Sarah Jessica Parker returns to TV (well, HBO) with this nasty-funny take on a drawn-out divorce co-starring Thomas Haden Church and Molly Shannon.
Parker plays Frances, who is sick of her husband, Robert (Church), and having an affair with Julian (a sleazy Jemaine Clement). She asks Robert for a divorce, and things quickly fall apart for her from that point on.
The show is five episodes in, and I have to say this is one of the TV season’s better new series. It’s often ugly, but considering the subject matter, ugly makes sense. It’s also very funny, with Shannon and Church both scoring good laughs. (Shannon plays a family friend who almost shoots Robert during a drunken rant.) Church does a great job of playing a douche who has moments of sweetness that leave you conflicted over whether he’s a good guy.
It’ll be interesting to see if this one goes beyond one season. It’s not getting a lot of good buzz, and the story line might feel drawn out a bit after the current 10 episodes. Still, it’s good to see Parker and Church in a show worthy of their talents.
Divorce is available via HBO Go.