Can a jock come out of the closet?
Can a robot have feelings?
And can a getaway driver and a Black female FBI agent take down a crime boss?
Each question, more or less, gets answered in our roundup of three new series. (In theaters, comedy fans can look forward to Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in “Froendship.”)
“Overcompensating”: The coming-out process for someone still stuck in the closet often arrives in fits and starts and is just plain messy. Consider the predicament of Benny, a hunky college freshman who knows how to swagger when he’s chugging beers with his bros but who secretly desires the intimate company of a guy. Benny is the poster boy of a straight hometown hero, complete with fawning parents (Connie Britton and Kyle MacLachlan) and a popular, put-upon older sister (Mary Beth Barone) who is attending the same college as he does. He is also his own worst enemy and makes one bad lust-fueled decision after another. Benny’s tug-of-war contest with his emotions and desires make him relatable and likeable and often leads to painfully funny problems. Yet the main reason Benny wins us over is he’s played by the charming and handsome bumbler Benito Skinner, a social media sensation with talent to burn. Inspired by his experiences of being a closeted, hunky football player in Boise, Idaho, Skinner’s eight-part series (episodes are a half-hour) feels like it has come directly from the pit of an anxious, gurgling stomach.
Benny wants to act upon his impulses but retreats like a turtle whenever situations get too hot to handle. He is immediately attracted to a cute film studies student (Rish Shah) who seems kind-of interested in him. Rather than wholeheartedly pursuing that connection, Benny does the obvious: engage in some intense make-out sessions with his female soulmate Carmen (Wally Baram) which leads to awkward, unfulfilling sex. The two realize that they are better as friends with Carmen getting the hots for Benny’s sister’s strutting big-man-on-campus boyfriend (Adam DiMarco). As you can tell, no one is entirely virtuous or perfect in this frequently hilarious production that even features Brit pop star Charli xcx. Benny is overcompensating so much that he’s denying who he truly is, and he’s not alone. And that’s the beauty of a series that reminds you of one of Oscar Wilde’s best sayings: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Details: 3½ stars; all episodes drop May 15 on Prime.
“Murderbot”: Actors face real challenges when portraying a robot that’s showing faint glimmers of sentient insights. Often the most formidable issue is the tendency overplay a ‘bot’s developing humanness. As the titular murderbot in Apple TV+’s irreverent yet surprisingly deep sci-fi series, Alexander Skarsgård handles the dicey acting proposition better than countless others. He’s deadpan hilarious as a mostly unfeeling yet sorta-feeling rogue Security Unit assigned to a survey team of very human, very flawed scientist/researchers. The crew is under the supervision of the capable Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) who is prone to panic attacks as the group visits an irritable planet at the behest of The Corporation — a powerful business conglomerate where profit is indeed king. The unit is less interested in his duties than he is in zoning out and watching extensive seasons of bad TV. In this case he’s hooked on “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon” (featuring John Cho, DeWanda Wise, Clark Gregg and Jack McBrayer).
As a result, the Sec Unit is constantly annoyed by the interruptions of those he’s supposed to protect — a married couple (Sabrina Wu and Tattiawana) who form a throuple with the adorable and smart but somewhat dense scientist (Akshaye Khanna), a researcher (Tamara Podemski) who tangles with an alien critter — the special effects are sensational — and a wary crew member (David Dastmalchian) who’s mostly human. All in the cast are an utter delight, but this is Skarsgård’s hour and he’s rarely been better. The creative team of Chris and Paul Weitz (“American Pie,” “About a Boy”) adapt Martha Wells’ first novella “All Systems Red” into 10 pithy 30-minute episodes that are an absolute delight and all but beg to be binged. There’s much more in play here than simple entertainment as “Murderbot” explores the value of free will and our inherent need to roam and explore so we can enrich our soul. Details: 3½ stars; first two episodes drop May 16 followed by new episodes every Friday through July 11.
“Duster”: Showrunner LaToya Morgan comes up with numerous catchy ‘70s reference points for this saucy crime throwback that corrals diffuse historical figures such as Howard Hughes and Richard Nixon and taps cultural norms that were either emblematic (Steve McQueen-like car-chase thrillers) or problematic (racism and sexism) from that era. It makes for a breezy and tart eight-episode romp even though it encounters a few pacing bumps along the road for both Morgan and executive producer J.J. Abrams. Most often, “Duster” (named after that car) is a smooth little joy ride especially for fans of Rian Johnson’s “Poker Face” which also specializes in sprinkling crime with comedy.
Abrams and Morgan put a well-cast Josh Holloway (“Lost”) into the driver seat as Southwest getaway driver Jim Ellis, a sigh-inducing hunk with shampoo commercial level golden locks who looks as if he stepped off a sunbaked romance novel cover. He and his family — dad (Corbin Bernsen) and his deceased brother — have worked and provided muscle for crime boss Ezra (Keith David). Enter a key figure trying to bring down Ezra’s empire, ambitious and Black newbie FBI agent Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson, channeling some Pam Grier energy). Her presence as a Black woman in the big office raises the eyebrows of her G-Man colleagues who express their contempt for her with not-so-veiled responses. Nina dismisses them and teams up with a super low-key but extra-sharp Indigenous partner Awan (Asivak Koostachin, lighting up every scene he’s in). Car chases, two-timin’ and a showstopping Gail O’Grady as Jim’s former Vegas showgirl stepmom provide sparks as does the intricate attention to era details — from the sets to the hairstyles to the wardrobe to the cars. “Duster” takes a few surprising fast turns near the end. Hopefully, Max won’t leave audiences in the dust and reward us with a second season. Details: 2½ stars; first episode drops at 6 p.m. May 15 on Max with a new episode weekly through July 3.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.
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