Glee may have ended almost a year ago, but that doesn't mean
we've said goodbye to its cast. Jane Lynch, for instance, is still
on our TV screens every week as host of the fantastic game show
Hollywood Game Night.
Now we get to see Lynch twice a week, with the debut of her
brand-new CBS comedy,
Angel from Hell. She was a huge presence as Sue Sylvester on
Glee, but she was still in a supporting role. However, on
Angel from Hell, she's one of the two leads, and that's
perfectly fine with me!
On
Angel from Hell, Lynch stars as an outspoken and outrageous
woman named Amy who claims to be the guardian angel of Allison,
played by Maggie Lawson -- and comedy ensues, of course. I mean,
just imagine if something like this happened in your life. How
would you even respond to someone like Amy? You'd probably think
she needs to go see a doctor for help. Sure, Amy may be a little
crazy, but that makes it all the more fun to watch.
After Amy tells Allison that she is her guardian angel, Amy
goes on to say that she just wants to help Allison with making the
right decisions in life. That's a pretty basic premise, but it
gives the show a lot of areas to explore over the course of the
season(s). And it also allows for numerous comedic moments when Amy
seems to know everything about Allison, even though they just met.
"It's like we've known each other all our lives," Amy says.
Speaking of the humor, Jane Lynch is at the center of
providing the comedy on
Angel from Hell. And considering her resume, why not? In the
first two episodes, there are a lot of hilarious one-liners that
Amy delivers. An early example is when Amy wants Allison to look at
a mole (since she's a skin doctor) and says, "I am currently in
between insurance policies, so what is your barter policy?" Pause.
"I'm just messing with you; I'll pay cash." And in the second
episode, Amy compares guardian angels to herpes (it's more funny
than gross). Lines like these work so well with a comedic actress
like Lynch.
But even though
Angel from Hell is a comedy, I can already tell there are
going to be plenty of heartwarming moments as well. At one point in
the pilot, Amy tells Allison, "You take care of everybody but
yourself. ... Living for others never ends well. It drains you."
It's an easy and obvious line to say if you're going for that
angle, but it doesn't feel cheesy while watching it.
The dynamic between Jane Lynch and Maggie Lawson is great.
You've got Lawson's Allison, who is more of the straight-laced
person who may have a great job and family, but she doesn't have
her life completely together. And Lynch's Amy is more on the crazy
side, as I mentioned. They balance each other out so well. The
guardian angel premise almost seems like a gimmick at first, but
what wins out in the end is that chemistry between the two leads.
As far as the rest of the cast goes, Kevin Pollak plays
Allison's father, Marv. I was looking forward to seeing Pollak in
this series because he was great in the first season of
Mom. And, of course, he's been in numerous other projects
over the years, both on the big and small screen.
While Pollack does share a few scenes with Lawson in the
first two episodes, he also is side by side with the other series
regular, Kyle Bornheimer, who plays Marv's son and Allison's
brother, Brad. They're featured in a B-plot in the second episode
that has me thinking the writers would do well to put them together
as often as possible. So far, these two aren't as defined in terms
of their characteristics (especially compared to Amy and Allison),
but hopefully that changes as the season goes on. There is a scene
in the pilot where Bornheimer plays against Lynch really well, so
there's some evidence that this can happen.
As I said, the guardian angel concept could have easily been
a gimmick. And on paper, it might be. But it doesn't feel like one
while watching the show. Instead, that premise allows for the
writers to create some hilarious one-liners for Jane Lynch, who
knocks it out of the park every time. And then when you add in the
chemistry between Lynch and Lawson, it's easy for me to want to
keep watching week after week.
Check out a sneak peek video below to get a preview of this chemistry:
When I reviewed the pilot for Mom back in the fall of 2013, I made some similar comments, about that balance between the comedy and the heart (which Mom is still succeeding at its third season). Angel from Hell is comparable in that way. (I don't think it's a coincidence that CBS is pairing the two shows back to back on Thursdays.) The series not perfect by any means -- some of the supporting characters need to stand out more and the writers should make sure the comedic moments are spread around more so Lynch isn't the only one having fun. But it has a lot of potential. Hopefully, CBS and its audience give Angel from Hell a chance. I definitely will.
Are you going to watch Angel from Hell? Are you only tuning in for Jane Lynch? And what do you think its chances of success are?
Angel from Hell premieres Thursday, January 7 at 9:30pm on CBS.
(Image and video courtesy of CBS)
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