Television Review: ‘Bent,’ on NBC, Brings Romance to Remodeling

Sometimes its best not to think too hard and just embrace the idiocy. If youre able to bring that mind-set to Bent, a screwy comedy NBC introduces on Wednesday night, youll have a pretty good time.

Amanda Peet pours wine for David Walton, her contractor, in Bent, on Wednesday on NBC.

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It will require some effort on your part, because if you make the mistake of identifying with one of the main characters, youll become infuriated. Alex (Amanda Peet) is a single mother who wants her kitchen redone and hires a rakish contractor named Pete (David Walton) for the job. Do not put yourself in Alexs shoes, because youll drown in questions like Who keeps a contractor on the job who gets no work done? And do not picture yourself as Pete, because your knack for messing up just when youre about to get the girl will drive you insane.

Instead simply enjoy the chemistry between the two stars and admire the casting of the supporting roles. Jesse Plemons, J B Smoove and Pasha D. Lychnikoff slot in nicely as Petes hapless crew (four guys to renovate one modest kitchen?), and Margo Harshman plays Alexs younger sister, Screwsie, with droll sass.

The fellow who really gives the series an incongruous edge, though, is Jeffrey Tambor, who is hilarious as Petes live-in father, Walt, a frustrated actor. The gimmick allows the seriess creator, Tad Quill (Scrubs), to take daffy detours from the world of home renovation into the world of bad theater. Is Walt something of a stereotype? Yeah. But are his scenes sharper than anything in Smash, NBCs increasingly disappointing backstage series? Yeah.

Particularly admirable is that in a series thats all about sex Will Alex and Pete ever have it? Whom are they having it with while they flirt with each other? Mr. Quill and his fellow writers largely stay away from the juvenile penis-and-vagina jokes that flood other recent sitcoms. When your writing has a decent amount of wit, and your actors can sell it, theres no need for desperation crassness.

It might not be apparent just from the pilot how well Bent works; the romantic-comedy dynamics might seem familiar and the dialogue slick but shallow. NBC, though, is presenting the show in back-to-back episodes for the next three Wednesdays.

That might help Bent in a difficult time slot. Watch two episodes, and you begin to catch the rhythm. Watch four, and you might be hooked.

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Television Review: ‘Bent,’ on NBC, Brings Romance to Remodeling