No Chickens in Coney Island

btdEpisode Commentary 1.5: The Case of the Lonely White Dove

“Bored to Death” is starting to mature into an interesting television series, and that potential seen in the first episode is even more apparent in the fifth episode, entitled “The Case of the Lonely White Dove.” A great use of the sitcom format to tell unusual stories, plus some great authentic locations in Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn , allow one major flaw to be overlooked.

Let’s get started by discussing the flaw first, and that is the performance and character that Ted Danson has created in George Christopher. In “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Danson is delightful as himself, but in “Bored to Death” he creates a whiny, unsympathetic character that is impossible to like. In this episode, on the advice of his therapist, he decides to experiment with his sexuality with a male escort. What planet is the writer on that finds this trash funny? This character doesn’t seem normal, and is becoming more outlandish by each episode. They need to retire this character to make the show more enjoyable for real people.

The rest of the episode worked well, as Jonathan is sent to Brighton Beach to locate a nightclub singer that broke his client’s heart. The episode is filmed mostly on along the Coney Island boardwalk.

Also, Jonathan attempts to use the case to kill two birds with one stone by giving his wife the Brighton Beach evening she never had while he searches for the woman. Of course, the usual comical results and calamities happen for our poor young hero, but in this episode, a real emotional investment is apparent.

Jonathan even gets to prove his manhood when Russian hoods attack his client and he doesn’t run, which proves this little man is not a chicken.

It is safe to say that “Bored to Death” is finally on the right track to being a good sitcom, and a strong second season can redeem the slow start of this one.

About Anthony Benedetto 153 Articles
I have always had a tremendous passion for the cinema. For me, movies provide a great escape. When done right, the characters and stories are something that I am instantly drawn into. Over the years, I’ve unintentionally become a movie encyclopedia that I often find myself the recipient of late night phone calls from my friends while at Blockbuster [One such conversation between the Editor of this site and the film “Redbelt” immediately comes to mind.] As far as my preferences go however, I love both the cult cinema and the classics. My love of film ranges from features such as “Amadeus” to “Sorority Babes in the Slime Ball Bowl-A- Rama.” I have a long range of film heroes as well that include, Michael J. Fox, Lloyd Kaufman, Robby Benson, Michael Caine and Jeff Bridges. On this site, I hope to teach people about cult cinema and have them rent films that they normally would not, turning you into the monster that I have become. Someday, I hope to be the star and director of my cult film, employing the old stop motion techniques used in films like “Flesh Gordon.”

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