Tuesday, February 10, 2009

'Trust Me' Trudges On

'Trust Me' on TNTBy LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


I really want to stop reading about how Trust Me is bombing in the ratings.

Or the Who, What, Where, When, How and Why people can't seem to get into the show.

I've perused some of the other television blogs, some of the reader comments, some of message board stuff. I guess most of the discontent seems to boil down to: "Is advertising really like this?" to "Monica Potter is just so annoying" to "There isn't anything compelling between the two men to make me want to watch."

We all know I disagree.

And I guess I'm one of the few who "gets" the show.

Working in an ad agency - or any creative agency - is really a schizophrenic experience, complete with neurotic know-it alls, egotistical maniacs, the good guys trying not to be the bad guys, the bad guys trying to be the good guys, the arse-kissing, the one-upsmanship, the figure-it-out-by-4:00-p.m.-or-you're-fired daily threat. I guess since I've seen all this first hand, the show doesn't come out of left field to me.

That said, I have to say last night's ep was a little ... how should I say ... annoying.

And it was at the expense of Tom Cavanagh.

I wanted him to stop talking.

I wanted Conner to stop talking.

I wanted to focus on Mason's dilemma in trying to prevent Sarah from being hired away to another creative team WITHIN the agency.

I wanted to focus on Mason having to deal with Big Boss Lady Denise.

I wanted to see more of Mason and wife Erin (played by the lovely Sarah Clarke).

And as annoying as some people feel Monica Potter is, she doesn't speak at a pace that equates to Mr. Mumbles.

Plainly, Cavanagh's Conner distracted me.

And I wonder if he's distracting other people, too.

Now, I've said both he and Eric McCormack have tremendous riff-off-one-another chemistry. They do. Problem is, they might have TOO much chemistry (if that can be said), and I don't need to be watching it for 45 minutes straight or have it interrupt my ability to follow the other stories and character development.

When they both go back and forth so quickly, and seem so insanely wrapped up in one another, the viewer gets lost; we can't take a breath to catch up and "get it"; and, we end up wanting Conner to just.stop.talking long enough to actually understand what is being said or to move onto something else.

I hate to say that because I know this is a gift Cavanagh has - that of a rapid fire recitation of lines (and improvisation), but I'm finding it might be getting in the way.

And I'm not sure the show has much leeway to allow for things to get in its way.

Trust Me airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can learn more about the series by visiting the Trust Me Official Web site.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I like the show, with one exception and that is Tom Cavanagh's character Conner.

He is supposed to be something of a flake, but brilliant and also a good partner.

So far I have seen neither. The closest we have seen of brillaince was the tag line "What can you do with one hand?", and it wasn't that brilliant.

He has caused his partner nothing but problems.

I want to see reasons he is at the agency and why we should care. I don't need or want him perfect or as responsible as Mason. But give me some reason to want to see him on the screen.

I don't find Potter particularly annoying. I thnk she has some fair complaints that are never addressed.