Life In Pieces
Created by:
Justin Adler
2015-
Comedy
CBS
TV-14
“Life in Pieces,” a new CBS TV series, wants to be an alternative to “Modern Family.” It wants to take what “Parenthood” did on NBC and turn it into comedy. So, this is an ensemble comedy with four separate yet tangentially related parts or stories, as they’re called in each episode. Each story focuses on one person or one group of persons in the Short family.
In the first episode, Story One introduces us to Matt Short (Thomas Sadoski). He’s on a first date with Colleen (Angelique Cabral). They’re hitting it off, so she invites him up to her apartment. So far, so good. But here’s the twist: Her ex-fiancé, Chad, lives with her. No! Matt is taken aback when he sees Chad, and Chad is none too pleased to see Matt. Are you laughing yet? As a result, Matt invites Colleen to his house. When they get there, she’s impressed by how nice it is. But … there’s another twist: He lives with his parents, John and Joan (James Brolin and Dianne Wiest). Are you laughing now? So, Matt and Colleen end up in Matt’s car. Why not? I’ll give you a penny if you can guess what happens next.
In Story Two, “Life in Pieces” cuts to a woman, Jen (Zoe Lister-Jones), who’s giving birth in a hospital. Her husband, Greg (Colin Hanks), is there by her side. This is the first time that this married couple has gone through the joys of childbirth. An unexpected bodily function occurs, right on the delivery bed. The couple is embarrassed; their nurse is nonplussed. Afterward, Greg and Jen receive the talk from their doctor: the “no sex for six weeks” talk. Oh no! What’s Greg going to do? The doc also tells Jen not to look down there during that time. I’ll give you another penny if you can guess what she ends up doing.
Cut to Story Three. Heather (Betsy Brandt) and Tim (Dan Bakkedahl) are driving their son, Tyler (Niall Cunningham), to a college tour and overnight visit. They’ve brought their two younger daughters along, as well. Of course, Tim manages to embarrass Tyler, who’s a shy and hyper-aware kind of guy. In addition, one of the daughters receives an unexpected surprise at their hotel. Out of frustration, Heather and Tim attempt to sneak away from their daughters for a little bit of fun, but it winds up being much more complicated than they expected. That’s the kind of show that “Life in Pieces” is. Next.
By now, you may be asking, “How do all of these stories intersect?” Well, in comes Story Four. This one is about the funeral of the father, John. But, wait a minute? Wasn’t he alive during the second story? What happened since then? … Nothing. This is a funeral to celebrate his 70th birthday. He wants to know what people would say about him if he were dead. While this isn’t a new concept, I think the writers of this show may think that it is. Actually, it’s an excuse to bring the whole cast together. John’s and Joan’s children, Greg, Matt, and Heather, are all there with their respective loved ones. And no one takes the funeral seriously … except for Joan. (How did they convince Dianne Wiest to agree to be in this show again?) Joan faces the prospect of life without John with dread. Oh, and by the way, toward the end of this final story, there’s a note regarding this show’s title. Great. Thanks for the clarification.
I’m sure that reading my synopsis of these four stories is as fun as watching them play out onscreen. “Life in Pieces,” despite its solid execution and cast, has uninspired material. The “pieces” don’t work as a cohesive whole. The Shorts don’t feel like a family. Not yet. “Modern Family” and “Parenthood” never had that problem. The major problem here is that the characters come across as charmless stereotypes. So, while “Life in Pieces” may have sprightly music, its concept falls flat. Unless something drastic happens, it will simply be a waste of a good cast. Don’t hold your breath.
Verdict: Whatever
