Distributor: Warner Home Video
Episodes: 8
Duration: 26 min (per episode)
Togetherness: Season 1 (DVD) – Series Review
Starting a family of your own, and hoping it will all work out to create your own picture perfect family is something most of us would like, strive for or even have as their biggest goal in life. While many may succeed in finding happiness, it’s not as easy as one might suspect and it is actually a mix of making sacrifices for the good of those you love, finding a steady income to make sure the quality of life for everyone is guaranteed and finding a bit of spare time for both your partner and children, making sure you don’t become estranged. Togetherness shows us the life of a family and their friends all struggling to find the proper balance and most of all, their place in this hectic world.
Brett Pierson (Mark Duplass) is rather happily married with Michelle (Melanie Lynskey), but things have gone from spontaneous to routine, which has gotten rid of the spark that originally lit their relationship. What doesn’t help is the fact that Brett is also a rather sour person who is unable to open up to the simpler things in life, while he isn’t all too happy with his career as a sound recorder/mixer for Hollywood productions. Nonetheless, it’s clear that he loves his wife and truly wants to ignite the passion in their relationship, but it seems Michelle is not quite ready to become intimate with Brett once again.
As if the distance between him and his wife wasn’t already bad enough, Brett’s best friend Alex (Steve Zissis) is being evicted from his place and has nowhere else to go but Brett’s house. Alex is an actor struggling to find work, as he really wants to aim for a lead part in a movie, but might not have the proper looks for it. At the same time Tina (Amanda Peet) is dumped by her boyfriend, making her depressed, as she still hasn’t found the right person to spend her life with and thus ends up on Brett’s couch as well, filling the house to its fullest, especially with Brett and Michelle’s two small children. Nonetheless, it seems Tina and Alex inspire each other, as Tina convinces Alex to truly work his way to the top, while Alex helps Tina with her bouncy castle business. It seems that even those that are pushing forty still ponder about what to do with their lives as well.
The flow of this short first season is hard to describe, as you’ll have to get over the fact that this ‘indie’ series feels a lot different compared to many other conventional tragicomedy series or movies that are being released. The first two episodes feel as if there is not that much going on, and that there is no bigger plot to be found, but once you pass these rather ‘ok’ episodes, you’ll slowly start uncovering the bigger picture and in a way it hits you where it hurts the most, as the series presents a lot of problems everyone will have encountered during the journey they call life. Nonetheless, this series has a lot to process in the course of the only 26 minutes lasting episodes, but the creators succeed in handling the material properly, making sure things never feel truly rushed.
For a series that considers itself in the indie scene, the acting performances are rather appealing and convincing, even given the rather non-eventful setting of the series. Mark and Melanie play house rather well, and the problems they portray are rather convincing, while Amanda and Steve have a natural chemistry between them, even though both their characters have no idea what they want to do with their lives. It’s fun to see other known actors appear in the series, such as Peter Gallagher who plays a flamboyant producer and John Ortiz, who is fighting for better education in the area Brett and Michelle live in.
While this series wouldn’t need that many extras, the DVD release of this first season of Togetherness doesn’t truly offer anything unique. You’ll get treated to the very typical comments of the directors as well as deleted scenes, which will add a bit of content, but most of it is negligible. The short interview with both Amanda Peet and Steve Zissis is actually very amusing and proves to be the best special feature that comes with the box, sadly it only lasts around six minutes.
Conclusion
Togetherness: Season 1 is a series about life’s questions, as well as nothing at the same time. The overall pace is rather pleasant and you’ll see how people in the middle of their life’s journey handle different problems, one a bit better than the other. This series is actually quite deep, but it’s something you’ll have to learn to appreciate, as the overall flow and topic might not be for everyone. Nonetheless, it’s certainly worth giving a chance if you’re looking for something more serious, with a humorous undertone.
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