What’s the name of the show? The Spoils Before Dying
When does it premiere? The six-part miniseries begins Wednesday 8 July at 9pm EST on IFC, and Thursday 23 July in the UK at 10.30pm on Fox.
What is this show? Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig star in a parody mini-series.
Wasn’t this just a Lifetime movie? No, that was A Deadly Adoption, an entirely different Wiig/Ferrell parody.
Why does this give me deja vu? Because this is a sequel to the Wiig/Ferrell parody The Spoils of Babylon that aired in 2014, also on IFC. Wiig was nominated for an Emmy for her role.
Do I have to watch the first one to understand this one? Well, sequel is maybe too strong a term. Both Spoils shows are supposedly written, directed, produced and just about everything else by fictional author Eric Jonrosh (Ferrell), but they are otherwise unconnected. Babylon was a send-up of the overblown network miniseries of the 70s and 80s; Dying is a parody of 50s network noir miniseries about jazz.
Did such miniseries exist? Er, no.
What’s the show’s pedigree? Ferrell and his frequent collaborator Adam McKay produced it through Funny or Die. Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele created and wrote it, just as they did Babylon.
What happens in the premiere? Jazz pianist Rock Banyon (Michael K Williams, who played Omar on The Wire) is framed for the murder of Fresno Foxglove (Maya Rudolph), his ex-girlfriend and a singer in his band. The police give him three days to clear his name before he is arrested. He decides to do this by teaming up with another jazz singer, Delores O’Dell (Wiig), and heading to Mexico City.
Has going to Mexico City ever helped a fugitive? No.
Is this show any good? Like I said before, the odd thing is that it’s a parody of a genre that never really existed. Sure, there are pretentious jazz movies from the 50s and noir dramas about private eyes and solving crimes, but this is a whole new concoction. It’s like it’s making fun of a Maltese Falcon reboot directed by Wes Anderson that’s still in development. (Note to Hollywood executives: this is not such a terrible idea.) Because there are no real genre tropes to dismantle and mock, rather than a parody like this loose troupe’s past efforts, The Spoils Before Dying is a surreal oddity that seems loosely based on all sorts of movies you’ve fallen asleep watching at 2am while eating a slice of greasy pizza and regretting those last three vodka sodas.
In the first several episodes, the plot takes a backseat to absurdist jokes and silly riffs on jazz culture, like a whole conversation between Rock and Fresno using only the word “dig” and its many permutations. It’s funny, if not entirely original (see the jive-talking gag in Airplane!). With a plot only loosely tied to reality and a firm sense of dadaism, Dying falls into that ever-growing late-night staple of stoner television. The comedy here will get a giggle out of anyone with a medical marijuana license (hey, I won’t advocate for you to break the law).
For those on the more sober end of the spectrum, Dying might not be your cup of tea. However, there are some great formal gags, especially conversations using dramatic cutaways like in a French new wave film or a sex scene that was recreated using storyboards and a soundtrack. Sure, it doesn’t sound as though it will have you rolling in the aisles, but it’s clever enough to keep you interested. A real highlight is a “This is jazz” cartoon in the third episode. If you can make it that far, it’s reward enough on its own. (Or, hey, just click the link and skip the show altogether. I’m not here to live your life.)
Which characters will you love? The women and guest stars steal the show. Wiig is a delight as ever, as is Rudolph in her few scenes. Kate McKinnon makes a short but hilarious appearance in an episode as a jazz musician’s girlfriend. Michael Sheen plays a fidgety gay man, Tim Meadows plays a crazy coroner, and Haley Joel Osment plays, well, I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise. Each time there’s a new character it’s a comedic delight.
Which characters will you hate? Ferrell’s Jonrosh is a great creation, an overblown and self-important writer down on his luck. However, a little of him goes a long way. Giving Jonrosh two minutes at the beginning and ending of each episode doesn’t seem like a lot, but his bits are always the same and never really that funny.
What’s the best thing about it? The songs are actually quite catchy and amusing, especially when sung by Wiig and Rudolph. If you could turn tunes into gifs, Wiig’s Booze and Pills from episode one would be all over BuzzFeed in a matter of minutes.
What’s the worst thing about it? If you’re the kind of person who wants an actual fulfilling story that makes sense, you’ll hate every minute of it.
Should you watch this show? Yes, especially if you enjoy the occasional jazz cigarette.
