Humor is the perfect tool to disarm people and make them think about the absurdity of everyday existence, which explains why black comedies have become one of the most popular works in the last decade. However, for a black comedy to be successful, it must strike the right balance between laughing at tragedy and demonstrating the humanity of its characters. Unfortunately, the Apple TV+ series high desert misses the mark twice, delivering an end product that basically doesn’t make us laugh or care about our characters.
high desert takes viewers to the desert landscapes of the Yucca Valley, where drug addict Peggy lives (Patricia Arquette) decides to become a private investigator after her mother (Bernadette Peters) passing. From the outset, the series promises to explore Peggy’s past and present, tracing the steps that led to her addiction and showing how her dangerous relationship with drugs affects her relationships with everyone around her. Sad, high desert only approaches its main themes on a superficial level. Yes, Peggy’s addiction will wreak havoc in her life, hurting her friends, family, and anyone else unfortunate enough to cross her path. However, the series never takes the time to explore what drives her. As a result, Arquette’s talents go to waste.
WITH high desert determined to show how chaotic Peggy’s life can be, the series quickly places the protagonist at the center of a murder investigation involving art fraud and the Mafia. Also, while Peggy goes on a rush trip to become a private detective, she still continues to work as an actress at the Old West theme park. high desert also must deal with Peggy’s past as a drug dealer, the death of her mother, and her difficult relationship with her siblings. And since the series is only eight half-hour episodes long, there just isn’t enough time to tie it all together, let Peggy grow up, and still make us care about the fates of the dozens of one-dimensional characters constantly crossing the screen. .
talking high desert bloated would be a euphemism. The series rarely gives viewers time to breathe before introducing yet another subplot or nodding towards a character’s complex backstory that it never explains. And as we get closer to the finish line, it’s clear that many of the stories the show tries to tell simultaneously won’t have a satisfying ending. So instead high desert it just stops abruptly. A cliffhanger can be a great way to tease that there’s more to come, but in this case, it looks like the writers were also confused about how to end it, so they just stopped, turned off the lights, and left it up to the problem. decide in the future, which may not be. There’s nothing wrong with the audience wanting more, but by the end high desertSeason one, we’re still too close to the starting line for anything to matter.
Though the lack of meaningful drama doesn’t help high desert To stand out in a crowded streaming game, the show’s biggest sin may be the lack of comedy time. Some brilliant moments show just how fun the concept of the show can be, mostly in high desertthe first and last episodes - but most of the time, Peggy’s story goes on and on without regard to logic, relying on a few deus ex machina to keep her unstable card castle from collapsing. Peggy’s incredible detective skills are simply stated as fact and not tied to her backstory - and just like every character in high desert as gullible or smart as is necessary for each episode, which reduces the possible comedic effects of some of the series’ surprises. Absurdist comedy springs from frustration, but when a story has no coherent internal logic, it’s hard to be surprised at any attempt at subversion. Instead, a string of seemingly random events are crudely stitched together so that Peggy can continue investigating her big murder case.
There are redemptive aspects in high desert it makes us curious about what a second season might look like. The production value is a highlight as the technical departments work hard to bring to life the unusual scenarios in which the story takes place, especially at the Old West theme park. Also, Arquette isn’t the only talented actor trying to make a good impression. Matt Dillon deserves special praise. However, while the entire cast high desert goes above and beyond to elevate the show, even the most competent actor can do so much when the material they have to work with is so weak.
Rating: WITH-
First three series high desert It premieres May 17 on Apple TV+ with new episodes coming out weekly.
Source: Collider
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