Ask Matt: TV’s Biggest (Fictional) Jerk, ‘Abbott’ Off Campus, ‘Boston Blue’ & More

Welcome to the Q&A with TV critic — also known to some TV fans as their “TV therapist” — Matt Roush, who’ll try to address whatever you love, loathe, are confused or frustrated or thrilled by in today’s vast TV landscape. (We know background music is too loud, it’s the most frequent complaint, but there’s always closed-captioning. Check out this story for more tips.)

One caution: This is a spoiler-free zone, so we won’t be addressing upcoming storylines here unless it’s already common knowledge. Please send your questions and comments to [email protected]. Look for Ask Matt columns on most Tuesdays.

The Guy You Love to Hate

Comment: I haven’t finished watching Peacock‘s All Her Fault yet. I’m five episodes in, but I feel compelled to say how much I love watching Jake Lacy. He seems born to play total jackasses, and no one does it better. I kind of feel sorry for him, that so many viewers might assume he is detestable like all his characters. Maybe he is, I have no way of knowing. For myself, usually I just feel cringe when someone is always being like that, but somehow, I keep wanting more Jake Lacy. — D.P.

Matt Roush: Boy, that White Lotus stink still clings to Jake Lacy, doesn’t it? It’s an interesting, and in this case amusing, topic, because typecasting can be a trap for some actors, and I imagine when casting directors see a description of someone as “handsome yet kind of slimy,” they may think of Lacy first because of his standout roles on The White Lotus, A Friend of the Family (as a creepy serial abductor) and Apples Never Fall (as a venture capitalist, which is almost always shorthand for dubious character). I urge you to check him out in a more heroic role — say, as the defendant in the most recent film version of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. But essentially, I agree. He’s great at playing jerks, and I knew a major shoe would eventually drop regarding his All Her Fault character of the husband with a hero complex and a major Achilles heel. (I didn’t get past the fifth episode’s reveal yet myself. I had other things to watch and find it harder to devote eight hours to these overlong streaming series about deeply unpleasant people. A few more are on the horizon later this week.)

I’ll end this discussion by suggesting that Jake Lacy can’t possibly be as awful as the characters he plays. Given how in demand he appears to be, he must be fun to work with, or he wouldn’t keep getting the kind of juicy roles many actors would kill to play.

School’s Out a Lot on Abbott Elementary

Question: Is it fair to say that there has been less of Abbott Elementary on Abbott Elementary this season so far?  I don’t mean this to sound like a complaint because the show is still consistently funny, engaging, and making great use of its talented ensemble. But it seems like we’ve seen very little of the teachers at the school. The premiere was a development day with no students. The third episode was the ballgame. The fourth episode primarily focused on the BMV and Gregory’s game night. And then the teachers took students out of school on a camping trip. None of these episodes have been subpar. But it does seem bizarre to have so many episodes in a row that really aren’t focusing much on the day-to-day at Abbott itself. The only episode to do that early on was when Melissa’s students cheated and Tariq sought special attention for his “son” in Janine’s class. I do like that they have expanded the world of the show and that we can see the characters more outside the classroom. But the show is still called Abbott Elementary, so it feels unusual to go for a long stretch without actually experiencing a school day. What do you think? — Jake

Matt Roush: Since receiving this commentary, Abbott aired one of its best episodes of the season last week, involving a “No Phones” day at the school where the staff flipped out much more over being deprived of their devices than the students. This is a fair comment, but it got me thinking that when Abbott strays too far and for too long outside the school’s walls, it magnifies and calls too much attention to the high concept of the mockumentary approach. In those moments, I can’t help but wonder why the camera crew (which apparently never sleeps) would follow these teachers at home for a game night or on a camping trip (which became especially noticeable when one of the camera operators got spooked and ran off, leaving Jacob alone for a change). I tend to prefer the workplace storylines on these and other shows using the same format, but it’s only natural as a show goes on for multiple seasons that they’ll want to shake up the formula from time to time.

A Death in the Family

Question: I’ve been enjoying Boston Blue, and I’ve noticed that when they mention Ben Silver (the family’s deceased husband/dad), they don’t mention his killer. Just that he was murdered. Will this be a mystery for the show? Finding out who killed him? Or am I just overthinking the show? — Caroline

Matt Roush: I’ll use this as an opportunity to remind readers that this isn’t a spoiler column, and I won’t speculate or comment on storylines that haven’t happened yet unless it’s already widespread knowledge. But my reading of Boston Blue in its current early stages is that this tragedy in the Silver family took place publicly on the courthouse steps, so maybe it isn’t a whodunit, although the implications of why Judge Silver was targeted could become a story thread as the show continues. I’m mostly impressed at how the family continues to honor his memory a year later and how it affects their ongoing faith journey.

The High Cost of Streaming

Question: I’ve watched Married at First Sight since the beginning of the series. I accidentally discovered it’s now on Peacock. So I subscribed to Peacock. But paying for a streaming service isn’t enough. You have to get the premium version! What’s going on? How has this affected their viewership? Companies are greedy! I’m so mad. — Gerri L.

Matt Roush: I wasn’t aware that Peacock still made that basic tier available for subscribers, but upon checking it out, they make it pretty clear what is and isn’t included. The basic tier seems to be intended for cord-cutters who primarily want access to NBC and the company’s related cable programming and their libraries. Anything exclusive and original to streaming, including movies, is only available on the Premium tier, which is less expensive with ads. And Peacock is now bundling with Apple TV (my favorite streamer), another sign that the streaming industry is adjusting and adapting to consumer frustrations. But the bottom line is the bottom line, and these are businesses, and when they invest in acquiring a show like Married, the intent is to drive subscriptions even at the cost of reducing the show’s availability and reach.

What’s in a Name?

Question: Since the beginning of the series, Elsbeth has had Captain Wagner as a core character. Then, this season, High Potential adds a new captain character and also names him Captain Wagner. Has Hollywood run out of names??? I find it quite odd — especially since Elsbeth is a highly rated show and many viewers would be watching both series. — Dawn J.

Matt Roush: High Potential is also a hit, and this is just one of those aggravating coincidences that remind us that most TV creators are too busy in their own world to notice what their neighbors are doing. There’s no doubt Elsbeth got there first, but these shows are on different networks and come from different studios, so it’s pretty clear that no one was paying attention or, possibly, caring.

And Finally …

Question: I enjoy revisiting favorite series on Start TV, such as The Closer, Major Crimes, In Plain Sight, Cold Case, Saving Grace, Rizzoli and Isles, Crossing Jordan, and Strong Medicine, the latter of which recently returned to the lineup, but not only are some episodes never shown, but some are shown out of order. Is this by choice? Are some episodes not rerun due to ethical, moral, or topical issues in today’s world that weren’t as prevalent when the series was new? Or is it a monetary business conflict, as in the delay of China Beach being released on DVD due to issues with the soundtrack? Missing episodes can cause confusion in the recurring characters’ storylines.  I still enjoy revisiting these series, but am disappointed when some episodes aren’t shown. I’m hoping your vast knowledge of the industry may provide an answer. — Adrienne, Vernon, N.J.

Matt Roush: I’m afraid my “vast knowledge” runs out when a show enters the chaotic world of cable syndication. As I often say, it’s challenging enough keeping up with first-run TV anymore. There are many possible reasons for these omissions, including copyright or other issues for an episode to be removed from the licensing package, or even carelessness on the part of the channel’s programmers, although the episode order is hardly a mystery. You might want to reach out and call this to their attention if it continues.

That’s all for now. We can’t do this without your participation, so please keep sending questions and comments about TV to [email protected]. (Please include a first name with your question.)