This week’s Go On dealt with Ryan coming to terms with the fact that the people from his support group are in fact his friends. Luckily the episode’s title— “There’s No ‘Ryan’ in Team”—tipped us off about the obvious theme.
“Obvious” doesn’t even come close to how textbook this plot was. Twitter was littered with tweets like “This storyline was better when #Community did it.” and “#GoOn happened because my mom said ‘#Community is too weird’ three times in a row.”
Look, I get that this is a very similar premise to NBC’s fan-favorite, but this show does have its positives. It’s not a strong comedy, but it’s a very solid show. Sometimes there are shows that aren’t considered dramas because they’re not an hour-long melodrama and they’re written off as comedies because it doesn’t provide laugh-out-loud moments after moments. Maybe it’s too straightforward for today’s generation. Comedies need to be a little bit goofy and off-the-wall. Look no further than Go On’s follow-up The New Normal.
However, Ryan’s realization that the group more than just a therapy group—it’s a group of friends—is in fact needed for the show to get the ball rolling. Early episodes for shows nowadays have so much to set up. There’s a sense viewers can “just go with it” when it comes to premises for new series, but now there has to be exposition revealing why a group of people are more than acquaintances. It’s taking its time, but the show is certainly finding its bearings.
As much as this is Matthew Perry’s show, the rest of the cast pulls its own weight. While the balance of screen time still needs figuring out, it’s better than the previous episode. I enjoyed everything each member of the group brought to this episode. Eventually, once the show has its legs, we’ll get more in-depth with everyone and fan favorites will start to form.
While I’m still waiting to discover what therapy group member will start to steal the spotlight, it’s the second biggest name in the credits who is proving to be very worthwhile for the show. John Cho brought us the term MILF, three Harold and Kumar films and a series of small, memorable television roles. He tried his hand as a lead in ABC’s short-lived FlashForward, where he proved his charisma in a role that doesn’t involve jokes about blunts and farting. While his role as Ryan’s boss isn’t that central to the show, it does bring a sense of relatability to Perry’s character.
It’s taking its time, but Go On is certainly finding its bearings.