(Officially premiering 4/11)
What's it about?
A wide-eyed Midwestern girl moves to New York City to pursue her dream job only to find herself living with an outlandish girl with the morals of a pirate. June's well-planned well-organized life takes a drastic turn when she arrives in New York to find that the corporate finance job she moved there for no longer exists. As she tries to navigate her newly single life in the big city, her Midwestern scruples are constantly put to the test by her wild and sophisticated party-girl roommate Chloe and Chloe's best friend, the actor James Van Der Beek. The two girls form an unlikely friendship that leads them both to unexpected places and often-illegal experiences.
You should watch if...
• you enjoy 2 BROKE GIRLS or NEW GIRL.
• you're a Krysten Ritter fan.
• you're a Dawson's Creek fan.
So, how was it?
Along with BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, DON'T TRUST THE B---- IN APARTMENT 23 is easily one of my favorite comedies of the entire season. It's crazy to me that ABC waited so long in the season to unleash Chloe's insanity on the world, but thank god it's finally here. APT 23 continues this year's trend of female-centric shows -- from Max and Caroline on 2 BROKE GIRLS to Jess on NEW GIRL to Jessica and Lennon on BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, from Emily Thorne on REVENGE to Carrie on HOMELAND to Ivy and Karen on SMASH, women have dominated both comedies and dramas this year.
Of all those shows above, APT 23 is most similar to 2 BROKE GIRLS and NEW GIRL, although its humor is noticeably darker than either of those. In the course of the pilot, there is theft, nudity, underage drinking, and, most notably, sex on a birthday cake. Oh, and James Van Der Beek.
Krysten Ritter is comedic gold as Chloe, the unscrupulously nasty NYC girl who cons naive newbies out of the life savings with the help of her straight gay-BFF, James Van Der Beek. Having The Beek From The Creek playing himself is an inspired bit of casting. It could easily have been a one-note joke, but Van Der Beek manages to play himself with a surprising amount of both charm and pathos. It's easy to believe that this could actually be his life post-Dawson's Creek. His relationship with Chloe is a blast to watch.
Dreama Walker is bright and bubbly as June, the Midwestern newbie Chloe plans to screw over. It's a testament to her acting abilities that while I absolutely couldn't stand the sight of her when she was on THE GOOD WIFE, I was instantly drawn in by her wide-eyed charm here. The epitome of a blonde, perky up-and-comer, she is the perfect foil for Ms. Ritter's dark, sarcastic presence. The two play off each other wonderfully, both in combat and in friendship, and I am excited to watch their relationship grow.
This late in the season, APT 23 may seem like a carbon copy of every other sitcom that premiered this year, but it is, somewhat surprisingly, better than all of them. That's not to say the others are bad. I enjoyed the 2 BROKE GIRLS premiere and am still watching NEW GIRL, but there is something about the collision of light and dark on APT 23 that is impossible to look away from. It's a fascinating dynamic made even more captivating by the boundless enthusiasm of its young stars, Ms. Ritter in particular.
Rating:
**** Certifiably ADDICTive. A must-see.
I know you're probably getting tired of even more new shows at this point, but APT 23 deserves a chance. Its quick-witted, razor-sharp, and surprisingly dark humor instantly earn this show a place of honor among the 2011-2012 roster of sitcoms.
(For the complete rundown of when all the new shows are premiering, check out my 2012 Midseason TV Preview.)
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