate questions, steals her panties then wears them on duty. You know community policing has gone too far when they make your knicker drawer their business."
Lily joins the group and quickly gets involved with Robert (Ivan Sergei), a desperately tedious chump who attempted to join his dead wife in That Heaven by driving his car over a cliff. He unfortunately survived, landing in the swimming pool of a gay cruise ship below. The filmed footage went viral on the Internet which makes him feel all awkward and shit. Lily flogs cosmetics for a living and disnae like it. It’s not a convincing pairing.
Something not helped by the creepy Detective Christian Miller (Eric Schaeffer) who came across Lily in hospital as she recovered from her overdose. He turns up at her flat,asks inappropriate questions, steals her panties then wears them on duty. You know community policing has gone too far when they make your knicker drawer their business. Schaeffer’s oddball bachelor blogging on I Can’t Believe I’m Still Single suggests there is something of himself in Miller. The twisted cop has a gambling problem and is being chased by debt collectors. I’m certain at some point he’ll attempt suicide to get into the group. It’s a little bit Fight Club if he does.
"Shawna, an ageing Amazonian model, played by Rachel Hunter, who previously serviced Rod Stewart for a living. This role seems significantly less distressing for her."
Elsewhere in the self-harm sanctuary there’s Carla (Robyn Cohen) who shot herself through the head but came up smelling of roses. Well, roses and the half kilo of faeces she discharged as she lay on the kitchen floor twitching like Freddie Roach. She has now started acting eccentrically which is only to be expected. Alongside her is Shawna, an ageing Amazonian model, played by Rachel Hunter, who previously serviced Rod Stewart for a living. This role seems to be significantly less distressing for her.
I kind of liked this. Beyond her beauty, there’s something immensely charming about Krysten Ritter and she’s convincingly vulnerable here. It’s bleakly funny in places. Ivan Sergei is pretty useless playing a useless character and I have no idea where they are going with him. It might be good for a few more episodes though, if only for the delightful Miss Ritter.
The verdict on Gravity: Half decent.
Marks out of 10: 7
1 Suicpiede: the particularly tragic event when an attractive woman takes her own life
2 One to watch undressing as you crouch in the bushes with a telephoto lens in your case you tragic shmuck.
Imagined: Wednesday, May 05, 2010