Bored To Death: Favourite New Show

Last Sunday's episode of HBO's Bored To Death--the series' 6th episode--solidified it for me: it's my favorite new show in a long time. The series is about a bored, loser-ish writer, Jonathan Ames (not-so-coincidentally named after the creator of the series, novelist Jonathan Ames), who, after breaking up with his girlfriend, decides to advertise his services as a unlicensed private detective on Craig's List. "I've been reading so many of these detective novels that I know what to do," he reasons. The series mixes his misadventures as a low-rent PI with his life as a Brooklynite writer.

I didn't think the series started off very strong, with a weak first couple of episodes, but the strengths of the three lead actors--Jason Swartzmann as Ames, Zach Galifinakis as Ames' comic book artist friend, and Ted Danson as Ames' rich, eccentric, magazine-owner boss--kept me on board. The third episode, "The Case of the Missing Screenplay," was the first hint for me of something greater, with Ames having to retrieve a screenplay from the office of the father of an under-aged girl he almost slept with. Especially great was the scene at the end of the episode with the father, a psychiatrist, hilariously deconstructing the psychology of Ames' character in a rapid-fire fashion. "Next issue," he'd bluntly intone after completely solving the last one.

But it was the last two episodes, “The Case Of The Lonely White Dove” and “The Case Of The Beautiful Blackmailer,” that completely sold me on the show. Ames’ puppy-dog-like pride over having given the blackmailer two orgasms, Galifanakis’ lackadaisical role as Ames' sidekick, the pot-fueled conversations between Galifinakis and Danson while Ames' life is in danger ("I'm on marijuana minutes")... this show is hilarious and fun. But on top of that, it's also occasionally enlightening and moving, as in the closing scene with the Russian lothario in the 5th episode: "Goodbye my new friend. I don't know if I'll ever see you again. But I hope your heart is broken many times because it means you will have loved many times."

The 6th episode also ended with a new story development, Danson becoming aware of Ames' double-life and wanting Ames and Galifinakis' character to do a comic about it in his magazine.

It’s sad to think that there are only 4 more episodes left in the season! Thankfully Jonathan Ames--the real Ames, the creator--just made a cool announcement on Twitter:

RT @jonathanames okay, going off twitter for a while. have to work on the new season of #boredtodeath.