Toothless Secularization

Side Order of Life, in all its Ally McBeal-lite zaniness, is so damn blah. At the root of this is what I assume is a fear of turning off viewers with talk of the G word. That’s right, God has been replaced by “The Universe,” which is trying to tell our Calista-like protagonist that she needs to focus deeper than the shiny surface of life.

The milquetoast choice for our main character to undergo an existential crisis without any real spiritual questioning (even Wonderfalls’ narcissistic Jaye wondered if she was talking to God or the Devil) is indicative of the rest of the show’s problems. Everything is pleasant, never really plunging the depths of what could be a really interesting story. Sure, it’s not so nice that Vivy has cancer, but she retains her moxy and lives only to spout clichés about living life to the fullest (though she turns down a seductive gesture from a cute friend – who has time to screw when you’re fixing your BFF’s boring life?). Jenny’s news piece about the woman with three husbands and a lover? It all works out fine (and allegedly Pulitzer-worthy)! The lady wasn’t LEGALLY married to anyone so no need for any icky consequences.

From a network that so recently stepped up with the compellingly warts-and-all Army Wives, I’m disappointed in the utter meh of Side Order of Life and the usually sparkling Lili Taylor’s similarly lackluster State of Mind. My Universe, I’m looking forward to Holly Hunter’s new TNT show Saving Grace. It looks like it may have the balls to make more thought-provoking statements than “He’s like a great pair of shoes that’s not in your size.”