Welcome to Pilot Perception, our feature in which we break down the first episode of each new show in order to help you decide whether it’s worth your time.
The Show: Partners, CBS, Mondays at 8:30/7:30c
The Pedigree: The show was written and created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the team behind Will and Grace.
The Cast & How You Know Them: Partners stars David Krumholtz (Numb3rs, Serenity), Michael Urie (Ugly Betty), Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill), and Brandon Routh (Chuck).
The Premise: Joe, who is straight, and Louis, who is gay, are business partners and lifelong best friends, but their relationship is thrown into turmoil when Joe gets engaged.
A Taste:
What Doesn’t: Pretty much everything. This is not funny at all. The jokes are ridiculously stale and I don’t think I smiled once. I certainly didn’t laugh. And, worse, one of the main characters, Louis, is so completely unlikeable that it’s hard to buy any of the rest of the show. Because seriously, why is anyone in any sort of relationship (romantic or platonic) with this person? The other characters aren’t as bad, but all are pretty flat and one-dimensional and none of them are interesting enough to make up for Louis. Or for the bad writing.
Our Favorite Line: (To a dog.) “Elphaba! Stare blankly if you agree with me.”
Other Items of Note: This is semi-autobiographical, which . . . do they realize how badly it’s coming across? And if this is what their real life is like, how are they still friends?
You Might Like This if you’re a big fan of any of the actors, I guess. Otherwise, I honestly don’t know.
If You’re Interested: You can watch the pilot on the CBS site, then set your DVR for Monday at 8:30/7:30c.
(Photo courtesy of CBS.)