To understand the fantastic Comedy Central show “Review” and its fascinating protagonist, Forrest MacNeil, maybe one should begin with the fact that the character divorced his wife, with whom he was extremely happy, only because of his duty to his job.
MacNeil’s duty is as a reviewer. Not a reviewer of movies, television or music — like me — but to review different events in life. His job is to live out experiences requested by viewers — like being addicted to drugs or being a racist — and review the actions on a five-star scale.
To clarify, it is a fictional situational comedy, but “Review” is so much more interesting than that. MacNeil, beautifully performed by journeyman comedian Andy Daly, has such a perverse belief in what he is doing and will go forward with any request no matter how much it ruins his life.
Season two is now three episodes in and is only building on the beauty of season one.
In the aforementioned divorce episode from season one, MacNeil is also asked to eat 15 pancakes in one sitting. I apologize for any possible hyperbole, but it is one of the most brilliant half-hours of comedy I have ever watched. We see a man pushed to the limit of his life after divorcing his wife, whom he loves, and is in unbearable pain from attempting to eat an unfathomable amount of pancakes. But, he finds something inside himself.
“These pancakes couldn’t kill me because I was already dead,” MacNeil said.
It is moments like these that are difficult to replicate in most comedies because “Review” is so original — other than the fact that it is a remake of an Australian show. The premise allows it to take itself to bizarre places in which one review’s consequences feed into another — like when his newfound drug addiction makes its way into a high school prom he is reviewing.
In the season two premiere, MacNeil falls in love with a nurse who is helping him after he is shot during one review. Then, he blackmails said nurse because he is asked to.
The show has the types of cringe-worthy moments Ricky Gervais would dream of. MacNeil digs a whole for himself that goes deeper and deeper with each review, but it is so enjoyable to watch. He has no sense that the show is not worth these mistakes, and it is even funnier when hearing Daly say in podcasts that he and the writers like to believe MacNeil’s show isn’t even that popular.
Daly is a true gem. The look on his face as he waits for someone to do their part on the other end of a glory hole is true talent. He has the ability to look so innocent yet arrogant.
I was concerned about where season two would go after the damage caused in MacNeil’s life during season one, but they had the intelligence to decide it’s funnier just to ignore it and have him keep doing the show.
