Apple TV’s “Government Cheese” is Almost Great | TV/Streaming

Apple TV’s new comedy-drama “Government Cheese” boasts a talented cast. The story is witty, filled with religious references and commentary on 1960s culture. The sprightly soundtrack features well-chosen soul, krautrock, and pop. Why, then, does this series not rank amongst the best things to air on TV this year?

The problem isn’t lead actor (and executive producer) David Oyelowo. As inventor, father, husband, former check-forger, and recent ex-con Hampton Chambers, he anchors the proceedings with a bouncy, almost evangelical optimism. Having found God in prison, Hampton is determined to walk a righteous path upon his return to his family in Chatsworth, California, armed with his prison-workshop-assembled invention: a self-sharpening drill that will revolutionize machining. That a little prison riot causes a hiccup in his plan of economic and emotional salvation doesn’t stop him; he’s gotta go where he’s going.

To his unbridled surprise, Hampton’s return home is met with cool indifference, bordering on antipathy. After opening the door to her husband, Astoria (a winning Simone Missick) denies him an embrace and promptly pours herself a drink. Of their two sons, only Einstein (Evan Ellison, hilarious) seems glad to see him, though that may have more to do with his general head-in-the-clouds personality, including ignoring full scholarships to Harvard and MIT in favor of building a backyard pool and joining a pole vault team in Oregon; Harrison (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) is visibly angry, resentful of both his father’s abandonment and his bizarre good cheer. In rapid succession, Hampton, realizing familial forgiveness will be hard to come by, vows to make dinner every night, earn a living, and stay on the straight and narrow.

Complications to these goals are introduced in rapid succession: His juvie buddy Boosie (scene-stealer Bokeem Woodbine) informs him that Hampton’s timely release from prison was due to strings pulled by the Prevost Brothers, a Quebecois gang of seven criminal siblings. Youngest brother Jean-Guy (Louis Cancelmi, doing a lot with very little) has designs on Hampton’s drill and loyalty. In addition to the existential threat posed by the French-Canadians, they also demand financial remuneration, which means Hampton will have to resume some light criminal activities. That straight and narrow path is starting to look more winding than he’d expected.

On this path are odd strangers, delivering messages that may or may not be from a higher power. While pursuing his wife and her new boyfriend Ronald, Hampton runs into Edith (Sunita Mani), whose hand is stuck inside a vent. Their conversation is deep, yet friendly, but she seems to know way too much about him and his predicament. A nameless man warns Hampton to not take what is not his. 

The visual and philosophical stylings of “Government Cheese” are heavily influenced by the Coen Brothers. Were the series trimmed down, it could pass as a remake of “A Serious Man,” complete with religious parables and omens drenched in black comedy. Other episodes that focus on supporting characters look right out of the Wes Anderson playbook, including a gravelly voiceover, whip-fast camera movement, and use of the Futura font for on-screen text.

There’s also plenty of texture in Warren Alan Young’s production design. Each setting, like the Chambers home and the office where Astoria works as an aspiring interior design associate, possess a vibrant color palette, appropriate mid-century modern furniture. And I’m grateful for the series’ prioritization of the interiority of characters like Astoria, who was once full of hope, but is now just watching other people live the life she once envisioned for herself, while various appliances in her home, not to mention her dreams, are literally falling to pieces. Nancy Steiner’s costume design helps tell her story too; in flashbacks, Astoria wore bright red dresses, thrilled by the promise of her new family home in Chatsworth, while Hampton dressed in confident shades of blue. In the present, Astoria’s elation has dimmed into pinks and pastels (and some paisley), while Hampton continues to dress in the blues of his past.

So what’s the problem? Why does a series with this many terrific ingredients not result in a delicious dish? “Government Cheese” is by no means the high-budget display of mediocrity we’ve seen from other high-profile Apple projects. There’s a lot about it I loved and enjoyed, but it suffers from the same problem as so many other prestige TV shows: were this a two-hour film, it could be brilliant. Dragging out a high-concept surrealist comedy to 10 episodes cannot help but dull its impact. There are so many spinning plates in the plot that a few simply have to come crashing down, and by the time the final scene rolls, what felt like a confident absurdist take on a black family in 1960s America feels empty, deflated. Given Hollywood’s obsession with making $200 million movies, I can’t even lay blame at the feet of co-creators Paul Hunter and Ayesha Carr. It’s a damn shame that the model we’ve arrived at is “Well, if enough people watch it, maybe they can turn it around in Season Two.”

Entire series screened for review. Premieres on Apple TV on April 16th.

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