by Jon Partridge
The Duplass brothers have been building quite a name for themselves in film, dipping into multiple genres to give us indie treats such as Safety Not Guaranteed, The Skeleton Twins, and The Overnight. Togetherness marks their first foray into television, a drama peppered with comedy notes looking at four adults and their entwining lives as they approach their forties.
Brett (Mark Duplass) and Michelle Pierson (Melanie Lynskey) have hit a rut; their marriage no longer holds any surprises or excitement. Something is missing, notably a sexual spark. When Brett’s best friend Alex Pappas (Steve Zissis, co-creator and writer together with the Dupass brothers) is evicted from his apartment he takes up residence on the Piersons’ couch along with another visitor, Michelle’s sister Tina (Amanda Peet). Disillusioned with her life in Houston, she decides to relocate and begin a new life in L.A. Together, the four work through their issues, grow together, and fall apart while trying to find their place in the world.
The synopsis of the show may sound familiar to many, and the show does tread ground familiar to people who have seen Parenthood, Cold Feet, Men of a Certain Age, or Gilmore Girls. It can be summed up as “adulting is hard,” and in this difficulty, there are moments of comedy. Despite this, Togetherness feels fresh and is an accomplished and enjoyable piece of TV.
Brett and Michelle’s marriage is a core component of the show along with their responsibilities to their two children. His job as a sound technician allows the show to showcase a variety of LA locations and sets up conflict with an arrogant film director, as well as setting Brett on the path to some kind of spiritual awakening and an appearance at a kids party high on shrooms. Meanwhile Michelle’s involvement with the local school board offers her some feelings of accomplishment along with the prospect of an affair. Alex is a struggling actor contemplating quitting and returning home to Detroit when Tina enters his life and tries to shake him out of his funk while she struggles to run her own business and complicated love life. The odd bond developing between these two offers much of the comedic value of the show. These backgrounds and how they intertwine offer a rich vein of situations for the show to draw from for both entertainment and drama.
The first half of the season embraces more of the comedy, easing you into the setting and characters, but that familiar feel fades away as you become more invested in these people and their situations. Accordingly, the drama content ratchets up, making for more engrossing moments. It’s an odd balance but one that works, commendably so in the space of only eight episodes. The direction the show takes in the last few episodes mark its upcoming second season as one to watch. The show feels real without being mundane; the comedy stems from the situations they are in rather than being overly comical. The comedy is tempered with a little sadness or awkwardness at times. Genuine writing fleshes out these characters and is married to a great core cast. This, along with some supporting work from names such as Ken Marino, Peter Gallagher, John Ortiz, and Mary Steenburgen, makes for a quality production.
THE PACKAGETogetherness looks to have been filmed with a deliberate grainy, film-like quality; this gives the show a distinct visual look which is appealing. Its transfer has good definiton and detail, but can appear a little washed out in some scenes. No defects or other issues are noticeable.
Each episode has an associated Inside the Episode featurette, which gives an overview of the four episodes on each disc in combination with some behind the scenes footage. There are also deleted scene segments. Amanda and Steve is an attempted interview with stars Peet and Zissis, which somewhat falls apart as the former cracks up at the tomfoolery of the latter. Capping things off is a UV code allowing digital download of the whole season.
THE BOTTOM LINETogetherness doesn’t reinvent the wheel but is very enjoyable ride. Obviously it will strike a chord with certain demographics over others, but there is still a lot to appreciate for any viewer. The show accomplishes a lot of development and generates much investment in a very short space of time thanks to some great performances and genuine writing. A familiar but fresh take on the adult comedy/drama.
If you want to check out Togetherness yourself, enter our giveaway for a chance to win the first season from HBO.
Togetherness is available February 16th, 2016 on Blu-ray™ with Digital HD, DVD & Digital Download