Connecting …

TV Series Review

The year 2020 isn’t easy for anyone. And quarantining is the pits.

You might get lonely and begin talking to your pillow multiple times a day. Or you start to feel like you’re going crazy as your kids run around the house like maniacs. Or maybe you initiate your own in-home workout program to fight off those inevitable COVID-19 pounds.

You just gotta do what you gotta do to get through those tough times. And having a group of friends around via video chat, like Annie does, certainly helps to pass the time. Still, it’d be nice to have them—or at least one of them—a little closer.

Silly and fun-loving, Annie is really interested in asking her best friend, Ben, to move in with her during these lonely times. But she can’t do that because, well, it would be awkward seeing as she’s in love with him. Plus, Ben is currently dealing with drama from his ex-girlfriend who may or may not want to move back in.

Annie’s not looking for roommates from her other friends, but they do make video conversations a little zanier. Germaphobe Rufus insists on wearing a mask both outdoors and indoors, even when he’s totally alone. Transexual Ellis is primarily concerned about the NBA and its televised future. Pradeep, who’s gay, is looking for as much solitude as possible, which is hard when his kids are running around all day (and his husband seems to be AWOL). Married couple Michelle and Garrett are loving their time together, knocking out house projects and cooking all sorts of baked goods. And Jazmin, well, Jazmin is away from her family, helping COVID patients on the front lines in New York City.

Together, this gang of friends find comfort in the fact that even though they may be physically distanced, they’re never too far away to chat about what really matters: Each other.

TV in the COVID Era

Connecting … is NBC’s stab at comedy in quarantine. Each 21-minute episode touches on a number of subjects, from anxiety and stressors during a pandemic, to protesting in the streets and Black Lives Matter. And then, of course, there’s the aspect of friendship.

Each of these friends come from very different backgrounds and live very different lives. But they’re all able to come together, chat respectfully and share what they’re going through. That’s a pretty big point in this show: no matter our differences, we can unite in kindness. And that’s encouraging.

But for many families, those positive aspects won’t be enough. Profane language and sexual jokes are heard often. Drinking and complaining are common. And many of the lifestyle choices aren’t those we wouldn’t want our children making. So while the characters here are connecting on the screen, that doesn’t mean your family should be connecting with them.

Episode Reviews

Oct. 8, 2020: “Pilot”

Annie tries to decide if she should ask Ben to move in with her. Each of her friends share how they’re handling their time in quarantine.

Annie and Ben flirt. Annie wears a cleavage-baring top. Ellis, a transexual man, talks about being sexually aroused.

A father jokes that he hates his kids since he’s been with them all day since the start of COVID and tells them to go find their other dad. Two people joke about being scammed and jinxed, and they also make a comment about what “fate” has in store for them. Multiple friends talk about how they’re handling their anxiety.

Two men drink hard liquor and wine and talk about losing a poker game. God’s name is misused a few times. Other profanities and words are heard a few times each, such as “b–ch,” “h—,” “son of a b–ch,” “b–ch,” “stupid” and “shut up.”