A superb murder mystery is one thing, but when a TV show also manages to infuse distinct characters and extreme albeit hilarious melodrama, it’s definitely price tuning into. From “Good Girls” creator Jenna Bans and her co-creator, Bill Krebs comes “Grosse Pointe Garden Society,” the most recent unique drama with the identical elements that made shows like “Desperate Housewives” and “How one can Get Away with Murder” such standout hits. Despite a handful of missteps, the NBC show is engrossing, and confounding and off to a promising start. Set in Grosse Pointe, Michigan (a wealthy suburb of Detroit), and centering on 4 local garden club members, the series is a reminder that putting a soapy spin on reliable formulas mostly results in success.
“Grosse Pointe Garden Society” opens as a shovel hits the dirt, and a body is dumped in a big hole. Nevertheless, before the audience can orient themselves into the scene, the series flashes back to 6 months up to now. On the garden society’s headquarters, Alice (AnnaSophia Robb), a naive highschool literature teacher, desperately searches for her missing golden retriever, Molly. Meanwhile, her best friend Brett (Ben Rappaport), a landscaper by trade, is adjusting to life as a single dad after his wife’s salacious affair. Rounding out the crew is Catherine (Aja Naomi King), a prim and proper real-estate agent and vice chairman of the Garden Society whose perfectionism has endeared her to the town — until it doesn’t.
The group is knocked off-kilter when Birdie (a implausible Melissa Fumero), a wealthy socialite/romance novelist, is thrust into the crew following a DUI and court-ordered community service. Because the foursome draws closer, they start unpacking their personal struggles and chaotic inner lives, which results in a murder coverup on the night of the Garden Society’s annual black-tie gala.
While Robb and Rappaport are fantastic of their roles, the more intriguing bits of “Grosse Pointe” are led by King’s and Fumero’s performances. Image-obsessed Catherine finds solace in her newly formed bond with Birdie, who lives (and mostly thrives) on her own terms. Polar opposites, probably the most compelling features of Bans’ and Krebs’ series occur when Catherine and Birdie’s personal decisions (and differing wardrobes) are contrasted with each other. In various ways, the ladies struggle with perception, self-acceptance and a way of belonging.
Alice and Brett even have trials and tribulations, but they’re never quite as fascinating as their counterparts. Furthermore, Alexander Hodge is criminally underused as Alice’s artist husband, Doug. When Alice learns her dog’s fate, she begins spinning out, causing chaos in her marriage and at her job as a substitute of specializing in what she will be able to actually control. With little more to do, Brett finds himself in constant ego clashes along with his ex-wife Melissa’s (Nora Zehetner) meddlesome recent husband, Connor (Josh Ventura). There may be also a forced best-friend-to-unrequited lover trope between Alice and Brett. Unfortunately, Robb and Rappaport have little romantic chemistry, so this idea doesn’t feel tangible.
The show’s other major stumble is its confounding timeline. While the events in “Grosse Pointe” are relatively easy to follow, three advancing timelines of the past, present and future and the near-constant chronology indicators make for a somewhat disorienting watch.
Amid every part happening in Grosse Pointe, the series (critics screened 4 episodes for review) cleverly infuses horticulture terms and plant behaviors that align with what’s happening on screen. For viewers lacking green thumbs, most of those references will undoubtedly go over their heads without eroding the core story. Nevertheless, for plant lovers, the dialogue, plus the stunning visuals of the huge central greenhouse, create a further layer of enjoyment to the eclectic dramedy.
As viewers struggle to decipher who’s buried among the many flowers, theories and clues will bubble up, expand, explode or cause further confusion. Yet, the joyful mayhem of “Grosse Pointe Garden Society” will undoubtedly keep audiences returning to the series each week. Still, if nothing is actually revealed by the point Season 1 ends, it’s doubtful audiences will return for a second outing.
“Grosse Pointe Garden Society” premieres Feb. 23 on NBC, with recent episodes dropping weekly on Sundays.
