NBC’s new comedy Free Agents doesn’t quite fit into the mold set by so many other 30-minute comedies on TV these days. That’s a compliment and a credit to series creator/adapter John Enbom, as well as director Todd Holland. But, I’m not quite sure different is entirely a good thing, given the short time most TV shows have to settle in and establish an audience these days.
Based on British series, Free Agents stars Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn as Alex and Helen, two co-workers drawn to one another despite their mismatched baggage. Alex is recently divorced and kind of a mess over it. Meanwhile, Helen’s fiancé died a year ago and while she’s moved on enough to sleep with another man, she does so in a bedroom covered in large photos of the man she loved and was prepared to marry. If that sounds sad, it is. While Free Agents doesn’t wallow in the characters’ mutual misery, the pilot is heavy with the disappointment both Alex and Helen are carrying with them.
Offering a bit of humor and nuggets of amusing wisdom is Anthony Head’s character Stephen. Rounding out the cast is Al Madrigal, Natasha Leggero, Joe Lo Truglio, and Mo Mandel. Between Head’s character and the rest of the cast filling out the work environment, there’s plenty of banter to go around as Helen and Alex mix business with personal.
The biggest issue Free Agents might have, isn’t going to be the talent. In fact, between Enbom and the cast, the series is fit to burst with creative talent. If there’s one thing that might prevent this series from gaining the viewership it should deserve, given its potential, it’s the fact that it doesn’t feel like a sitcom. The dialogue is very fast (in some places, maybe a little bit too fast) and the set-up for Alex and Helen’s relationship is rooted by the tough reality of their pasts. That last part really isn’t a flaw. If anything, this basis on which their relationship is being built is what is going to set Free Agents apart from every other comedy we’ve seen featuring a should-they/shouldn’t-they couple.
Free Agents’ humor is subtle and built into the dialogue, which at some points, moves so fast that you barely have time to laugh before they’re moving on. There is humor, though, albeit dryer and quickly executed throughout the dialogue, making the show feel less about getting laughs as it is relating to the characters and what they’re saying.
Azaria and Hahn have real chemistry and both succeed in bringing real qualities to their characters in a way that's funny and relatable. It’s for those reasons, not to mention the appeal of both as actors, that I have high hopes Free Agents will have time to grow and find its footing. I didn’t laugh nearly as much as I did through Up All Night (another NBC series premiering tonight), but again, Free Agents doesn't seem set up to be that kind of comedy. Regardless, I feel compelled to watch more. It’s easy to care about Alex and Helen and to want to get to know them better. Most importantly, it’s easy to want to see them get together. For a series that seems set up for just that reason, that’s a good thing.
Free Agents premieres tonight (Wednesday, September 14th at 10:30 p.m. ET) on NBC.
