Fall brings along a lot of different changes, and I don’t just mean cold weather and colorful leaves! With the change of the season also comes a change in my TV lineup. I’m no longer watching reruns or catching up on a Netflix series because all of the new seasons of my favorite shows have begun; however, one new show that has caught my eye is The Crazy Ones. There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the show due to the fact that it’s Robin Williams’ big return to television. It definitely lives up to the hype.
The Crazy Ones focuses around Robin Williams’ eccentric character, Simon Roberts, who is the head of a powerful advertising agency in Chicago. His odd (borderline crazy) behavior would usually get someone fired…but he’s the boss.
A lovable family element is added to the series with Simon’s daughter, Sydney, working alongside him as his partner. And you know that saying “Like father, like daughter”? Well, that couldn’t be farther from the truth, in this case.
Sydney, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Simon are complete opposites. Organized, determined, and very mature, Sydney couldn’t be more different from her father; this interesting dynamic is what makes the show so fun to watch. When I hear them banter I can’t help myself from thinking of my dad while I watch the show. He’s pretty much the craziest person I know, but he’s also one of the smartest! I think my dad and the character of Simon are very similar.
The thing that drew me in to The Crazy Ones, as well as many others viewers, was of course, Robin Williams. I’ll admit, ever since Mrs. Doubtfire, I’ve been a fan of his. But along with this popularity comes a lot of pressure to live up to the incredible roles he has played before.
Williams is a great actor: funny, witty, and relatable. For some reason, though, I don’t know if this role suits him. And, because this show created so much hype around his big return to TV, I was expecting more from him. His impressions seem a little bit repetitive of those from Mrs. Doubtfire, and if an actor is so well-known for one role, I feel like they should try to break out of that persona. Williams doesn’t quite do that in this series.
However, The Crazy Ones has great storylines and characters that create a solid show overall. A nice addition to the series is some of the minor characters who work at the agency with Simon and Sydney. The competitive nature between a copywriter named Zach, played by James Wolk, and the art director named Andrew, played by Hamish Linklater, adds a hilarious dynamic to the show.
The pilot focuses around Sydney and Simon’s contrasting personalities. Their first task is to convince Kelly Clarkson, who guest stars as herself, to sing a jingle for a McDonald’s ad. Simon’s in-your-face approach annoys Sydney, who would rather go about it in a classy, reserved way, but she can’t deny that her father is the best of the best. He somehow convinces Clarkson to perform the jingle, baffling the rest of the agency.
The next few episodes (only six have aired so far) are based around the same sort of dynamic: Simon has a crazy idea, Sydney is annoyed, Simon’s idea works out brilliantly, Sydney admits her dad was right all along! It has a little bit of a Modern Family vibe, in that the storyline of the show is always hilarious and crazy, but by the end, there is a sense of togetherness among the family. Sydney has started to realize that instead of getting annoyed with Simon, she has to embrace his wild ideas. And she’s starting to learn that she may not be so unlike her father after all!
The Crazy Ones is definitely a show that I look forward to watching every week. The characters are relatable, the storyline always makes me laugh, and I can’t help but smile when I watch the fun father-daughter relationship between Sydney and Simon.
The Crazy Ones airs Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. on CBS.
