Mr. Mayor Review: Brentwood Trash (Season 1 Episode 3)
A show cannot survive on big names and talent alone, and that is made very clear on Mr. Mayor Season 1 Episode 3, “Brentwood Trash.”
This episode is aptly titled with the word “trash” in it. That may sound harsh, but Mr. Mayor is struggling (and failing) to find a consistent comedic tone that works.
To quote Shakespeare (just for fun): “Though she be but little she is fierce.” Holly Hunter as Arpi Meskimen is easily the best thing on this show—and most certainly, on this episode—but no matter how fierce she is, she cannot carry it all by herself.
However, one aspect I am enjoying is this look into an alternate universe where Holly Hunter is cast as Leslie Knope. I say this as a huge fan of Amy Poehler and her brilliant turn as Leslie on Parks and Recreation.
Arpi: I love a town hall. Democracy at work, people getting heated over ideas, and in LA there’s always some dingbat celebrity there running their mouth, and I get to tell them they’re not special.
On the page, I think it would read as a lazy rip-off, but Hunter makes it fun and, bless her heart, watchable.
Ted Danson as Mayor Bremer does help with some of the heavy-lifting, but even a sitcom veteran of his caliber can’t breathe life into a poor story with spotty writing. Nor can celebrity guest stars. Andie MacDowell, Chrissy Teigen, and David Spade all make appearances as themselves on Mr. Mayor Season 1 Episode 3, “Brentwood Trash.”
They represent the titular “trash,” and that, I have to say, I do appreciate. That’s a message I can get behind.
And what a delight to see Holly Hunter practically body slam Chrissy Teigen.
Out of the three storylines on this episode, the mayor and Arpi going to the Brentwood town hall is the strongest. The weak execution of it, script-wise, is not so much a missed opportunity as it is a misused opportunity.
In my review of the first two episodes, Mr. Mayor Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2, “Pilot” and “Mayor’s Day Out,” I said the show had great potential, but seemed to be squandering it. This storyline has great potential, and they totally blow it.
The other two subplots aren’t any help in picking up that slack.
It’s too soon to try to do the storyline they give Jayden (Bobby Moynihan). The nerdy doppelgänger angle works when the audience knows the character really well. This is only the third episode—at least wait towards the end of the season to attempt this approach.
Although, Moynihan provides a decent amount of laughs, but it’s not enough to elevate this ill-used trope.
And I don’t even want to talk about the Orly/Mikaela subplot. It’s not good. Let’s leave it at that.
Mr. Mayor continues to be a monumental waste of good talent. “Brentwood Trash” is evidence of that, and it belongs in the rubbish bin.
What did you think of this episode of Mr. Mayor? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Mr. Mayor airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Erin Allen
Erin is a former script supervisor for film and television. She's an avid fan of middle aged actresses, dark dramas, and irreverent comedies. She loves to read actual books and X-Files fan fiction. Her other passions include pointing out feminist issues, shipping Mulder and Scully, and collecting pop culture mugs.