Comedy Central’s latest original show, Secret Girlfriend, based on a web series, premiered Wednesday October 7, 2009.
The thing that differentiates this show from just about every other show ever is that you, the viewer, is the star. The first-person perspective is used the entire show, which—in and of itself—is actually pretty cool. This means that not only are you always present, but all of the characters address you by looking directly into the camera. The cameras are essentially your eyes in the show. The perspective is like that of the videogames Halo or Doom. That cool idea even makes up for the very aggressive cuts that would otherwise seem lazy and sloppy. It just sucks that the creators and writers couldn’t take advantage of this little piece of newness and make the show good or funny.
THE GIST
“You” are the nameless guy—you are also white and very handsome, that’s as descriptive as they get—who has recently broken up with his stereotypically hot and stereotypically crazy girlfriend. But low-and-behold, she wants to get back together. “You” don’t officially start going steady again, but there is plenty of sex to be had between the two of you.
Things get a little more interesting when, while on a beer run, “You” are caught checking out Jessica. She, being the ubercool chick type, doesn’t mind and actually gives “You” her number. Oh, television! For the rest of the episode, and presumably the series, you hang out and develop a relationship.
And of course, there are your two buddies, Sam and Phil. Sam is the “idea man” and Phil is the “I’ll go along with that guy.” And both of them are pretty obsessed with sex and videotaping themselves doing all sorts of Youtube-worthy shenanigans. They’re normally the ones that drag you away from Jessica and into trouble.
SIMPLE, SPORADIC STORY EQUALS WEAK SHOW
If this review seems abrupt and sort of all over the place without any real thread of a consistent narrative, that’s what Secret Girlfriend is all about. There’s a couple of minutes of a scene with your buds, then you get a message on your cellular telephone—that’s how the show segues from one scene to another—then you go hangout with Jessica. Sam and Phil call again, telling you to come checkout some crazy stunt they’re pulling or some tail that needs to be waxed, but while on your way, “You” run into your ex, Mandy. Now you two have sex, then Jessica calls. This rotation happens about four times per episode, which is broken up into two separate story threads.
MORE FOR THE GUYS
Secret Girlfriend takes the old adage, “sex sells,” to the extreme. The women in the show are tens and elevens. Not only that, they wear insanely tight clothes and love it when “You” ogle them. And you also go to exotic locations like strip clubs and poolsides and run into girls doing yoga. In this universe, all women are crazy hot and all women are crazy insecure.
The humor of the show is supposed to come from its pool of zany characters and scenarios, but that’s a dangerously low reservoir the writers are depending on. This show is best suited for boys aged 14-16 who don’t have Internet access or premium cable.
Secret Girlfriend airs Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. EST on Comedy Central.
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