Author Topic: Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?  (Read 2462 times)

Offline DJ Doena

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Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?
« on: February 27, 2014, 03:10:51 PM »
I used to love Chuck Lorre shows.

I loved them back in the days of the first few seasons of Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory and even the beginning of Mike & Molly.

But now? Not so much. But let me break this down by series.

Two and a Half Men

Let me preface this by saying I don't care what happens behind the curtains. I never did. Not with this show, not with others. What I care about is what happens on the screen.

TaaHM used to be funny. Back in the days when Jake was still a cute kid, back when Charlie wrote things like the Oshikuru theme song, back then when Alan had no success with women.

Long before Angus T. Jones grew up and pulled a sort-of Kirk Cameron, Jake was used less and less and had to endure the fate of many a sitcom character: His character traits were exaggerated until (in his case) he was basically too dumb to live. Does anyone remember that cool kid from the Pilot who out-bluffed grown men at the poker table?

Charlie (the on-screen character) didn't change all that much over the season until he was killed off-screen.

And Alan? I found Alan never that funny to begin with but his ability too mooch and his inabilty to find a decent job (has he been working at all in the past two seasons?) have just stretched way beyond the breaking point.

All in all, I'm going to cancel TaaHM for myself at the end of the season.


The Big Bang Theory

I really loved TBBT in the beginning. Leonard's social awareness that what they do most of the time looks awkward from the eyes of the "normal" people, Sheldon's total lack of any kind of social awareness, Penny as the guide to the "real world".

And it worked! The ditched Mars rover, the exploding space toilet, the DNA of Leonard Nimoy(!!!), Penny raising her shields.

Now? It's basically turned into your average relationship show and they don't know what to do with half of their characters.

Howard married Bernadette and they've turned into your regular married couple. Which is great for them, but it doesn't really make for good and/or funny TV.

The character with which they don't know what to do at all is Raj. Either he doesn't really get involved in the other's storylines or when he gets one of his own (which is rare) it's not really good. They also can't seem to decide whether he is gay or not. They can't even decide to make him officially bi-curious. He's just there, contributing little to the overall story and comedy.

But the character who has fared worst is Penny. Penny started out as a wannabe actress who temporarily worked as a waitress and always chose the bad boys as her boyfriends which naturally ended with her getting hurt.

Six years later she is basically a failed actress. In all this time we have seen her exactly one time on stage and while she was good, apparently no producer or casting director has ever noticed her. And she's still working as a waitress.

Worse: She's yet another Chuck Lorre character who can't seem to get their hands off a glass with alcohol. Penny has basically become an alcoholic right in front of our eyes, except none of the other characters seem to care or worry.

And that's my biggest beef with all CL shows. Everyone seems to constantly either drink or be drunk on his shows. And it's annoying. They're like some real-life people who think life can only be enjoyed when you're not sober.

Just compare Penny to Rachel Green from Friends. Rachel had even less ambition than Penny at the beginning. She had no life goal except getting married. Then she started in the Central Perk café, started to work in fashion and made something out of her in the first six seasons of the show.


Mike & Molly

I knew none of the actors before this show started. I met Melissa McCarthy retroactively when I started to watch Gilmore Girls.

But I enjoyed the two main characters, the beginning of their relationship and the obstacles they had to overcome. I also like most of the supporting cast - at least on Mike's side. His partner, the Diner guy, his mom - all good characters for a sitcom.

On Molly's side? Her sister is a stoner with not much of a brain (or so she is portrayed) and her mom is also constantly holding a wine glass (which she drinks with the sister).

But for the first three seasons it was quite enjoyable. Then someone made the mistake of watching Melissa's summer comedy movies (or so it would seem). And then they've decided to make Melissa's physical comedy a major part of the fourth season.

The problem with that: Her character wasn't originally designed for that and it also takes away a lot of the charm the show had. Now it's just a run-of-the-mill slapstick show where the viewer is supposed to laugh because someone ran into an open door.

When are we, 1935?

I've dropped the show already during the current season.

Mom

A sober alcoholic grandmother, a sober alcoholic mother and a pregnant teenage daughter.

I really tried to give it a chance but it just wasn't for me.

