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Making its debut last Wednesday, ABC’s new sitcom Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 brings a uniquely edgy perspective to television’s comedic repertoire.
The show follows the life of June Colbern (Dreama Walker), a wide-eyed, blonde, career-driven woman who moves to New York from the Midwest to work at a large mortgage firm. Though June seems to be living the dream life – “It’s just like in Friends,” according to June – she quickly wakes up to the horrifying reality of her mortgage firm being investigated for embezzlement.
Left homeless, June, as any post-modern New York transplant would, takes to the Internet and begins her search for a roommate that ends with Chloe (Krysten Ritter, Breaking Bad) in apartment 23.
Though at first appearing to be as sweet and innocent as June herself, Chloe quickly reveals herself to be the “b—-” mentioned in the title. A battle of wills ensues between the two new roommates, eventually smoldering into a mutual respect upon which, presumably, the rest of the series will be built.
The leading ladies have some good chemistry, giving off the vibe of a begrudging friendship that grows stronger with each episode. This is often driven by June, life plan always in mind, being dragged into Chloe’s antics and somehow surviving the emotional and physical turmoil accompanying such behaviors.
Supporting characters include Eli (Michael Blaiklock), the pervert who lives in the next building, Mark Reynolds (Eric Andre), a mortgage broker turned barista and, perhaps most interestingly, James Van Der Beek of Dawson’s Creek, playing himself.
The last of these characters generates the most laughs of the supporting cast, playing on Van Der Beek’s own fame and placing him in the midst of wooing fan-girls and portraying the misunderstood life of a teenage heartthrob (which, coincidentally, is not all bad).
In truth, Van Der Beek’s somewhat meta portrayal of himself allows for some good-natured laughs that are not driven by the cattiness of Chloe or the ignorance and innocence of June.
Aside from the Dawson’s Creek star’s moments, the show finds its groove mostly in an absurdest form, bearing a striking resemblance to ABC’s other Wednesday night sitcom Happy Endings. Yet clearly the creator and producer, Nahnatchka Khan (American Dad), is striving for a more taboo feel, from the suggestive title to the content of the show itself.
Between the first two episodes, released on Hulu and free digital downloads on iTunes, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 covers racy topics like theft, drug dealing, extra-marital affairs, masturbation and intentionally getting teenagers drunk.
What for many shows might be particularly heavy issues deserving of entire episodes describing their dangers, ABC’s latest sitcom embraces and carries them, treating them as plot devices rather than inherently reprehensible activities.
The show is reminiscent of the start of Bill Lawrence’s Cougar Town, which has since left this realm of television in favor of a dynamic CB la June’s beloved Friends, and therefore taken a self-deprecating approach to its humor.
For Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, it will be interesting to see if the show can continue to walk the fine line at the edge of what television viewers deem acceptable or if it will fall into step with Happy Endings or Cougar Town.
Hopefully Khan will keep the course, breaking the mold and bringing some much-needed edge to network television, but the plot needs to back it up. Either way, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 currently stands in a powerful position to be an excellent addition to the Wednesday night lineup.
