What went wrong? Episode 6: surviving jack
It’s no secret to anyone with a tv just how immensely talented christopher meloni truly is but the sad truth is sometimes even his boundless charisma & compelling nature are not enough to save every series in which he stars. A period piece set in the early 90’s, Surviving jack premiered March 27, 2014 on Fox (because of course) & starred everyone’s favorite tv cop as dr. jack dunleavy, a tough-as-nails, no-nonsense husband, father & veteran who takes over the parenting duties when Joanne, his wife, attempts to enroll in law school.
The titular survivors are our other main character, Frankie, & his hot sister, Rachel & along for the ride are two his best friends, George & Mikey. So what makes the series special is just how well they’re able to balance insightful, heartfelt moments with real comedy. I mean they have a good set of jokes here that even managed to get me to crack a smile (which is no easy feat) but when they get real on the audience, it just feels so powerful & genuine. It’s just this perfect dichotomy that somehow feels perfectly natural & immensely satisfying.
I think what makes the series so dynamic is simply the character’s rapports, most notable jack & frankie. I mean you have these two people who couldn’t be more different & tend to have opposing ideologies more often than not yet through it all, it’s clear the love is still there. It’s apparent to anyone who watches just how much he cares about his kids, even if he’s not the most adept at showing it. & at the end of the day, that really is the most important element.
The series itself is based on Justin Halpern’s own experiences outlined in his semi-autobiography, i suck at girls, & as reflected in the series, he did in fact grow up in san diego & his dad was an overly blunt doctor practicing at UCSD. It’s just a shame we never got to see more of this incredible series. I think what drew me to it is just how much I was able to relate to some of these experiences. The show opened to critical acclaim with particular praised heaped upon Harris & Meloni. Though it did prove to be a bit formulaic, the series went on to find its footing as the series progressed. So why was it another victim of the cancellation grim reaper? Well, unfortunately, seven weeks proved to not be enough time for them to gather a solid following & as such, the network didn’t feel the ratings justified its continued existence.
The series ran for eight episodes with the season finale only ever airing in new zealand (however, it is available online for those who want to see it & it is definitely worth the watch). Why it only aired in NZ despite being an American series is beyond me but in any case, the series will live on as one of the most fondly-remembered short-lived sitcoms in history. I just hope someday he does get back into the comedy arena because he clearly has the chops for it. Hopefully, the series will come back someday but even if it doesn’t, we’ll always have that incredible first season & that’s something no one can ever take away from us.
PS. I swear to god it’s just a coincidence almost every series we’ve done thus far has been from fox but I promise the next one will not be