Forever (2018)

There's a sense of constant discovery and surprise in these eight magically sublime, funny-sad episodes. [17-30 Sep 2018, p.25]

Exquisite. ... Not only is Forever one of the best shows of the year, I’d make it mandatory viewing for couples considering marriage.

Forever is one of the best new shows of the fall TV season. ... As much as this series evokes slivers of other projects, though, it is very much its own unique creation. Forever will mystify you, make you laugh, and force you to think deeply about how and why people hold themselves back from taking risks that can elevate their lives.

The writing is elegant and spare, the direction (with episodes helmed by Yang, Janicza Bravo, and Miguel Arteta) deft and subtle. Whether you pace out the episodes or binge in one sitting, there’s much to appreciate.

The plot of Forever gets twisty, and is best left unspoiled. Yet the show’s narrative is in some ways less important than its themes, which are explored in funny and precise minor moments.

The series does not completely remake the rules of the genre to which viewers will ultimately discover it belongs, but it leaves its own mark on them in ways that are lovely, touching, strange and liable to stay with you after the curtain--hopefully just a first act--rings down.

Forever starts in an expected place and winds up somewhere very different, and that’s a critical part of the joy of the show.

Its stars (and in particular, a wondrous Maya Rudolph) do fine work.

Forever wants to be weird in places, mysterious too--and some but not all of that works, because Yang and Hubbard are biting into some big themes within the limited time frame of eight half-hour episodes. But the series is never uninteresting. It has ambition on many fronts. ... Forever is already a slice of something unique in a crowded TV landscape, with the allure of morphing into something bolder in future seasons.

It’s a narratively nimble show that’s thematically about routine, emotional fidelity and the possibility, or impossibility, of reinvention.

Forever is an enlightening journey into the unknown. Ignorance is most certainly bliss. Give it a watch, but don't peek.

While Forever brings Oscar and June’s meandering story to a relatively satisfying conclusion, it’s Sarah and Andre’s heartbreaking tale that will stay with me.

While there are elements that might remind you of Armisen’s beloved--and so missed--“Portlandia,” “Forever” isn’t a sketch show. It takes some fanciful risks, but it remains grounded in Oscar and June’s journey, together and apart.

Ultimately, Yang and Hubbard saturate Forever with a distinctive style and a mood that papers over some of its weaknesses, if not all of them. Beyond the surprises, it’s not quite the institutional marital autopsy of Madame Bovary or A Doll’s House, and it isn’t always quirkily diverting enough to fill in the gaps. Its ending, though--perhaps the most unexpected thing of all--makes up for a lot. For eight episodes, Forever has felt cynical about love, ungrateful even, but in its conclusion it shows a glimpse of its beating heart.

Without giving anything away (which isn't easy), "Forever" tackles some big issues about life, loss and what happens to a relationship when people discover they want different things. The half-hour show does so in a manner that cleverly pulls the viewer along from episode to episode, even if its answers, while intriguing, aren't quite equal to the buildup.

June and Oscar’s relationship toggles back and forth between elaborate banter and awkward small talk, just as Forever itself shifts between kitchen-sink realism and stranger detours. Rudolph’s much better at bridging those seemingly incompatible parts, whereas the Oscar that so easily makes his wife laugh bears very little resemblance to the boring dentist who makes her cry inside.

Too often feels like a show about an institution, instead of an exploration of characters. ... Forever has genuine warmth and affection for its characters, and it ends with some of the best work Armisen and Rudolph have ever done. ... But Forever would be better if it moved a little faster, and gave viewers more reasons to stick with it until the end.

It’s not a great sign that it takes two full episodes to get the show where it needs to be in order to fully be itself, especially given that the first season is only eight episodes in total. Nor is it awesome that, after watching all eight, Forever is more confusing than not. On the one hand, it’s exactly the marriage comedy that it initially portrays itself as.