If you know me at all, chances are you are well aware that: 1. Zach Galifianakis is one of my all time favorite comedians (“Live at the Purple Onion” being one of the funniest things you will ever see), and 2. Jason Schwartzman is the love of my life and by far the sexiest Coppola. So when my sister told me that these two Mediterranean men were starring in a new HBO series, I lost my shit, mentally readied myself for some possible and classic HBO series nudity, and set a calendar alarm for September 20th at 9:30pm for the series premiere.
In the spirit of the internet and iTunes, HBO released the pilot at least a week earlier than the air date. Emotionally, mentally, and sexually prepared, I watched the first episode on my QuickTime player—ice water in hand—and was sorely indifferent.
“Bored to Death” centers around a recently heartbroken and writer’s-blocked Jonathan Ames (the actual name of the show’s creator and producer) played by Schwartzman who posts an unlicensed “Private Detective for Hire” ad on Craigslsit to live out his film noir/pulp fiction detective fantasies in wake of failing to produce a second novel. Galifianakis is his cartoonist friend, Ted Danson is his boss, there’s some dialogue, Galifianakis is slightly funny but not the Galifianakis I know, Schwartzman plays himself again, it takes place in New York… I admit it’s common for a new series to start out slow, so I’m hoping over time it will pick up because when you break it down, it sounds fantastic.
There were some positives that I will note: the theme song is performed by Schwartzman (of his solo project: Coconut Records) who plays a sensitive and “self-hating Jew”, there are some witty remarks, an aversion to babies en masse, Danson resembles a clean-shaven suit-clad pot-smoking white wizard, good soundtrack, Parker Posey is in two tentative episodes, and the white wine references are funny.
All in all, I had to watch the episode twice in order to like it, but that’s okay. Here’s to future initially funny episodes and some mild Schwartzkis (get it?) nudity. Cheers!
Official HBO site
Watch the first episode on iTunes for free
