Anchored by a talented cast that features Emmy-nominated comedian Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development") and Teen Choice nominee Joanna Garcia ("Reba"), "The Captain" attempts to follow in the cerebrally comedic footsteps of the many successful projects affiliated with its cast and producers -- a list that includes "How I Met Your Mother," "Frasier" and "Two and a Half Men." The show is a mid-season strike-related replacement for the surprising hit "The Big Bang Theory." The show is infused with a harmless off-the-wall humor that appears the tool of choice for writer John Hamburg, who also penned "Meet the Parents," "Zoolander" and "Along Came Polly."
Of course, though Ben Stiller movies can be fabulously inane, they are rarely known to make people split their sides. Appropriately, this evening's pilot episode of "The Captain" may win you over at times with its silliness, but will feature few moments worthy of more than a smile or a knowing giggle.
"The show tries to evoke laughter by presenting absurd situations, but absurdity isn't inherently funny," Sujana Gottumukkala '08, who viewed an advance press release, said. "Absurdity must be placed in a context to work, and right now 'The Captain' isn't doing that, so it's neither good nor bad."
"The Captain" is indeed a strange mixed bag. Every other minute it makes an admirable attempt to avoid typical sitcom humor, working to put its characters in unusual circumstances. A scene in which Josh awkwardly can't suppress a "pop-tent" when comely new stranger Hope (Garcia) acupunctures him in a room full of disfigured masks is memorable for this reason. But with frequent lapses into rom-com cliche, the show thwarts its own ambitions. It also doesn't help that several recurring characters come off more as stock types than as real people.
For example, Astrid (Valerie Azlynn) is the resident blonde with a self-imposed lisp. Straight-laced Josh's best friend, Marty (Chris Klein), is naturally Josh's total womanizing opposite. And the overdone Charlene Van Ark (Raquel Welch) is a paint-by-numbers Mrs. Robinson figure that seduces youthful scatterbrains with disturbing ease. Generally speaking, Josh and Hope are like honest, adorable diamonds surrounded by coals of caricature.
"I remember the first time I watched "Scrubs" and "The Office," how much I enjoyed the freshness of the ensemble casts and the weird situations. 'The Captain' needs to do that," Gottumukkala said. "And since we're only as far as the pilot and the premise has potential, maybe it will do that."
If the words of cast member Al Madrigal are any indication, the lukewarm series shall indeed soon find the bizarre groove it so earnestly wants. Madrigal, who plays nosy, mustachioed bellhop Jesus, recently had time for a phone interview with The Dartmouth. Being a fan of the informal musings of popular series like "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "30 Rock," Madrigal, a comedian, enthusiastically compared the humor of his new project to the style of his stand-up.
"My act lends itself toward 'The Captain' because my style is fast-paced and modern," Madrigal said. "I tell stories from life experience. It's not rude or going for shock value. It's every comic's dream to star in a sitcom."
Madrigal, who has been away from television for five years, kept his rhythm as an actor in check by continuing to perform stand-up during the hiatus. The fruit of his labor is the ability to now inject more of his own personality into the character of Jesus, who is a self-proclaimed "blabbermouth" and has a close working relationship with Uncle Saul (Tambor), the building's very Zen de facto elder statesman.
"Although we had to stick to the script, Jeffrey Tambor is a really funny guy, and I was always hunched over laughing," Madrigal recounted. "Everybody was standing in awe of him. He's so hip and cool " a comedic genius."
One thing is for certain: "Welcome to the Captain," despite its many flaws, certainly has a cast capable of righting the ship, particularly with the acclaimed Tambor at the helm. Though it is by no means a laughfest (or not yet, anyway), this hotel-set comedy tries to mesh its quirky premises in such an affable way that this reviewer would say it's at least worth your -- ahem -- checking it out.