Also cancelled (for me).
Karsten

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Offline Achim

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Re: Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2014, 03:15:56 AM »
Some good observations on the first two (well, I never really saw the two other shows...).

I only see TaaHM when I catch I in an airplane or while in Germany; never bought any DVD. I liked the episodes of later seasons, but I can see how you mean they are different. I only have seen very few episodes since Sheen left. Is it still on? Is this then the second or third season with Kutcher? I thought Alan is still a chiropractor, we just don't see him at work...?

I still watch TBBT (DVD, so probably one season behind you) and quite enjoyed the last (sixth) season. There were a few duds in the beginning, but then they seemed to have new grounds to explore and some good jokes came from that. Raj seems to be the shows step child, I am just glad they finally, finally cured him of his issue, after just six season (that took too long, really, and was no longer funny for a while already). I think I will still continue with season 7.

Especially with the latter, I can see how it becomes streamlined (not good), but they have to change things from the original premise, so that things don't simply repeat itself...? That would be boring too! While Howard has become painfully boring, there is still room for exploration with Sheldon. I think what TBBT has done more successful than TaaHM is adding new character so the show that expand the universe. I'd like to see Stuart (?; comic book owner) some more, and wouldn't mind more new ones as we go along.

Maybe Mr. Lorre has bad experience with drinking women? So he projects that on his characters? I hadn't quite noticed it as badly with Penny yet, but she does indeed seem to drink in many scenes... Then there is Mom, where drinking seems to be the theme that's going on...

Offline Dragonfire

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Re: Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2014, 06:04:45 AM »
I've definitely noticed how much Penny drinks...it seems like she is drinking in every episode anymore..and just sipping at wine with a meal.  I don't like that aspect of her character at all.

I didn't watch Two and a Half Men when it first came on...I saw episodes after it had been on a few years and I enjoyed them overall, but Charlie got old for me well before Sheen left or was fired or however it happened.  Alan is too much of a mess to be likable..he is just whiney and annoying most of the time.  Waldon is kind of ok, but how he was added to the show still makes no sense.  And he sits around drunk or stoned or something ...almost as bad as Charlie.  Jake got dumber every minute he was on screen.  Adding in a long lost daughter for Charlie that shows up is ridiculous at this point.  They just wanted someone even more like Charlie again for some reason - drinking, sleeping with a lot of women and all that.  If they wanted to introduce a child of Charlie's from out of nowhere, they should have done it when Charlie died.

Ohhh...Karsten...you forgot one.  Lindsay, Alan's sort of girlfriend, is frequently drunk...even to the point of puking all over a plane once - there was nothing funny about that.

I still like Mike and Molly, though the changes to the show seem...odd.

I've only seen a little of Mom, mostly just because I leave it on until Castle.  I don't like it much.  More drunk characters doing stupid stuff.  Blah.

Lorre is in a rut...at least when it comes to turning his characters into drunks.

Offline Achim

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Re: Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2014, 05:35:48 AM »
Adding in a long lost daughter for Charlie that shows up is ridiculous at this point.
That's a thing that happened...? Oh, no. That really shouldn't be a thing...

Offline GSyren

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Re: Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2014, 11:03:10 AM »
Any thoughts on Dharma & Greg? I thought that show was pretty funny.

Offline DJ Doena

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Re: Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2014, 02:21:32 PM »
Only seen a few episodes. Could't tell you what it was about though.
Karsten

Abraham Lincoln once said The trouble with quotes from the internet is that you never know if they're genuine.

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Offline Dragonfire

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Re: Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2014, 02:29:35 AM »
Once I saw it, I liked Dharma and Greg.  It was a bit goofy or odd at times, but I enjoyed it.  I didn't like what they did in one of the last seasons though...
(click to show/hide)

Offline Achim

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Re: Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2014, 01:33:21 PM »
Again, I only see Dharma and Greg occasionally (airplane, vacation in Germany) and always thought it was good for a few laughs and had its heart in the right spot.

(click to show/hide)
This does indeed seem not be to be quite true to the character...

Offline Dragonfire

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Re: Chuck Lorre, Where Art Thou?
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2014, 01:41:29 AM »

This does indeed seem not be to be quite true to the character...

Yes...exactly.  That was my  main issue with it.  It just seemed like they threw that in there for shock...or attempt to make the ratings go back up.