Midlife crisis is kind of a perennial subject matter. It’s not original, but Shalom is coming at it from an interesting angle. There’s uncertainty all around because of the pace of change. Forty years ago there was a set of rules, and if you abided by them you would have a comfortable, fulfilling life. People would find a job with a company, work for 35 or 40 years and retire. There was a system, and it’s not there now, even for the so-called fortunate ones. Forty years ago, we also had the simplicity of the Cold War; it was black-and-white. You could orientate yourself. That’s partly what Shalom is writing about. Also, growing up, there was a notion that by the end of the millennium we would have sorted everything out; we’d be living in some sort of semi-serene equilibrium.
The equilibrium is gone, as anyone can witness in reality and in Showtime's new series Happyish. Here is the basic story from Showtime:
Thom Payne is a 44 year-old man whose world is thrown into disarray when his 25 year-old "wunderkind" boss arrives, saying things like "digital," "social" and "viral." Is he in need of a "rebranding," or does he just have a "low joy ceiling?" Maybe pursuing happiness is a fool's errand? Maybe, after 44 years on this ludicrous planet, settling for happyish is the best one can expect. Bitingly funny and raw, HAPPYish features a stellar cast led by Steve Coogan, Kathryn Hahn, and Bradley Whitford.
Thom Payne is no Don Draper, though even the older Don has been starting to lose his magic in the final season of Mad Men. But Don also came from a time when age could be interpreted as experience and accompanying wisdom, as Coogan notes above, whereas today age is seen to be an impediment to creativity and new products.
While the role was first performed by Philip Seymour Hoffman before he died, the re-shot pilot will bring in the sobering British sensibility of a man who can do dour very well (I also hope we can see Hoffman's pilot someday). I enjoyed Coogan in The Trip, where he played a traveling food critic with a roving eye, heavy wit, and solid impersonations. If he brings this to his new role, it will be worth the ticket price (or opportunity cost, in this case).
Critic Tim Goodman in The Hollywood Reporter is not convinced the show will work. He notes:
The most frustrating part about Happyish is that there's a good show in there somewhere. An advertising agency provides loads of opportunity for both commentary and target riffing. And Coogan is at his best when he's a father, husband and employee worrying about how growing old is changing all those roles for him. Aging, its fears and indecencies and ego-slicing, are themes ripe for exploration, but having Thom go up against the cardboard cutout tech-talk of "the Swedes" is the easiest "you're out of touch or obsolete" trope out there.
Unlike a movie, a series has time to find it pace and work out the problems by the end of the first season. Maybe that is what we will see. Maybe not. But I think I will go along for the trip.
