Pivoting

They’re all so likable, and laughable, you want them to succeed. But that’s not the point. ... the humor is delivered in a similar manner [as “Sex and the City”], not by way of plot as much as through the asides and random comments batted back and forth among the show’s principal three and their casual and caustic observations on modern life and expectations.

Pivoting works because of its three leads, but they’re dealing with uneven stories that we hope will be worked out as its first season goes along.

As with most half-hour comedies about friend groups, Pivoting‘s core appeal hinges on its ability to convince us both that these people really seem like friends, and that we would like to spend time with them. On that front, it’s a solid success if not yet a soaring one.

The best moments of “Pivoting” are the ones that bring all three friends crashing together, which brings out the best in the writing and acting both. Should the show get more time to develop — and it should, based on these early outings — it would be smart to lean on the women as a trio as much as they lean on each other.

The women are convincing as friends from the beginning, and though we are meant to regard them as going off the rails, one senses that every misstep is just on a roundabout path to a better place. The tone is genial, the humor just a little offbeat and not at all off-putting.

Eliza Coupe, Ginnifer Goodwin and Maggie Q star in this series with occasionally funny moments.

The three episodes I’ve seen were just OK. ... [But] The three leads have a good chemistry, and the loss that triggered all the reevaluation adds a nice bit of poignancy to the show. Now the show, which airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m., needs to pivot toward some better comic material.

While the writing is inconsistent, the trio of actresses are incredibly likable, already convincingly selling both their friendships and individual characters. I’m curious enough to see where they go, and just hoping that the writers figure out where to take them.