Welcome, Unicorn readers! As the weather gets warmer, few things sound more appealing than enjoying a cold one with friends in a buddy’s backyard. And that’s what this delightful NBC comedy hones in on — so crack open your beverage of choice, and let’s sit back and discuss the show Abby’s, a 2019 sitcom.
But before I get too far in my cups, a few disclaimers. First and foremost, this review will contain SPOILERS for the first three episodes of this comedy starring Natalie Morales (#Bi2, #OneofUs). And if you’re unfamiliar with our Unicorn Scale, you may want to review the original article to get an idea of how it works.
All good? Faboo. I’ll pull you a pint and we’ll get going.
Abby’s was a half-hour comedy show focusing on a San Diego bartender, who sets up an uninsured, unlicensed tavern in her backyard. While her neighbors flock to the establishment, her new landlord isn’t exactly keen on the idea at first, especially given the liabilities it entails. Abby’s landlord is a Marine vet, a prickly boss but loyal friend, and he needs to work out to manage this new situation.
What I Liked:
There was so much to like about the reveals in episode three, in particular. Abby is very open and casual about her bisexuality and — most rewardingly — it does not form the crux of the episode’s central conflict. Most people at the bar already know about her orientation and are relaxed about it. Instead of focusing on Abby’s sexuality, the writers wisely decided to centre the episode on two issues:
1) Friend and patron, Beth (Jessica Chaffin) is hurt that she was not informed about one of Abby’s past relationships.
2) Bill (NeilFranklin) makes a comic faux pas when Abby tells him that she is queer.
That feels like the correct way to handle this material; it strikes the right tone.
Morales was the first openly bi character to play the lead in a network television show — a hard-won victory for bi representation on the small screen. That Abby was played by a woman of color was also groundbreaking. Until recently, being bi was usually treated as either a curiosity, a fetish, or a punchline — as it was when it was first depicted on premium cable in Sex and the City. But in the case of Abby’s, I don’t get the feeling that the producers were thinking, “let’s try this out and see how it plays in Peoria”. As Heather Hogan has pointed out, this episode was one of the three screeners of the season that NBC sent out in advance of the show. That they laid the groundwork this early and committed to the bisexual theme with such easy confidence shows that the network had no problem making this a normal part of Abby’s character and plot arcs.
When we compare this to the depiction of bisexuality in one of Michael Schur’s other productions, The Good Place, we can see his comfort with displaying bisexuality as part of a loveable lead’s character had grown exponentially.
The term “bisexual” features so many times in the script that I started to lose count. I cannot convey how happy that made me.
What I Didn't Like:
I have no criticisms of how the writers handled Abby’s bisexuality. It felt respectful, while still allowing them to deliver laughs when the characters react to certain situations. The only thing I found distracting was the way it was produced: the constant reminders that the show was filmed in front of a live studio audience — complete with announcements, canned laughter, and crane shots showing the audience — made it hard to suspend my disbelief.
The Rating:
I watched Cheers all the way through for the first time last year and it struck me that it would be great to update that set-up. I wasn’t sure how anyone could pull that off, though: Cheers is such an iconic show that a reboot would be bound to draw unfavorable comparisons. But Abby’s was its own thing. It brought us some of the bi-centric stories that had been missing from broadcast television since its inception. It featured a warm, witty setup with a nuanced main bi character and an excellent cast. We need more shows of that kind. I’ll drink to that.