Imagine waking up from a coma, only to hear someone say, “I don’t care if no one likes her, she’s still my daughter.” Pretty excruciating, right? But what if the thing that shocks you the most is that you have no idea who that person talking is?
This is the premise of Samantha Who?, a witty new comedy on ABC. The Samantha in question (played by Christina Applegate) is the victim of a hit-and-run accident and subsequently ends up with a form of amnesia which leaves her with no idea who she or any of the people in her life are. She soon discovers that no one likes the old Samantha—including herself. She hasn’t spoken to her parents in two years, she’s cheating on her boyfriend with a married man, and everyone at her cruel real estate firm is afraid of her. The show follows Samantha on her quest to discover her role in life, and then to attempt to change it.
Samantha Who? is lucky in many ways. The all-star cast includes Barry Watson (What About Brian), Jennifer Esposito (Related), Jean Smart (24), and Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls). It’s also blessed with a lead-in of Dancing With the Stars and is up against weak sitcom competition (Rules of Engagement on CBS and The Game on the CW). Moreover, viewers will likely be entertained by the show’s premise and quick humor.
While Samantha can certainly hold your attention for the first couple episodes, many may find themselves having their own bout of memory loss, as the show does not produce enough emotion or comedic thrill to attract a loyal fan base. While the premise itself borders on the unbelievable, the pilot doesn’t do enough to make Samantha’s case at all realistic. If she’s really such a heartless wench, why is good guy Todd (Watson) even dating her in the first place?
Similarly, many emotional scenes are glossed over with punch lines and Applegate’s hyper (or nervous) tendency to fast-talk her way through awkward and heart-wrenching situations. If the writers continue to fail to develop these potentially touching moments, viewers may fail to tune in.
In any case, the first two episodes produce enough laugh-out-loud moments to warrant setting up Samantha Who? on your TiVo. Who knows, maybe Samantha will stop popping caffeine pills and settle in to dwelling on her emotions.
