Fall is a thrilling time thanks to the colorful leaves, the spooky vibes of Halloween, and also the new TV series that compete for our attention. Every year, there's a big question on the minds of TV fans: will there be a new sitcom that will be funny enough to keep watching?
One of fall 2019's new sitcoms is The Unicorn, which tells the story of Wade Felton (Walton Goggins) as he starts dating again after losing his wife and the mother of his two teenage daughters. Here are five reasons that The Unicorn is the fall's best new comedy, along with five reasons that it's not.
The Best: The Premise Is Clever
One of the reasons why The Unicorn could be considered the best fall 2019 comedy is thanks to the smart premise. While families are of course the focal point of many sitcoms, it's not every day that you see a sitcom dad dealing with grief, raising his kids alone, and also entering the online dating world. Sitcom dads tend to be full of bad jokes or stereotypes.
Wade is a likable character and viewers who tune in will definitely want him to succeed. He's kind to his daughters while respecting that he doesn't always understand everything that's happening in their lives (but he's going to try his best).
It's Not: The Stories Could Dry Up
The problem with sitcoms is that they can be very simplistic in terms of story options. In the case of The Unicorn, this could happen sooner rather than later.
Since each episode so far has featured Wade going on a new date or learning something new about the dating world, that could get old fast, and it could seem played out if it gets a second season. CBS just ordered some more episodes for The Unicorn, so that's quite a lot of storytime. It's tough to see how far the premise can go.
The Best: It's Relatable
It's not relatable if a TV show features stuck-up characters who date all the time and never have any insecurities or negative feelings about it. So it's really great that Wade has absolutely no clue what's going on when it comes to online dating.
The Unicorn is especially relatable in the second episode, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," when Wade doesn't want to be "mean" to the woman he's been on only one date with, so he accepts her social media friend requests and keeps texting her. He doesn't understand that this does more harm than good and this actually counts as stringing someone along. It's refreshing because everyone has been through a situation like this, at least on one side.
It's Not: It's Trying To Be Two Different Shows
On the one hand, The Unicorn is about a guy who is "a unicorn" aka a kind-hearted person who is relationship material, especially because he's a widow so he has been in a committed partnership before. He's learning about online dating and searching for love.
But on the other hand, the show is about a dad who misses the love of his life and is trying to raise his kids (Grace, played by Ruby Jay and Natalie, played by Makenzie Moss) the best that he can without her. It feels like The Unicorn is two completely different shows, which could be a problem as the episodes pile up.
The Best: It Has A Classic Sitcom Group Of Friends
The best sitcoms have friend groups, from, of course, Friends to How I Met Your Mother to Seinfeld. The same thing is true of The Unicorn. Wade has a really close-knit group of pals: Forrest (Rob Corddry) and his wife Delia (Michaela Watkins) and Ben (Omar Benson Miller) and his wife Michelle (Maya Lynne Robinson).
The characters have a clear bond and an easy rapport with one another, making them a sitcom group that will be fun to come back to week after week.
It's Not: People Might Be Tired Of Dating Jokes
Thanks to all of the romantic comedies out there, almost every type of relationship scenario has been played out in pop culture. Is The Unicorn bringing anything super new to the table?
Maybe... but maybe not, especially if people are tired of dating jokes. We've seen characters struggle before with using dating apps, meeting strangers, and wondering what it all means. It doesn't mean it's a bad show at all because it has so many great qualities, but it's definitely something to consider.
The Best: It's Family-Friendly
Sometimes a family-friendly sitcom is really comforting. The best ones are definitely in that category, from Full House to Modern Family.
The Unicorn is perfect for families to watch together since the jokes are clean and Wade and his friends all have kids, so there's something for everyone to relate to. There aren't a lot of shows that appeal to the whole family so this is a nod in its favor, for sure.
It's Not: The Dated Marriage Dynamics
It's great when sitcom characters are familiar because then they feel like good friends of ours, and we want to keep tuning in. But sometimes the characters aren't that well-drawn or they need more time to be developed.
In the case of The Unicorn, Wade's pals might need that time because their marriages seem pretty old-school. Delia is high-strung and a bit neurotic and it feels like she runs the household that she shares with her husband Forrest, for example. It doesn't feel like a representation of marriage today.
The Best: The Funny Yet Realistic Tone
Grief is not linear but it's not often portrayed in a very realistic manner in pop culture. Sometimes, in film or TV shows, a grieving character is shown as hysterically crying all the time or acting out.
The Unicorn is the best fall 2019 comedy because of its funny yet realistic tone, particularly in its portrayal of a husband losing his wife and the mother of his kids. The pilot does this particularly well: Wade and his daughters are surviving on the frozen meals that family and friends gave them after his wife's death. But then Wade gets to the end of them, and that's when he really has to face the fact that she's gone. It's poignant and beautiful and feels like something that would actually happen.
It's Not: The Daughters Need Better Plotlines
Wade's daughters, Grace and Natalie, are sweet and funny, but they haven't gotten the best plotlines on the show yet. For instance, in the second episode, Grace wants to go around town to take photos in front of cool backgrounds for her Instagram account.
It feels like this character could be given a lot more to work with since, like some of the online dating stuff, social media and teens is a bit played out in pop culture by now. We'll have to keep watching to see what happens with these two characters.