Swingtown (1.1)

Thursday, June 5th, 2008 @ 10 PM

CBS

Swingtown, Season 1 - Episode #1 - "Pilot"

'Swingtown's making Waves on CBS.'

As American celebrates the bicentennial, Susan and Bruce Miller move their family to an affluent Chicago suburb. They are not only welcomed to the chick neighborhood, but also the social and sexual revolution prevailing throughout the decade. They find out that their neighbors share more than a view of Lake Michigan. Initially bewildered by their new surroundings, Susan and Bruce come to realize that their promiscuous neighbors present a tantalizing offer that may provide the excitement their marriage craves. (CBS.com)

Marmot: I really liked it. I thought it was a really strong pilot.

Manatee: I liked it to. I thought it looked and felt so different from anything else on TV and especially CBS. Except of course until Life on Mars airs in the fall.

Marmot: I love the way this show looks. The costumes are fantastic, as is the production design. It felt more like a feature than something like That 70s Show, which was really just a "look how goofy we were."

Manatee: Right, I was expecting a little of That 70s show, but due to the great production value on the pilot, I feel like you got a more authentic taste of the 70s. It was like watching a drama, not watching a cheesy Brady Bunch reunion; I wasn't very focused on the decor or music being so 'period' as I was on the characters development. Though I did notice that Liz Phair was one of the people credited with music.

Marmot: I saw that, too. I wonder how that came to be. I think the show is supposed to be set near Chicago, and she's from there, but that's the only connection I put together.

Manatee: She did a good job, I didn't find the music distracting at all.

Marmot: Nor did I. Actually, I really loved the needledrop stuff. They made some really great choices, sticking to Chicago instead of cheesy disco.

Manatee: One thing that did throw me off at first was the amount of characters. I know I've said it before, it's a pilot, and you throw in a lot of background and you introduce all these characters; but it was a double edged sword for me here. On one hand I was really confused about the kids. I wasn't expecting there to be any! And I was not sure at first if those scenes with Samantha and then the classroom were flashbacks. Once I realized they weren't, I wasn't sure who all the kids belonged too. But that being said, I did like all the story lines and the blatant differences in the couples. They are each so unique and I enjoyed that diversity and think there are a lot of places to go with these folks.

Marmot: The kids were a bit confusing, especially the son of the straight couple. Does he have a crush on his friend? But I liked that he was savagely beaten by a 12-year-old girl. That's not something you see on network TV very often.

Manatee: That scene made me think of the movie Super Bad, but I'm not sure why.

Marmot: Me either. The whole show made me think of American Beauty and Boogie Nights. It felt like a mix of both. It also reminded me of Tell Me You Love Me, but with interesting characters instead of gratuitous nudity and long boring passages of insipid dialogue.

Manatee: I'm interested to see how this shows plays on CBS. CBS is the most conservative of the networks and last night they showed various drugs, sex, free love all over the place. I know that CBS got a lot of s$%t for airing Dexter (from their sister network Showtime, the show is pretty gruesome). But they aired the entire first season (edited) this year during the post strike down time. If they get the same crap will they yank Swingtown over the summer (again, another traditional down time)?

Marmot: It was a little risqué for CBS, but I think they'll stick with it, especially if the controversy amps up. However, after watching it, I don't think there was anything that we haven't seen before on other shows. It's just been played for laughs previously, whereas here it's taken seriously. I've seen more graphic sex on 90210, Buffy and LOST.

Manatee: And I feel that this show is not just going to be about sex and swingers. I get the sense that it is going somewhere, that there will be real character development, family issues, relationship issues, and so forth. It's not just sex for cheap thrills.

Marmot: I agree. The swinging is just a device used to expose the different characters' attitudes towards their respective relationships. It's not just about having sex. I know I keep coming back to this, but again, is my biggest problem with Tell Me You Love me. It's like soft-core porn with less interesting stories.