ABC Tuesdays @ 10pm ET
What would you do if you won the lottery? How would it change your life? Follow a group of seven gas station employees in Queens, New York, who have been chipping into a lottery pool for years, never thinking they'd actually win. They need to be careful what they wish for, because while the money could solve problems for each of them, it will forever change the close-knit bonds these friends have formed.
"Lucky 7" isn't afraid to paint its characters in harsh, unflattering light. The people that populate Gold Star Gas 'N Shop are a sad group of people who have one thing in common: they're desperately trying to improve their lives. Matt is trying to move out of his mother's home and buy an apartment for his pregnant wife. His brother NIcky is trying to get out of debt with some unsavory men. Denise is trying to lose weight and respark the flame with her distant husband. Leanne is trying to provide for her precocious daughter. Bob is trying to hold on to the meager career he's carved out for himself. Antonio is trying to be the most responsible husband and father he can be. Samira is trying to establish her own identity apart from her overbearing family. Some of these people are more successful than others. Matt and Nicky resort to crime. Denise cheats herself by eating junk food. Antonio's best-laid plans backfire in spectacular fashion. So what happens to these struggling people when millions of dollars suddenly fall into their laps?
That's the question that "Lucky 7" aims to answer. Many stories end with a convenient deus ex machina. "Lucky 7" begins with one, and explores the ramifications of what occurs after such a convenient windfall. According to the flashforward that begins the pilot, events will quickly spiral out of control for these characters. But for now they're simply thrilled with their luck. Watching "Lucky 7" therefore means committing to watching the lives of these already unfortunate people unravel even further. If that sounds appealing to you, then give this show a shot. The problem is, I suspect many won't.
"Lucky 7" has a unique and frustrating problem: it's too good. It's filled almost entirely with unknown faces who bring their characters to life with almost heartbreaking honesty (especially Lorraine Bruce as Denise and Luis Ramos as Antonio). The first hour is packed with morally ambiguous questions (example: Do you cut in your coworker on the cash if he was short on his contribution?). The mature content, the urban setting, the gritty cinematography, the stylized editing all combine to make a show that would feel more at home on a cable channel like AMC. Sadly, I don't believe people casually tuning into ABC on a Tuesday night will find this the light-hearted escapism they're likely looking for.
The sad fact is that "Lucky 7" is almost certainly headed for swift cancellation, especially after last night's premiere drew only 4 million viewers (12 million watched "Person Of Interest" on CBS at the same time). Every year there's at least one show that's too good for the Big Five networks (like NBC's dearly departed trippy dual-timeline drama "Awake"). It's sad to see these shows struggle to attract viewers when, given a more mature context, they could have been successful. But, even given how much I enjoyed the first episode of "Lucky 7", I would hesitate to encourage anyone to get too attached to it.
Were you one of the few people who tuned in to "Lucky 7"? If so, do you think it has a prayer of surviving the season? Share your thoughts by tweeting @StageBuddy!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIr0O15Ibck[/youtube]
