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When I saw commercials for Wonderfalls it looked like Fox ripped off Joan of Arcadia in an attempt to steal some of their audience (actually both pilots were written at about the same time.) I initially checked it out purely out of curiosity to see how much Fox butchered the concept. Talking inanimate objects just doesn't seem to spark the same intellect and draw that conversing with God does.
I have to say when I was finished watching the first episode, I was very surprised at how much I liked it. While it still has similar elements to Joan of Arcadia, it takes a drastically different approach. In Joan of Arcadia, you usually know what's going on. You might not understand why God gave Joan the task she has to complete, but the show has a sense of order that deeply contrasts the choas of Wonderfalls. We often have as little clue as Jaye (the one that talks to wax lions and stuffed lizards) as to what is going on, which works very well. They do a good job pulling us into the insanity and making us as clueless as Jaye. We, like Jaye, don't know if she has interrpreted the message she has been given correctly or what will result of it. We don't have the same reassurance that Joan of Arcadia gives us that things will turn out well in the end. In fact, taking the advice usually results in things taking a turn for the worse, and it's only the later effects that helps us to understand why Jaye had to do this.
And it isn't just Jaye and her talking knick-knacks that give the show a feel of insanity. While Jaye's family is seemingly the picture of perfection, we slowly begin to see that this is not so. For instance, in the first episode we learn that Jaye's overachiving lawyer sister is actually a lesbian in hiding. The gift shop Jaye works at only adds to the insanity as a lot of the people she encounters are out of the ordinary or contribute to an odd situation. For instance, in the second episode Jaye meets a girl with a stuttering problem who eventually tries to become Jaye.
In a lot of ways, the show reminds me of Daria. While Jaye appears to be the crazy one, the world around her almost seems to contrast it. Is Jaye the crazy one or is everything else around her crazy and she's the only normal one? Like Daria, Jaye also has a very sarcastic approach at the world around her and just doesn't seem to care about anything. She works at a dead end job that she hates, lives in a trailer and has a family that is disappointed in her, but she just doesn't care. She seems content in a position that allows her much cynicism. Her personality is great and the actress pulls it off flawlessly.
Wonderfalls is very dark, twisted and extremely sarcastic. It is also very humorous. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves the twists of Joan of Arcadia or loved the attitude of Daria. Unfortuantely this show has been giving Fox's graveyard timeslot (Fri. 9pm est - It's on on Thurs this week.) so I'm not sure how long it'll last, but it's definitely worth checking out.
I have to say when I was finished watching the first episode, I was very surprised at how much I liked it. While it still has similar elements to Joan of Arcadia, it takes a drastically different approach. In Joan of Arcadia, you usually know what's going on. You might not understand why God gave Joan the task she has to complete, but the show has a sense of order that deeply contrasts the choas of Wonderfalls. We often have as little clue as Jaye (the one that talks to wax lions and stuffed lizards) as to what is going on, which works very well. They do a good job pulling us into the insanity and making us as clueless as Jaye. We, like Jaye, don't know if she has interrpreted the message she has been given correctly or what will result of it. We don't have the same reassurance that Joan of Arcadia gives us that things will turn out well in the end. In fact, taking the advice usually results in things taking a turn for the worse, and it's only the later effects that helps us to understand why Jaye had to do this.
And it isn't just Jaye and her talking knick-knacks that give the show a feel of insanity. While Jaye's family is seemingly the picture of perfection, we slowly begin to see that this is not so. For instance, in the first episode we learn that Jaye's overachiving lawyer sister is actually a lesbian in hiding. The gift shop Jaye works at only adds to the insanity as a lot of the people she encounters are out of the ordinary or contribute to an odd situation. For instance, in the second episode Jaye meets a girl with a stuttering problem who eventually tries to become Jaye.
In a lot of ways, the show reminds me of Daria. While Jaye appears to be the crazy one, the world around her almost seems to contrast it. Is Jaye the crazy one or is everything else around her crazy and she's the only normal one? Like Daria, Jaye also has a very sarcastic approach at the world around her and just doesn't seem to care about anything. She works at a dead end job that she hates, lives in a trailer and has a family that is disappointed in her, but she just doesn't care. She seems content in a position that allows her much cynicism. Her personality is great and the actress pulls it off flawlessly.
Wonderfalls is very dark, twisted and extremely sarcastic. It is also very humorous. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves the twists of Joan of Arcadia or loved the attitude of Daria. Unfortuantely this show has been giving Fox's graveyard timeslot (Fri. 9pm est - It's on on Thurs this week.) so I'm not sure how long it'll last, but it's definitely worth checking out.
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