Mid-Century Modern
By Sioph W. Leal
After the unexpected death of a friend, three gay best friends decide to live together in Palm Springs and to be there for each other now that they are all of a certain age. At the idea of the wealthy one in the group, Bunny (Nathan Lane), friends Jerry (Matt Bomer) and Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham) excitedly take him up on the offer to move in. Also in the house is Bunny’s mother, Sybil (Linda Lavin), a supportive matriarch whose sharp tongue matches their comments.
It’s a classic sitcom with over-the-top characters, some absurd situations and canned laughter played in but with emphasised stereotypes to keep the show linked to its premise of three gay men of, mostly, different personalities figuring out their new life and their past. Bunny is the wealthy one, the one who can also be called the most overdramatic but with an interesting personality of being both self-deprecating and superior. It’s a mix Lane does well from previous works. Arthur is the bitchy yet fashionable stereotype that fits in seamlessly and finally Jerry is the lovable yet dim flight attendant who is dubbed “the hot one.” With three big male personalities it's great to see judgmental but caring mother Sybil able to contend with her son and friends to give the show a little more much needed variety. The characters and their stereotypes give a familiar feel to the sitcom that adds some catty, funny moments but at times the loudness of them and little else can be a deterrent when the schtick quickly gets repetitive.
Of all characters, it is Bomer who comes off as naturally funny and doesn’t seem to be trying too hard especially when compared to Lane’s leading counterpart. While Bomer is the most charismatic out of the bunch, he manages to create depth with his character particularly when he’s confronted with his Mormon past and family but keeping the humours flow of the show going. There are moments when Arthur has some growth or some moments of variety but sometimes that can be sidelined in a way to give Lane’s character more space which fast sticks to the same thing episode by episode with no varying performances, becoming tired early on.
The characters are still funny for the most part and the situations are good when it sticks to the comedy instead of suddenly going dark or trying too hard, and too late, to be topical. One episode is dedicated to the men taking covid tests and Bunny only agreeing when it gives him an excuse to be away from overbearing mother, Sybil. It just comes off tired in the beginning with some oddly outdated comments about refusing to test followed by more attempts of humour that sound stale when delivered. Just when the show finds its groove again, it makes a dark turn when a main character dies and the rest of the series is dedicated to that theme. There’s not much humour in it and seems like it is a last-minute change of direction due to real life circumstances.
Without Matt Bomer’s natural charm and charisma, Mid-Century Modern would be a loud, tired stereotype. There are some moments where the show makes some natural attempt at humour, but it fails to land especially when delivered and helmed by Nathan Lane. There’s no variety to the performance, if you’ve seen Lane in one thing then the same character will be in every scene with little to no difference. Linda Lavin is a great addition that lifts the show up with her quick wit and delivery and is a joy to watch with Nathan Lee Graham but the series feels like it drags on too long even with the short run of 10 episodes and only 25-30 minutes in length. It’s not bad but a lot of it repeats by the third episode so it’s a good move on Hulu’s part to release all episodes at once.
All episodes of Mid-Century Modern premiers Friday, March 28 on Hulu.