SUPER FUN NIGHT

** (out of ****)

Normally, I suggest that all TV shows shoot an entire first season, throw it away, and let us start with the second season. Super Fun Night (almost) takes my advice by scrapping the pilot and starting with the second episode. If the premise (in which three nerdy girls pull suggestions for what they should that night out of a jar) seems barely touched on, that’s why. It’s not the most dynamic premise in the world; it’ll probably be dumped by the time the show reaches its unlikely second season. But to make up for it, we have superstar Rebel Wilson, scene stealer of Bridesmaids.

Wilson plays Kimmie, a lawyer who just got a promotion DESPITE the fact that she is overweight and clumsy. She is also an introvert who is constantly removing her foot from her mouth. This character trope may have once been funny, but now it’s just boring and unwatchable. Her clique consists of two other girl-types, AthleticGirl, who screams at men until they feel her biceps, and QuietAsianGirl, who is both quiet and Asian. At work, we have CuntWorker, the cunty co-worker, and BritCrush, the boss who might prefer Kimmie to CuntWorker, even though CuntWorker is traditionally hotter! The show is breaking down barriers left and slightly more left. But to make up for it, we have Rebel Wilson, scene stealer of Pitch Perfect.

Rebel Wilson is not a name that pulls blockbuster ratings, which is what ABC wants, but she does have an original voice, which ABC hates. I have no idea why Wilson and ABC paired up. Unfortunately, the result isn’t Wilson’s voice, but ABC’s voice, with some forced weirdness to make it seem funny and modern. The show doesn’t want to be revolutionary, but it would like to be in the same conversation as 30 Rock or Community. It ends up so calculated that it can’t even hit a Scrubs level of originality. It’s going to take a lot of work to save this dud, work that will take more time than ABC would ever allow. The best we can hope for is that some basic cable network will hear Wilson’s voice through the garbage premise and cliche characters, and give Rebel Wilson a second chance after this show gets shit-canned. May I suggest a punk rock neighbor that gives advice through a fence in a backyard.

-Ryan Haley