I Love Dick: Season 1/ Episode 1 “Pilot” [Series Premiere] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

After really making a name for herself as a comedic and even pseudo-dramatic actress, Kathryn Hahn has been given her chance to shine in I Love Dick. A show which seems like something which fits the burgeoning brand which is Amazon Prime.

The Introduction

Chris [note]Kathryn Hahn[/note] and Sylvere [note]Griffin Dunne[/note] have been married long enough to get comfortable with one another. Too comfortable. Now they almost seem like roommates and whatever chemistry they had is gone. To make matters worse, the film Chris was working on, which was chosen for the Venice Film Festival, gets kicked. Reason being, Chris was too cheap to pay for music rights. So, now, she is in Marfa, TX. A place where she thought she’d only be for a day and kind of can’t wait to leave. After all, it isn’t metropolitan or city-like at all. It is your normal southern town. So with the Venice thing flopping, heading back to NY isn’t the worse idea.

But then she meets Dick[note]Kevin Bacon[/note]. He is someone with charisma, who challenges her thinking, and he smokes weed! Plus, he pretty much is everything her husband isn’t so she has a bit of a crush on him. One she lets her husband know about and from here on it seems we’ll learn what is to come of these feelings and urges of Chris.

Collected Quote(s)

Highlights

A Familiar Story Not Featuring Rich People

Ok, are Chris and Sylvere poor? Not at all. Yet they don’t seem like the type of couple who are middle aged and financially set. With that, there is almost a new paint of coat on a story which often feels depicted from a well-off suburban perspective. It is also especially helpful that Chris and Sylvere don’t have kids so that who plot doesn’t have to be dealt with.

Chris has no need to worry about whether her feelings and perhaps desire to cheat are going to affect her kids. Hell, she openly reads her lustful letter to Sylvere and he gets turned on. So on top of this story not featuring rich people, it seems to have a couple which are able to openly speak on whatever feelings or desires they may have for a 3^rd party. So the lack of secrets are intriguing.

Low Points

The Awkwardness of Someone Named Dick

Chris and Dick craft awkward comedy innuendo with the name and while I’m the type of person who likes Seth Rogen comedy, which is basically nothing but immature innuendo, there was nothing funny here. In fact, you may just find it like a cheap joke so that the episode gets some reaction out of you.

On The Fence

While There Are Interesting Things About This Show, It Itself Is Far From Noteworthy

Perhaps what may be a major issue for the show it doesn’t rely on Hahn’s usual comedic appeal and there isn’t any actor on here who is known for their dramatic performances. With that, you are left hoping between how the stories and characters develop, that will be the hook. That will be what will have you binge watch all the episodes when they are released.

Overall: Mixed (Stick Around)

While no one will deny Hahn getting to be the female lead is overdue, it is hard to say, based off this pilot, if this show is the perfect fit for her. Yes, her character is planted in an interesting situation with Dick and that can evolve into an interesting story. However, that perspective can only be held if you’re optimistic. For with Kahn not being her any sort of comical, and the men on this show boring as lead paint, there isn’t something to really snag you here. Also, when it comes to the supporting actors whose names and faces aren’t familiar, outside of Devon[note]Roberta Colindrez[/note] [note]who mainly is interesting due to an ambiguous look[/note], there isn’t anyone who pops.

To put it simply, there is something very niche about this show. Something beyond an NBC show niche, where it could get a cult following, but so niche that it could only live online. For if this show really had to face the Nielson Ratings or was something HBO was relying on to keep its subscriber count up, it would likely get cancelled in a season. However, with it being on Amazon, and them not solely relying on their original shows for revenue, there is faith this could have room to breathe and grow and as it develops, so will its potential audience.