Single-camera comedy like this, which has only the laughs you supply, looks sophisticated and serious in a way that “The Big Bang Theory” never could.
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At 8:30 PM, LIFE IN PIECES (P) debuted as CBS’s most-watched Monday comedy premiere since 2011 (TWO BROKE GIRLS).
The fact that the second half of the episode is better than the first is a good sign. Life In Pieces takes up the challenge posed by the seemingly insatiable need for network comedies about extended, palatably dysfunctional families by getting moderately adventurous with form, a choice just bold enough to enliven its familiar elements while not veering too far from what CBS no doubt hopes is the lucrative Modern Family sweet spot. It’s a nice emotional sentiment that all we have are these shared memories with our loved ones, but it didn’t really fit with the tone of the rest of the half-hour, which went for the broadest of jokes as if it were a multi-cam. The quick segments and Modern Family style make it easy to digest, and the comedy seems a bit more relatable in some of its dismal quirks. Middle child Matt (Thomas Sadoski, “The Newsroom“) has a budding romance with Colleen (Angelique Cabral), but their style is cramped by the financial problems that find him still living at home with his parents and her with her ex-fiancé (a very amusing Jordan Peele). In the end, the young couple have sex in his auto until a cop knocks on the window and assumes the woman is a prostitute.
Now we want to hear what you thought of the episode.
Life in Pieces’ Heather (Betsy Brandt) is married to a goofier man in Tim (Dan Bakkedahl), and together they have three children: two daughters and a son.
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Adler plans the same type of universe for his guest star characters on Life in Pieces. We start off feeling depressed thinking we are witnessing a funeral, only to find out it is John Short, the fathers freaky way of celebrating his 70th birthday party. Previously presented as daft but cheery, Weist’s Joan turned emotional when it was her turn to speak, and her outburst at not wanting to pretend John was dead gave the scene a deeper and more somber tone that the rest of the vignettes were lacking. And that is, the importance of family amidst life’s chaos and drama. Snide remarks between brothers or hilariously awkward in-laws helped to showcase the universally recognizable nature of this family while also making it feel lived in. For now, Pieces just doesn’t come together.
