Presented by Comedy Central
In the Comedy Central series Review, Forrest MacNeil (Andy Daly) reviews life itself rather than movies, TV, or books. His viewers send in suggestions, and Forrest doggedly pursues the truth of each experience — no matter how dark or twisted they may be. What makes the series so great is not only how these reviews actually end up affecting his life (in Season 1, Forrest gets divorced from his beloved wife for the sake of the show, a suggestion which came after a myriad of other difficult reviews), but also in how the series comes up with new ways to violently escalate what are seemingly innocuous requests. As a critic, I’m grateful I don’t have Forrest’s beat. Below are five examples of experiences I’m glad he reviewed so no one else has to:
Being Falsely Accused
When Forrest first conceived of how he could be falsely accused for a crime, he suggested to his intern something along the lines of low-key police blotter items, like stealing avocados out of someone’s yard. But Forrest’s intern had other things in mind, and (with the help of his girlfriend) set Forrest up in a slow and deliberate way to take the fall for burning down a sorority house. Faced with arson and attempted murder (and armed with an incompetent attorney), Forrest was about to spend a significant portion of his life in jail … until the real perpetrator confessed. But despite his raw, emotional ordeal, the worst part was that his father actually believed he might have done it. Though he gave the review one star, uncovering deep-rooted false familial suspicions really equals 0 stars.
Engaging in a Bare Knuckle Brawl
If you’re a brawling type, you may relish the chance to throw a punch (for work no less!) However, when it came to this particular review, Forrest didn’t actually engage in a fight — he threw a punch and then was shot several times for his trouble. So what I’m actually saying is … I never want to be shot. Thanks Forrest for literally taking the bullet on that one.
Blackmail
Have you ever — in a fit of desperation — dreamt of blackmail? Forrest, ever-willing to destroy his own life for the sake of his show, engaged in a pretty awful blackmail scheme against his new girlfriend and her habit of pocketing leftover prescriptions from hospital patients. Collecting money from her at first actually turned out ok, since she thought she was just doing him a favor. But as things escalated, so did the stakes, and we all saw Forrest’s natural aptitude for a shakedown lead only to heartache. Hilarious for us, sad for Forrest.
Drug Addiction
With his usual determination, Forrest once got himself addicted to cocaine (for science! Or at least, for television!) And lest we forget, he gave it a million stars, assuring us: “When I get back from rehab, I’ll probably say cocaine is terrible, but don’t believe me, cocaine is awesome!” Sadly, Forrest’s cocaine addiction (which springs up occasionally throughout the show) was one of the first reviews that began putting a terrible strain on his marriage, and started his own downward spiral. Ultimately, it was a difficult review with terrible lasting effects.
Eating 30 Pancakes
When Forrest took on pancakes the first time (consuming 15 of them), it was a demoralizing experience. But when he was forced to tackle them again — 30 this time — something amazing happened. The idea of eating another slew of pancakes took him to such depths that he was able to come out the other side with a new, disturbing realization for his life. As he said: “From somewhere deep and previously unknown — there sprang a reserve of fortitude and courage. Or was it resignation? Or fatalism? Or nihilism? Or perhaps I simply understood from the darkest corner of my soul that these pancakes couldn’t kill me ... because I was already dead.” The alpha and omega of review experiences.