Alex Inc. Series Premiere Plot Summary:
In his late 30’s with a wife and two kids, Alex (Zach Braff) decides to quit his stable job creating light hearted, feel good podcast content and strikes off on his own to bring light to real stories with meaning.
Unfortunately, Alex, Inc. was exactly what I thought it was going to be. The premise was too flimsy for it not to have quick, smart jokes and a strong cast. The pilot episode, “The Unfair Advantage,” has an investor, Chris Sacca, asking why should he put in his money, time, faith, etc. into Alex Schuman’s podcasting company. In their meeting Sacca asked Alex what unfair advantage could he bring to this company, what makes it different.
I assumed I would laugh a little and eye roll a lot. I was right. The back half of the episode had one or two good scenes. The most notable was Alex’s magic hands at the end of the Sacca meeting as well as the burst of passion scene where Alex takes advice from his plucky, precocious son (barf) and breaks through an airport security gate to tell Sacca the podcasting company’s unfair advantage was in fact himself, Alex.
Chris Sacca’s short monologue commending Alex on his passion and zeal had a small comedic nugget; “I mean driving up here like this, bursting through that gate, which those guys are definitely arresting you for.” Sacca kept up a stream of talking, glossing right over the fear that flashes over Braff’s face. It was simple and funny but it shouldn’t be the joke I’m talking about if this show was a successful comedy. It’s the type of joke that keeps the good times rolling, it doesn’t start the party.
Alex, Inc. didn’t have the right comedic timing anywhere and the chemistry between the cast was nearly non-existent. The date night scene between Alex and Rooni (Tiya Sircar) was rough. There was nothing there. No zazz or flash. The jokes, which somehow were delivered in cheery monotones, couldn’t seem to land. Rooni (Sircar) and Alex go back and forth about yin and yang in a very Scrubs like way ending with Rooni saying, “You do love a good yanging.” Unlike Scrubs, the whole thing falls flat on its face. There is a half smile plastered on Sircar’s face but the lines seemingly carried no inflection at all.
Sircar wasn’t alone in her uninspiring performance. I’m not going to go into detail because I don’t feel like destroying a little kid because I’m not Satan. But the son is annoying. As a whole, the acting was feeble in the pilot episode. However, Deirdre (Hillary Anne Matthews,) Alex’s producer and business partner who’s also in love with him, and Soraya (Audyssie James,) Alex’s daughter, stood out when they were in a scene.
Alex, Inc. is a TV show based on a podcast, ‘StartUp,” about a guy who quit his job and started a podcasting company. The plot may be based in truth but the storytelling is weak and there are numerous kinks in the comedic fabric. What’s Alex, Inc.’s unfair advantage in a world overloaded with entertainment?
Rating: 2 out of 10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X58fcXjR-pg
