Successful restaurateur and man-about town Jimmy Martino is used to being the most suave, most handsome and most single person in the room. But everything changes with the surprise appearance of Jimmy's adult son, Gerald, and his baby daughter, Edie. Now Jimmy has to unlearn a lifetime of blissful selfishness and grapple with the fact that he went straight from single to grandfather in six seconds flat.
Grandfathered shows a lot of confidence with being the show it wants to be in its first episode. It doesn't waste its time in this premiere trying to establish a premise that can easily be sold to advertisers. It's hook is John Stamos as a grandfather. That's it. It takes two minutes at the top of the episode. And then, the rest of the premiere is able to explore the dynamics between the characters in a funny way. That is much appreciated and different than what most comedy pilots actually do. Grandfathered isn't a great show based on this one episode but it does stand out amongst the new crop of comedies on the broadcast networks this fall.Jimmy is a charming ladies' man. He flirts with women and pals around with the guys. That has made him a successful restauranteur. His high-end restaurant was the place to be and now faces the challenge of staying relevant as new competition debuts and steals some of its thunder. Now isn't the best time for Jimmy to be dealing with a newfound family. And yet, it also has the potential to be the most rewarding experience of his life. He doesn't know what it's like to be a parent or a part of a family. He always uses that as a pick up line to meet woman but he doesn't know if he actually believes it. He is willing to take a chance at having this family though. It may all be confusing to him. But it could also lead to him sharing his life with other people. That's very rewarding. It means he won't be able to enjoy breakfast alone anymore. But sharing it with people he cares about can be just as enjoyable an experience.
Gerald only reached out to Jimmy now because he needs advice on how to get Vanessa to see him as a boyfriend and not just the guy who got her pregnant. That sounds like something that Jimmy knows a lot about. In return, Gerald shares a bunch of parenting advice with Jimmy. Gerald pretty much knows how to be a good father. He knows how to do all the skills that raising a baby requires. His life is pretty much a mess but he knows how to take care of Edie. Jimmy's life is filled with success but he doesn't have those kinds of meaningful intimate connections in his life. Jimmy and Edie walking into his restaurant promise to change all of that. Jimmy is surprised at first but they can also teach each other a lot as they learn more about each other. That contrast is really strong while never being overbearing for the show in this first episode.
Of course, this episode is able to wonderfully extend this family by having Paget Brewster play Gerald's mom and Jimmy's old girlfriend, Sara. She is a lot of fun as she doesn't want to fall into the stereotypical role of a scold and overly protective mom. She has always been open and honest with Gerald. The two of them are so close. Now is the first time he even asked about Jimmy and Sara gave it to him straight. She doesn't know if Jimmy can be a good parent and a part of this family. She gives him a chance because it makes Gerald happy. She points out all the things he needs to do as a parent. He can't just celebrate after one day. But she is also there for him after he hits his first road bump with Gerald and Edie. She is a cool mom. One who watches Portlandia and almost went to Coachella. Her wit is amazing but her heart and willing to support others is the best quality about her. She will be fun to watch as the show develops.
The rest of the ensemble is largely a work in progress. Jimmy's lesbian assistant has a really strong back-and-forth with Sara. That friendship could be hilarious in the future. But it's literally just one brief scene in this premiere. The chef at the restaurant seems kind of unnecessary but the work dynamic is one of fun. Jimmy's employees can playfully tease him when he first learns about Gerald and Edie. They have that kind of relationship. But the restaurant is still capable of being seen as refined and sophisticated. Adding a baby to that setting only makes for big laughs. All of that works so well. This episode is very consistent with its comedic sensibilities. That's enough for it to buy itself some time to truly develop into a great show.
Some more thoughts:
- "Pilot" was written by Danny Chun and directed by Chris Koch.
- Vanessa is the one character in the core family who doesn't seem to have much of a personality. She exists solely to create a reason for Jimmy and Gerald to meet. She refers to Gerald as her friend and that's about all she does. Gerald does have a date with her later that allegedly goes well. But she can't exist solely because of Gerald's feelings for her. She needs her own personality.
- How should the audience react to Vanessa thinking Jimmy is a "total George Clooney"?
- This premiere is filled with so many delightful and completely random cameos. Even Jimmy and his staff note just how ridiculous a coincidence it is that Deion Sanders, Lil Wayne and Don Rickles are all at Jimmy's at the same time. Even Bob Saget pops by to react to little Edie running around the restaurants.
- Jimmy: "I'm a grandf-?! I've never even had a gray hair."
- Sara to Jimmy: "You look great by the way. Deal with the devil really paid off."
- Jimmy: "Can I be honest?" Gerald: "You've been aggressively honest."
- Vanessa: "There's a really tan guy in the back of the house. He's hot but he's old."
- Annelise: "You carry around an old photo of yourself?" Jimmy: "You don't?" Annelise: "No."
- Annelise: "It's as if she's never slept in a restaurant kitchen before."
- Sara: "She needs a liver transplant and you're the only match." This line proves just how much fun Sara is at the expense of Jimmy. She even uses it to find out if he colors his hair or has gotten Botox.
