When I saw the commercial for the debut of the ABC sitcom “Super Fun Night” that stars Rebel Wilson I cringed and didn’t think I’d ever tune in. The commercial made Wilson and her pals look pathetic and there was the obligatory scene exposing the big girl with very little clothing.
While others were touting the show because of Wilson’s turn in “Bridesmaids,” I wasn’t wild about the role Wilson had as Kristen Wiig’s creepy roommate with an even creepier brother.
But, I stuck around one week after watching “Modern Family” and discovered this show’s not half bad. Before I knew it I was tuning in regularly and right now I am thinking, gee, I hope I remembered to record tonight’s episode.
What changed my mind? A lot of it has to do with Wilson’s character, Kimmie. She’s not pathetic like she seemed in that initial commercial. She’s funny, smart and generous. She’s very good at her job, which is as an attorney. I like the fact she is a good and loyal friend to her roommates, Helen-Alice (Liza Lapira) and Marika (Lauren Ash), who also are very intelligent young women, if not the most popular females around. With so many mean reality TV women “friends” on television, it’s refreshing to see a trio of women not only getting along but supporting and encouraging one another, even if they are fictional characters. It can’t hurt for young people to see you can be nice to the people who are supposed to be your friends, can it?
But what I think I like most about “Super Fun Night” is Kimmie’s blossoming love life. Since the show’s start she has had a crush on a fellow attorney Richard (Kevin Bishop), but alas, he is involved with the perfect-looking but terribly mean-spirited Kendall (Kate Jenkinson). They all are thrown together outside of work often and there’s no doubt Richard likes Kimmie’s fun ways and her willingness to throw herself into something no matter what the outcome. She knows she has flaws but she also likes herself, something you can’t say about Kendall, no matter how talented and attractive she is.
Where this all seems to be headed is toward Richard becoming Kimmie’s love interest. This is big because usually if there is a plus-size woman in a TV show, she has to have a plus-size man. Richard’s not. And he genuinely likes Kimmie and likes being around her. But (spoiler alert), last week when Kimmie had the chance to fly into his arms, she rejected him and stuck with the guy she just started dating. The script didn’t resort to her acting pathetically grateful that someone wanted her, probably because WIlson herself created the series and writes most of the episodes. She gets that a larger woman can be happy, fulfilled and loved and that her size doesn’t have anything to do with it.
The show is growing on me, and I don’t think I am the only one. Last week “Super Fun Night” won the People’s Choice Award for Best New Comedy. If you are like me, tired of watching dumb stick-figure females be big meanies on TV, check out “Super Fun Night.” I think it’ll grow on you, too.
“Super Fun Night” airs at 8:30 p.m. (central time) Wednesdays on ABC.
— Sue Ontiveros
