Review: See the Wonder of Bryan Fuller’s New Series WONDERFALLS, Debuting Friday

By Steve Krutzler / 00:01, 8 March 2004 / TrekWeb Features

Poor bitch. That’s probably what ’Jaye Tyler’ (Caroline Dhavernas) would say about her new series WONDERFALLS and its inauspicious scheduling on Friday nights at 9 PM. The slot hasn’t always been kind on Fox and more than a few promising shows have met undeserving fates after lying undiscovered by viewers. Executive producers Bryan Fuller (VOYAGER, DEAD LIKE ME), Todd Holland (MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE), and Tim Minear (ANGEL, FIREFLY), however, are hoping that their series is better positioned than its shamelessly "overeducated and unemployable" heroine.

Lucky for them the show is—ahem—bitchin’. In addition to its protagonist’s proclivity for bluntness, WONDERFALLS is a comedic breath of fresh air for network dramas. No, Jaye isn’t wearing body suits, infiltrating government installations, fighting hordes of latex-heads, or spouting off legal jargon ’til your head spins. She’s just living her life in a trailer park in Niagara Falls while working at a souvenir shop. When the animal-faced doodads on the shelves around her start barking orders, Jaye is forced to emerge ever so slowly from her self-imposed loathing.

Sure, the objects tell her things that usually end up helping somebody out, but this isn’t TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL or JOAN OF ARCADIA. The world of WONDERFALLS is quirky and humorous and full of brazen honesty. Anyone who’s ever worked retail will appreciate the scathing humor of a scene in the pilot episode ("Wax Lion") where Jaye deals with a particularly bitchy—and thus so realistic—customer in a way that would make Sam Walton spin in his bargain grave. The smooshed faced of a wax lion pulls Jaye into a chain of events that brilliantly highlights the cruel penance one often receives for doing a good deed.

Jaye’s antipathy stands in stark contrast to the charming, magical setting of Niagara Falls, and an introductory sequence in which she narrates a clever retelling of the Maid of the Mist fairy tale captures the sardonic flavor of the series. The fact that WONDERFALLS is never completely taking itself seriously mollifies the initial trepidation you may have for a show about talking trinkets. It’s really about Jaye coming to terms with the world around her and although she may help somebody along the way, she’s not just a vehicle to serve the client-of-the-week. In one episode she’s forced to dis-estrange from her closeted sister, while in another she channels lingering high school angst into a satisfying triumph.

WONDERFALLS also plays with genres, such as in the third episode "Crime Dog," which plays out in a backwards noir-style format while making fun of material like THE X-FILES and LAW AND ORDER. This is no surprise coming from Fuller, who’s unique perspective and obsession with comic books produced VOY’s "Bride of Chaotica!" and unconventional episodes like "Living Witness." Reflexive humor and satire were also key ingredients in the Whedon series ANGEL and FIREFLY, where Minear cut his teeth. But while some viewers may not have been able to stomach the vampire-laden world of Joss Whedon’s creations long enough to appreciate the underlying commentary, FALLS is a much more grounded production (Fuller calls it "grounded fantasy"). Sure you have stuffed animals and wax dolls prodding the heroine (or anti-heroine) along, but always with tongue firmly planted in cheek. "Crime Dog," for instance, highlights the show’s family aspects without getting sappy or melodramatic.

William Sadler (’Sloan’, ST:DS9) plays Jaye’s father ’Darrin’, a surgeon who is also imbued with a lot of humor, and the anchor for Jaye’s family, which fills out most of the regular cast. Sadler’s more entertaining with lines like "when was the last time you had an orgasm?" and "did you know our cable has lesbian porn?" (he sees Jaye’s sister making out with a girlfriend while delirious from medication) than the seriousness that his Section 31 role called for. In fact, all the main characters have comical sides, from sister Sharon’s perky put-on to mother Karen’s faux-movie star persona. It’s definitely a family drama, but none of these people are played entirely straight and each is somewhat of a parody of the roles they’re playing.

For all the sarcasm and levity, WONDERFALLS is anything but cynical. Jaye may be sardonic and biting but the series is charming and inviting. If the feeling you get when cursing the rain turns to laughter at the fact that you’re soaking wet could be caught in a bottle, WONDERFALLS has it. Realizing the pleasure in life despite the everyday crap you’re going through is a formula this series solves with much success. It’s no wonder, then, why this novel idea is one of the best things to befall network television in quite a while.

Don’t wonder what you missed: WONDERFALLS premieres this Friday, March 12th, at 9:00 PM on Fox. Visit the WONDERFALLS web site.