How about this, a TV series featuring a therapist whose own life can be just as messy as the lives of their clients! Other than “Frasier,” “The Sopranos,” “Arrested Development,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “In Treatment,” “Nip/Tuck,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Web Therapy,” “Gypsy,” “The Shrink Next Door,” “The Patient,” “Shrinking,” etc., etc., that’s never really been tried before, right?
All right, let’s put the snark away and acknowledge that, even though we’ve seen this archetype in lead or supporting roles many times, it has often been a component of good-to-great television. That’s the case once again with the warmhearted albeit uneven Hulu comedy/drama “UnPrisoned,” which is based on the real-life experiences of creator Tracy McMillan and features a crackling good cast led by the luminous and empathetic Kerry Washington and the great Delroy Lindo, who remains a powerful screen presence in his fourth decade of delivering indelible work.
Washington slips effortlessly and comfortably into the role of the likable if somewhat frazzled Paige Alexander, a Minneapolis marriage and family therapist and single mom of 16-year-old Finn (Faly Rakotohavana), a good kid who is still trying to find his identity and purpose in life and is often a bemused bystander to his mother’s misadventures.
In the pilot, Paige addresses her followers in a livestream (TV shows and movies these days love to show the main character’s smart phone or laptop screen bursting with emojis and messages of encouragement and/or criticism) and talks about trying to avoid “Repetition Compulsion,” which she says is “basically a very fancy psychological term for when you keep doing the same s--- over and over again even when you THINK you’re doing different s---.” You know who might have Repetition Compulsion? That’s right, Paige!
Paige has her hands full as she juggles being a mother and a therapist while navigating the tricky waters of her relationship with Bill (Tim Daly), who is just getting out of a marriage and hasn’t clearly defined his level of commitment to Paige and might not be the great guy she believes him to be.
We also learn that Paige’s mother abandoned Paige shortly after birth and that Paige’s father Edwin (Lindo) is a career criminal. Paige spent her childhood in foster homes and was left in the care of her father’s then-girlfriend Nadine (Brenda Strong), who sorta-kinda looked after Paige for about 10 years while her father was in prison. Now, guess who’s getting released after 17 years behind bars and is coming to live with Paige and Finn in Paige’s brand-new home? That’s right: Dad.
This sounds like the makings of an August Wilson play or a heavy dramatic feature film. And there are moments when the material is treated in a serious manner. But the prevailing tone in “UnPrisoned” is relatively light and comedic.
We see how Paige often doesn’t practice what she counsels, especially when it comes to speaking her mind to others and being honest with herself — but that’s when Jordyn McIntosh appears as Paige’s metaphorical inner childhood self, who has no qualms about expressing her true feelings in clear-cut fashion.
It takes a while to get used to this gimmick, but, thanks in large part to young Jordyn’s bold and confident and hilarious performance, we find ourselves looking forward to mini-Paige’s next appearance.
Lindo gives a layered and truly funny and sometimes deeply moving performance as Edwin, who is gifted with great natural charm and presence and intelligence and claims he has really changed this time and wants to live the straight life and make amends with Paige while getting to know Finn. But, as we see in Paige’s eyes, she is filled with equal parts hope, anxiety and fear of being hurt once again.
For his part, Edwin never hesitates to offer straightforward and often wise advice to Paige, and he instantly connects with young Finn. On balance, Edwin keeps up a brave and cheerful front. But there are heartbreaking moments when we see how the system is designed to keep him down, as when he wows the manager of a chain restaurant with his cooking skills and infectious personality but loses the job before he can even start when it turns out the parent company has a policy against hiring ex-cons.
There’s an undercurrent of desperation in Edwin, who realizes time is running out on his chance to straighten out his life and establish a lasting and real connection with his daughter.
Washington is brilliant as the obligatory Therapist Who Has Yet to Heal Thyself. And the father-daughter dynamic between Washington’s Paige and Lindo’s Edwin is palpable and complex. The better we get to know Paige, the more we’re invested in her happiness.
