Sometimes it’s best to go into a new series blind.
That’s what I took away from Alan Yang (Master of None) as he promoted his new series Forever (Amazon Video) by sharing reviews, but also encouraging folks not to read them until they watched the entire season. Created, written and produced by Yang and Matt Hubbard (30 Rock, Parks and Recreation), Forever has been shrouded in mystery. Amazon even requested that critics with early access to the episodes leave some of the pertinent plot details out of their articles. Having followed those instructions as a viewer — tuning in without the slightest notion of what this show starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen was about — I’ve decided to follow suit as a reviewer.
At its heart, Forever is about marriage as it plays out for one couple: June (Rudolph) and Oscar (Armisen). As actors who have worked together for five years on Saturday Night Live and recently played bumbling Emmys “experts” at the TV awards show, Rudolph and Armisen have obvious comedic chemistry. As an onscreen couple, they initially appear like a pretty perfect pair, operating on the same wavelength and attuned to one another’s idiosyncrasies. But every relationship has its drawbacks.
Together for 12 years, June and Oscar have their routine down pat. Predictability isn’t the most awful characteristic of a marriage, but it doesn’t do much to keep things interesting. So when June itches to change things up a bit, they decide to ditch their usual vacation plans for a ski trip that ends up changing their lives…forever.
“Forever” can be a comforting concept. But the word can carry a foreboding connotation, too, which is explored in the show. Eternal damnation. The Sandlot’s legend of the beast. Outkast. “Forever-ever, forever-ever?” It’s enough to make a commitment-phobe out of any viewer. There’s certainly an ever-so-slightly awkward aspect to watching this with your partner. As characters question their relationships, wondering if being content is enough, the show may confront you with those very same thoughts. The intricate, intimate ways the show looks at the connections we make as humans should come as no surprise coming from Yang, as he and Aziz Ansari delved into similar subject matter in Master of None.
One of the keys to most relationships is finding the balance between comfortable stability and exciting newness. The butterflies of a new fling versus the trust instilled in a long-term love. Maybe June and Oscar had that new-car-smell kind of feeling in the beginning, but the more we learn about them, the more it seems like Oscar was June’s safe choice — and Oscar was perfectly fine with that. So was June, until — over the years — she just…wasn’t quite so anymore.
When they both face a life-changing experience, Oscar comes out believing they’re closer than ever — they’re destined to be together. Meanwhile, June is left reevaluating everything. You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone, but you don’t know what else might be out there when you’re with the one you’ve got.
There are some really funny moments in Forever. I swear.
Over the course of the series, June and Oscar encounter a variety of people who offer different perspectives on relationships, including one played by the always delightful Catherine Keener. The entire cast captures an understated, relatable feeling that makes the characters seem so real, even in the most surreal situations. The plot takes such profound turns, venturing into territory that you really don’t see much on TV, now or ever, and certainly not with this dark tone balanced with simple silliness. A certain network comedy in a new season right now comes close. It rhymes with The Shmood Shmace. (Sorry, Mr. Yang. I cracked.)
Armisen generally steals the spotlight on screen, whether on SNL or Portlandia or in a movie cameo. He’s a fantastic comedic talent, and Forever is no exception, but Maya Rudolph truly shines here. Forever is really June’s story. Complex and compelling, she faces a number of crossroads throughout the season and Rudolph does her justice with a stellar performance.
With a distinct brand of pitch-black humor, surprising cliffhangers and an eight-part season of 30-minute episodes, Forever is an easy binge. Go see what all the fuss — or, rather, hush — is about.
