Review - Free Agents Season 1 Episode 4 Rebranding

Sadly, the ratings for Free Agents have been horrible and I'm certain it'll be canceled eventually; in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's canceled tomorrow. What makes it feel worse is that its counterpart, Up All Night, has been doing okay, indicating that it's not a problem with the time slot or something like that. People just don't like the show. As one of the few people who likes the show, I'm sticking around until the end.

The one person who's impressed me the most has been Kathryn Hahn, who'd probably get a lot more attention if the show had any viewers. She has great energy in all her scenes, when she's pushing Alex into something or when she's completely breaking down. Her range is on display in practically every episode, bringing life to every scene.

"Rebranding" has a decent plot, with Alex and Helen going on dates with other people, but it's a little bothersome that it's obvious they should be dating each other. The option is out on the table, but Helen doesn't seem to want to do that. But Helen is also jealous, evidenced by her inquiries about Alex's date, and the writers don't really create an explanation for them not dating other than that her fiance died and they're co-workers.

Score: 8.5/10

Review - Free Agents Season 1 Episode 3 Dr. Hu

A quick look at Free Agent's ratings shows an ugly picture. It premiered with a mediocre 2.1 adults 18-49 and dropped steeply the next week to 1.3. It's doubtful the show will get a second season or even a full season pick-up, but I'm hanging in. I like what's there are where the show can go.

"Dr. Hu" divided me more than the previous two episodes, presenting two plots with contrasting qualities. On the one hand, we finally get to see the broad picture of Alex's work, something missing from the first two episodes, and we get to see Emma grow beyond the secretary role. On the other hand, Helen is useless in the episode, continuously ranting to Alex's therapist about how she doesn't need therapy. It was good for a while, but it got old, and it's never good when a smart character acts crazy for an entire episode.

Score: 8.3/10

Review - Free Agents Season 1 Episode 2 What I Did for Work

Like the writers of Up All Night, the writers of Free Agents seem to be on the right track. While they haven't hit the right formula yet, there are definite signs they are heading the right direction. There aren't too many shows on Wednesdays so I'll be hanging in for a while

"What I Did for Work" uses the work environment to provide Alex and Helen chances to tease each other and flirt while cutting back on the more obnoxious colleagues. Alex and Helen are always leading the plot, with the telecom guy and Emma, respectively. Since Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn are very capable leads, the result is pleasing and funny.

Score: 8.7/10

Review - Free Agents Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot

Using Up All Night as a measuring stick, I liked Free Agents quite a bit more. Alex and Helen, played by Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn, aren't as good as Chris and Reagan (the characters on UAN), but I found their banter to be entertaining enough to push me towards the second episode. In both shows, the leads are good and their characters are well defined. Both Alex and Helen don't know what to do with their lives and they happen to fall in bed a couple times.

The other characters are handled much better, as we can see hear them talk about women while not hogging the screen. Stephen comes off as a somewhat cartoonish character, what with his sordid talk, but tonally, he fits in with the show which features pictures of Helen's dead fiance plastered all over the place and Hank doing his grumpy act before bursting into tears.

Score: 8.9/10