Rebuttal: The War at Home
TeeVee reader Mike Morris hated The War at Home. But our friend and co-worker Jim Dalrymple begs to differ. Since this site is absolutely incapable of generating debate in comments attached to postings (the squirrel hasn’t figured that one out yet) — and since none of the Vidiots have actually seen this show — we are happy to present to you Jim’s rebuttal to Mike’s pan of The War at Home:
I read with great interest TeeVee reader Mike Morris’ review of Fox’s new sitcom The War at Home. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I saw something in this show that obviously slipped by my faithful writers at TeeVee: real humor.
I’m so tired of the gift-wrapped humor on television — I honestly can’t remember the last time I watched a sitcom and laughed. But I’ve watched The War at Home twice and can’t stop laughing. I even laugh at the jokes after the show is over.
Michael Rapaport is a great actor, and especially fits well into his comedic role in The War at Home. I also liked him on the now-defunct Boston Public, and in some ways this character has similar traits to the character he played on that show. He is forever saying stupid things — really stupid things that always seem to get him in trouble. But he is so good at pulling it off, you don’t see it coming.
Maybe you need a couple of preteen kids in order to really understand the show. I know I can see myself in some of the situations he finds himself in and I respond the same way.
For instance, in the last episode his 16-year-old daughter walked in the house cheery and smiling, asking everyone how they were. To which Rapaport replies, “What’s wrong with her?” That’s exactly what I say when my moody 12-year-old daughter walks in happy.
It’s followed by a hilarious 30 minutes of Rapaport’s character trying to figure out why his daughter is so happy. After having sex with his wife and lying happily on his bed, it finally strikes him: his daughter is happy is because she’s having sex.
Of course, she isn’t. Rapaport gives up on this idea and several others throughout the show, including drugs, only to find out that his daughter is making an effort to be happier. Rapaport’s constant badgering puts her in a bad mood again, to which he responds: “Now that’s the girl we know and love.”
This is not only funny, it is so incredibly true. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the hit comedy of the season.