Review
“Brawl, Blackmail, Glory Hole”
Season 2, Episode 1
I heal you, you heal me.
When we last left Forrest MacNeil, he was seriously down on his luck. His obsession to finish his review show drove away his wife while simultaneously leaving him somewhat insane. An argument could be made about the show’s producers forcing their hands upon MacNeil but, in the end, it was the host himself who took on the challenge of finishing the show. Now, as time has passed, MacNeil returns to the spotlight of his series, questioned by his cohost A.J. Gibbs as to why he even goes through with these silly and often self-depreciating reviews. There's a theme of healing as MacNeil dates a nurse who is only trying to help him. However, the host is unable to fully commit to being healed as he finds reviewing more enticing.
Tonight’s season premiere almost afforded MacNeil with a bit of redemption if any. He gained and lost a girlfriend – a unforeseen by product of a review -- all within two segments. It’s hard not to feel for him as you watch him walk down a path of terrible choices. At the beginning, he’s moved in with his father. He admits the first season wasn’t easy on him. The time MacNeil spent away from the show was used as a way to examine his life and what it means to be a reviewer. Ultimately, he finds his previous life pointless and the reviewing life more important. Even after getting shot following an attempt to start a fight MacNeil manages to find the silver lining in reviewing.
Blackmailing his girlfriend finds MacNeil struggling to keep up with this life. He can barely look he in the eye as he tells her. She pays him, twice, and still stays with him due to a misunderstanding. But a failure to pay a third time finds her losing her job thanks to MacNeil’s incessant need to review. The host also suffers from ineptitude in the same vein of the Three Stooges. His thought process of glory holes is dumbfounding; he believes only women use glory holes in the men’s bathroom. He’s clueless to a fault. It’ll be hard to continue loving him in the coming episodes. And I can’t wait to watch the rest of the season.
Should you watch “Brawl, Blackmail, Glory Hole?”
I know I didn’t write about if I liked the episode or not. I wanted to explore the character of MacNeil. He’s sad and deranged yet intriguing enough to watch. His character develops at a pace much like the planned arc of other characters in more serious shows. I want to see where he can go from here. Andy Daly’s portrayal of Forrest MacNeil is endearing. Watch this show, period.