By Josh Oakley
I went into the Lucky
7 pilot expecting very little. The buzz for the show is non-existent, and
critical reaction has been rather chilled. To be fair, this show has a number
of problems, mainly abrupt tonal shifts that sometimes deflate certain scenes and a
series of odd stylistic choices from slo-mo to an out-of-nowhere dissolve. Yet
there is so much the show is doing right that I feel like I may over praise in an
effort to counteract the disdain others have spread. So I will qualify that
this is far from a perfect pilot. I’ll admit that there’s every chance that for
the next week or two (I don’t see this show last much longer than that), the
quality may dip. There is so much good here, though, from a handful of
absolutely stunning performances to an ability to play hope off of dread. If Lucky 7 has any luck of its own, it will
be able to move to Friday nights and burn off a season, quietly becoming a
critical favorite.
There are a number of other threads that begin before and
after the coworkers win the prize. Most important in the former category
involves Matt and Nicky faking a robbery of the gas station in order to acquire
some cash. This becomes problematic when Bob, with whom Matt is very close,
stumbles upon the scene. Before he can surmise what it occurring, Bob is knocked
unconscious and nearly to death by Nicky. A major event that occurs after the
winning numbers see a specific rule in the lottery guidelines forcing five of
the six to vote on whether Matt will receive a portion of the winnings. The
vote is 3-2, meaning multiple people wanted to deprive the new father of the
money so they could have more for themselves. And one of those people is
potentially Nicky.
You’ve seen any number of these stories before, some of them
told better than they are here. But the overall effect of the show results from
the disparate tones locking together instead of clashing. Lucky 7 incorporates tension, comedy and pathos, occasionally very
well. This only happens about two-thirds of the time, but the performances are
enough to sustain the weaker sections. Long, whom I’ve been rooting for since Jack & Bobby, does some beautifully
layered work here. After this show’s inevitable cancelation, I do hope he finds
something as sustainable as his talent. Ramos is quietly charming, and the
relationship between him and his wife is one of the best parts of the episode. Grush,
Philips and Bishil are still finding corners of their characters, but are doing
so very well.
Lorraine Bruce gives the standout performance here, and one
of the best performances I’ve seen all year. She was also on The Syndicate, the British drama that Lucky 7 has been adapted from, and it’s
obvious why the producers brought Bruce along. Her story most dangerously rides
the line between wounded drama and comedy grotesque, but Bruce unveils every
aspect of a human being, translating her worst scenes into successes and her
best scenes into masterpieces. She creates a sympathetic, heartbreaking,
triumphant character in a only a scene, and continues to build upon that
foundation throughout the episode. It’s unfortunate that the show is being
overlooked for a number of reasons, but this is the main one. American audiences
should be aware of this performance, and this actress, no matter what show she
or it happens to be on.
The most lacking detail in Lucky 7 is details themselves. When Matt’s baby is born, Bob gives
him a “little survival kit” that includes oil for a squeaking rocking chair. It’s
a sweet moment, built upon the specifics of their relationship and individual
characters. It’s too bad then, that that sort of attention isn’t paid
throughout the hour. Lucky 7 may not
be around long enough to become one of network television’s great dramas, but
it does enough in one episode to prove why that wouldn’t be good luck for any
of us.
Grade: B+
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