After over two years away from television, Will & Grace's Eric McCormack has returned to prime time in TNT's "Trust Me." But although he might be trying to use the show to move himself beyond "Will & Grace," odds are good that it will go down as nothing more than a footnote in his acting career.
Following the commercial and critical success of "Mad Men," a show about advertising executives in the 1950s, "Trust Me" brings the concept to the modern day. But without the glitz and glamour that "Mad Men" has, this new show doesn't have a whole lot going for it except a few laughs and handsome leading men.
The show centers on Mason (played by McCormack) and Conner (Thomas Cavanaugh), who have been best friends and partners at the same firm for seven years. Things go south when Mason is promoted after their boss suddenly dies of a heart attack, leaving Conner upset with the new dynamics between himself and his old friend.
Joining them in the firm is award-winning copywriter Sarah Krajicek-Hunter (Monica Potter), whom nobody wants to work with due to her abrasive nature and childish behavior in the workplace. Sarah and Mason have some kind of history between them, and there is a budding romance between her and Conner.
The pilot copies "Mad Men" almost exactly. Mason has to come up with a pitch for one of the company's biggest accounts and does nothing until the last minute. Of course, his handy partner Conner comes in with the save to write the tagline and get the investors to buy.
Clichés abound in this show because, frankly, the advertising world has already been explored, and it really isn't possible to do it better than "Mad Men." "Trust Me" takes a more comedic angle on the theme, but what it puts out isn't enough to keep this show afloat for more than one season.
Most of the cast give solid performances. McCormack seems like he's trying to break away from the mold given to him by "Will & Grace," but he fails to fully do so; his acting style, even if good, is the same, whether he's playing the gay or straight best friend. Although Potter's character is annoying, uptight, and not easily likable, she does a good job whining and complaining.
The standout performer of the cast is definitely Cavanaugh, playing the spoiled, childish Conner. Somehow he makes this goofy character lovable, charming and dynamic — a contrast to Mason, who comes off as nothing more than the stereotypical white male (only hard-working).
One of the funniest scenes in the pilot involves Mason and Conner's soon-to-be-dead boss, Stu, played by Jason O'Mara in a cameo appearance. Wearing a paisley button-down while yelling and cursing at everyone in the office, Stu provides a humorous contrast to the rest of the characters. Even if he isn't likable, at least his lines are funny, unlike the rest of the show.
But despite the few comedic moments, "Trust Me" brings nothing original to the world of advertising. Without something beautiful to catch viewers' attention, there really isn't anything fun or entertaining about watching two guys inventing slogans for campaigns.
The show is clearly set up to showcase McCormack back in the television world away from his great role as Will Truman, but because this role is so engrained in American pop culture, he will never escape it. Unfortunately, any chance he had for a new hit television show is buried in this drab and unnecessary dramedy.
