MTV series builds '2Gether'-ness
Leave it to MTV to both ridicule and celebrate the exact same pop-culture
phenomenon at the exact same time - and cash in on it in the process. "2Gether"
began life as a spoof of boy bands, a mad-for-cable movie that deconstructed and
joyously blew to pieces the conventions and stereotypes of the form. The film,
which aired on MTV in February, wasn't as savagely or as hilariously on point as
"This Is Spinal Tap," but in the era of 'N Sync, Hanson and the Backstreet Boys,
"2Gether" hit its mark.
Then something strange happened: The very audience whose frenzied, fickle
boy-band affections were being satirized in "2Gether" - teenage and pre-teen
girls - embraced the film. And demonstrating a surprising willingness to laugh at
themselves, they also embraced the fictional band whose creation had been
"mockumented" in the movie.
Three things resulted:
á An album, "2Gether," performed by the actors who portrayed the members of
the fictional band 2Gether - sold 600,000 copies.
á The suddenly real band was signed to open for Britney Spears on seven concert
dates this summer
á MTV, catching the scent of fresh meat and profits in the wind, ordered 13
half-hour episodes of "2Gether: The Series" from Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn,
who wrote and produced the movie. It premieres tonight at 10:30, coinciding with
the release of the second album, astutely named "2Gether Again." The series,
judging from the first two episodes, has lost a step or two from the film. It's
trying just a little too hard to keep the joke fresh, and falling just a little bit
short.
The real problem with the series may be its need to tell different stories about
the boys each week. Tonight revolves around the hunky one, Jerry O'Keefe (Evan
Farmer), trying to stay faithful to his girlfriend while fending off an attempted
seduction by a superstar singer. Next week, the shy one, Chad Linus (Noah
Bastian), goes to pieces when his girlfriend breaks up with him.
Neither of these story lines seems even remotely genuine, but playing them out
leaves precious little time for the fun stuff: wonderful little character-based bits
of business and the hilarious lyrics of the 2Gether songs.
This wasn't a problem in the "2Gether" movie, which could toss in plot points
when it had to and still have plenty of time to devote to its absurdist main
characters.
The showiest member of the band, for example, is bad boy Mickey Parke, who is
fearlessly portrayed by Alex Solowitz. Mickey envisions himself a white hip-hop
gangsta - spewing the requisite jargon, wearing the requisite garb - while
blissfully unaware of hw utterly ridiculous he is.
Baby faced Michael Cuccione has almost as much fun playing Jason (QT)
McKnight, the cute one, who is happy to reap the publicity windfall (and the
sympathies of girls) that flows from his having a terminal liver disease.
Bastian's aforementioned Chad Linus, meanwhile, is a dazzling study in
cluelessness. And Kevin Farley is a remarkable mixture of the frenetic,
frustrated, and innocent as Doug, Chad's potbellied older brother and fellow
2Gether singer.
Farmer clearly has the toughest row to hoe here: embodying Jerry's clean-cut,
honorable, hard-working identity without becoming dull. Trouble is, Jerry's a dull
guy.
"2Gether" the series isn't as flat-out wacky as the movie, but it's reasonably
clever and a lot of fun on a summer night.
