Pivoting

TV Series Review

There’s nothing like death to make you rethink your life choices. At least that’s what best friends Sarah, Jodie and Amy are experiencing since the recent passing of their beloved friend, Colleen. 

Amy is known by her friends and her loving husband as being really good at her day job–hosting a morning cooking show–but that’s sort of where Amy’s talents fall off. She has two beautiful children at home, one toddler and one baby, but makes it a point to only return home once the nanny has fed them, bathed them and tucked them in for bed. But Colleen’s passing awakened a mild maternal instinct in Amy, and she’s ready to come home early every day and learn what it means to be a working mom–which could either be really great, or a total disaster. 

Unlike Amy, Jodie feels that she’s a supermom. She has three children, and while her oldest has kind of moved on from her advice (and is illegally involved with someone older than she is), Jodie feels she’s done her best. But her husband doesn’t appreciate who she is or what she’s done for him and their kids. Jodie is determined to change something in her life. But when she decides to try to get into the best shape of her life, her new young, attractive personal trainer becomes a potential sexual obsession. 

Then there’s Sarah. She’s spent most of her life in medical school and is now the most respected surgeon in the area. But she’s over it. According to Sarah, the entire profession is responsible for her failed marriage to ex-wife Diane and her unshakeable need for a break from burnout. So she does what every logical, respected medical professional would do: She quits and gets a job at the local grocery store where the most stressful event is letting a customer know that aisle four is out of specialty Brie. 

It’s a lot, they all know. But these three friends are dedicated to changing their lives for the “better” because, as they’ve seen, no one is promised tomorrow. 

A Turn From The Grave

Pivoting, a TV-14 show from Fox, features Maggie Q, Eliza Coupe and Ginnifer Goodwin as three inseparable friends with a whole handful of issues they’re ready to tackle, post-tragedy. But conquering those issues looks different for each of them. 

I found this series to be a bit cringey from the start, given that one of the characters is not interested in being anywhere near her children. But, ironically, she might be the only redeemable character here, as her goal is to become a better, more involved mom. As for the other two, Sarah experiences a personal awakening, choosing the easy path and promising to get back into the lesbian dating world. And Jodie, well, she doesn’t sleep with her personal trainer in the first episode, but it seems all her intentions are to do so, no matter her husband or three kids at home. 

If you’re looking for a family-friendly show, this isn’t it. There are sweet moments that suggest that Pivoting might want to turn around for the better, but according to our modern culture and the present themes observed, “better” has nothing to do with what’s biblical.