A good murder mystery is one thing, but when a TV show also manages to infuse distinct characters and extreme albeit hilarious melodrama, it’s certainly worth tuning into. From “Good Girls” creator Jenna Bans and her co-creator, Bill Krebs comes “Grosse Pointe Garden Society,” the latest unique drama with the same elements that made shows like “Desperate Housewives” and “How to Get Away with Murder” such standout hits. Despite a handful of missteps, the NBC show is engrossing, and confounding and off to a promising start. Set in Grosse Pointe, Michigan (a wealthy suburb of Detroit), and centering on four local garden club members, the series is a reminder that putting a soapy spin on reliable formulas mostly leads to success.
“Grosse Pointe Garden Society” opens as a shovel hits the dirt, and a body is dumped in a large hole. However, before the audience can orient themselves into the scene, the series flashes back to six months in the past. At the garden society’s headquarters, Alice (AnnaSophia Robb), a naive high school literature teacher, desperately searches for her missing golden retriever, Molly. Meanwhile, her best friend Brett (Ben Rappaport), a landscaper by trade, is adjusting to life as a single dad after his wife’s salacious affair. Rounding out the crew is Catherine (Aja Naomi King), a prim and proper real-estate agent and vice president of the Garden Society whose perfectionism has endeared her to the town — until it doesn’t.
The group is knocked off-kilter when Birdie (a fantastic Melissa Fumero), a wealthy socialite/romance novelist, is thrust into the crew following a DUI and court-ordered community service. As the foursome draws closer, they begin unpacking their personal struggles and chaotic inner lives, which leads to a murder coverup on the night of the Garden Society’s annual black-tie gala.
While Robb and Rappaport are fine in their roles, the more intriguing bits of “Grosse Pointe” are led by King’s and Fumero’s performances. Image-obsessed Catherine finds solace in her newly formed bond with Birdie, who lives (and mostly thrives) on her own terms. Polar opposites, the most compelling aspects of Bans’ and Krebs’ series happen when Catherine and Birdie’s personal decisions (and differing wardrobes) are contrasted with one another. In varying ways, the women struggle with perception, self-acceptance and a sense of belonging.
Alice and Brett also have trials and tribulations, but they’re never quite as captivating as their counterparts. Moreover, Alexander Hodge is criminally underused as Alice’s artist husband, Doug. When Alice learns her dog’s fate, she begins spinning out, causing chaos in her marriage and at her job instead of focusing on what she can actually control. With little more to do, Brett finds himself in constant ego clashes with his ex-wife Melissa’s (Nora Zehetner) meddlesome new husband, Connor (Josh Ventura). There is also a forced best-friend-to-unrequited lover trope between Alice and Brett. Unfortunately, Robb and Rappaport have little romantic chemistry, so this concept doesn’t feel tangible.
The show’s other major stumble is its confounding timeline. While the events in “Grosse Pointe” are relatively easy to follow, three advancing timelines of the past, present and future and the near-constant chronology indicators make for a somewhat disorienting watch.
Amid everything happening in Grosse Pointe, the series (critics screened four episodes for review) cleverly infuses horticulture terms and plant behaviors that align with what’s happening on screen. For viewers lacking green thumbs, most of these references will undoubtedly go over their heads without eroding the core story. However, for plant lovers, the dialogue, plus the stunning visuals of the massive central greenhouse, create an additional layer of delight to the eclectic dramedy.
As viewers struggle to decipher who is buried among the flowers, theories and clues will bubble up, expand, explode or cause further confusion. Yet, the joyful mayhem of “Grosse Pointe Garden Society” will undoubtedly keep audiences returning to the series each week. Still, if nothing is truly revealed by the time Season 1 ends, it’s doubtful audiences will return for a second outing.
“Grosse Pointe Garden Society” premieres Feb. 23 on NBC, with new episodes dropping weekly on Sundays.
