Ben & Kate "Pilot" Review

TV Pilots are among my least favorite episodes of a series. There are exceptions, namely the LOST "Pilot." Through the years, I've understood that a great series usually has an underwhelming pilot, and a forgettable series has an outstanding pilot. Two of my favorite "Pilots" of the 2011-2012 TV season were A Gifted Man and Awake. I know, I know, no one remembers either show. I fell asleep during episode 2 of A Gifted Man and bailed on Awake when Laura Innes showed up. Pilots are difficult because of their scope. Creators need to introduce the premise, the characters, tell a story, and show enough to ensure the viewer that their series is worth sticking around for.

Ben & Kate is a typical pilot. Dana Fox establishes the premise and the core characters in a neat narration delivered by Kate, the heroine of the show. The story of the episode is self-contained. The wild and hard-to-contain Ben, Kate's older brother, returns to town randomly for unknown reasons. Ben's wanders in and out of his little sister's life. The character's sort of like a tempest. He disrupts the day-to-day existence of Kate and her daughter and throws their routine into chaos. Ben's a goofy character, portrayed really well by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Nat Faxon, and the entire show is elevated by his presence. Unlike a tempest though, Ben helps his sister and daughter feel better whenever he passes through. His heart is made of gold and he's the kindest person Kate knows.

The story Dana Fox tells in the "Pilot" is unremarkable, something you've seen too many times on in the movies, but the story reveals the fundamentals of Ben and Kate both. I paid attention to the little details throughout the episode. Ben came to town to visit with his old girlfriend, but when he learns she's going to marry a man, he plans on crashing the wedding and deliver a speech leading men used successfully in so many films before Ben's moment of misguided glory. Kate's a girl who grew up too fast, which happened the moment she was pregnant; now, she's working in a bar, struggling to find love and to meet ends meet. Kate's defined through her clothing. The fanny pack she wears suggests she's out-of-touch and behind the curve. She expresses an anxiety about being sexual because she hasn't been sexual in years, and so her stereotypical English friend instructs her to be sexy using horrible teaching methods; this all happens to show Kate's sweet but aloof, and she's too old to be so young.

I wrote a bunch of crappy screenplays during my teenage years, and I'd often write a character like Ben. I responded to the character's eccentric and goofy behavior. Ben's able to determine the moral compass of a man by high-fiving him. A babysitter doesn't want Kate's daughter to color the sky green, because the sky is blue. Ben watches uncomfortably, almost in agony, and fires the babysitter for restricting his niece from coloring the sky green. Later, Ben tells Kate that George, her boyfriend, is cheating on her. Kate expresses gratitude because she would've slept with George. Ben's best friend is Tommy. Tommy goes along with Ben's plans and even confers with him while wearing lucha libre masks. Tommy's also in love with Kate. He's not really defined beyond being a supportive best friend and in love with the other main character. Similarly, Kate's English friend isn't defined much beyond being English and sexual.

Ben's master plan to crash the wedding and win back the woman of his dreams fail. Among the character's attributes is a refreshing self-awareness and honesty. During the rehearsal of the wedding crashing, Ben essentially admits he deserved to be dumped and that he's no different, it's only that he loves her and doesn't want to part with the idea of being with her. The moment of truth is a disaster. Ben's not a dashing leading man in a romantic comedy starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts; he's just a simple Californian with a lot of ideas and a lot of heart. The bride allows Ben and his friends to stay for the wedding. Underneath a table with Kate and his niece, he informs them he'll move home to help them both because he's their family.

Ben & Kate is a good show to pair with Raising Hope. The little girl, Maddie, is given decent material. The little actress, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, interacts well with Nat Faxon. Child actors are a mixed bag. I didn't know what to expect from the kid element, but the scene when she's wearing night vision goggles and on board with the wedding crash plan won me over. The Maddie character should add to the show rather than detract some of the quality. I barely watch Raising Hope. Greg Garcia has a distinct voice and he likes to populate his world with quirky characters. The tones of each show work well. Ben & Kate fits in nicely with the FOX Tuesday night lineup. FOX has cultivated a distinct brand. The four sitcoms have similar styles and tones. That's what a network wants.

I absolutely don't think Ben & Kate is for everyone. Comedy is very subjective. What I find funny, others don't. Ben & Kate's not funny, but it's amusing. Ben's an amusing character. Kate's not funny at all. Her moments of comedy are unintentional. Dakota Johnson's given an opportunity to show off her physical comedy skills in the final scene of the episode. While she's not a Marx, she's not bad at it. The punchline can be seen coming from 45 miles away. It is a network sitcom, after all, and network executives prefer to guide the viewer like village idiots rather than trust them to experience a show how they want to, and trust that they'll get the joke. So, this is a 'safe' show; good for families to watch on a Tuesday night, and watchable for fans of New Girl and Raising Hope.

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