Kidding Series Premiere, “Green Means Go” Plot Summary:
Jeff Pickles (Jim Carrey), the star of a famous children’s show Mr. Pickles Puppet Time, decides it’s time to talk about death on the show. His executive producer, Seb (Frank Langella), feels that Mr. Pickles the persona and Jeff Pickles the person need to remain separate. Deirdre (Catherine Keener), Jeff Pickles’ sister, punishes her daughter, Maddy (Juliet Morris), for not eating her veggies.
From the moment the episode begins, it is made clear this Showtime series is no ordinary show. In fact, this is not necessarily a show I can recommend young kids to watch. Kidding is a bizarre, wacky, hipster dramedy that explores unique situations and characters in relatable and heartfelt ways.
Without a doubt, Jim Carrey is mesmerizing in the role of Jeff Pickles. Carrey has taken on and given us many wacky roles in classic comedies over the years, but this is not necessarily one full of jokes and laughs. This falls much more in line with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – due in part to pairing with director Michel Gondry for the first time since that film – yet even that film exudes a completely different tone and style. Carrey channels a father and husband that is watching his life fall apart right in front of him, yet puts on a persona of happiness and sunshine and even wants to tackle the topic on his show. Talk about complex.
Pickles’ character arc reflects that of his son, Will (Cole Allen), as Will is having a difficult time and letting his inner pain take him down a dark path. Allen gives a solid performance overall considering the framework of the content and how that character is conveyed.
The other actors in the show give solid performances as well, yet at times feel understated due to the grounded, realistic, uncinematic way of delivering their performances to fit the visual narrative.
As for the writers, directors, and other crew members, they have successfully achieved a strange, oddball, barrier-breaking style on multiple fronts. The characters themselves are vastly unique to one another, the cinematography is definitely creative to say the least, the lighting is surprisingly bright and colorful in a falling worldview, the creative choices to show certain moments in ways that feel more down-to-Earth and less cinematic, and the tight writing of the episode make ‘Kidding’ one of the more fascinating shows on the air.
Because of the style and subject matter, this show will not resonate with everyone. I admit this show is not my cup of tea, despite my high praise for Jim Carrey in this show and his entire acting career, but I would be hard pressed not to also respect and admire the originality at hand. Clearly Carrey has a strong creative presence with ‘Kidding’ and the upcoming episodes should be quite interesting considering the setup of the pilot. Maybe the most original aspect of this show is that the pilot episode isn’t titled “Pilot.” Either way, Jim Carrey is back on-screen and that alone is worth celebrating.
Rating: 8 / 10
Kidding airs every Sunday night on Showtime.
-Daryn Kirscht
