THE VILLAGE – PILOT
Brought to us by creator Mike Daniels, NBC introduces new drama “The Village”. With a mix of established and upcoming actors, the show has a lot of promise and heart from the moment the episode starts. Taking place in a neighborhood in Brooklyn, specifically an apartment complex aptly titled The Village, it follows the lives of its residents and how all their stories intertwine.
*SPOILER ALERT: Stop reading if you haven’t watched*
Rebel Just for Kicks
Our pilot starts with a teenage girl making a grand escape out the fire escape window, as Portugal the Man’s hit “Feel it Still” sets the mood in the background. The music seems fitting, but we don’t know where she is headed yet. It screams adventure and I want a part of it! We see her stop at a fenced in construction site where she cuts into fencing and begins to weave … yarn? She steps back to admire her artwork… it’s a red heart.
The next morning, she comes back to the scene, her own admiration joined by plenty of onlookers, as a construction officer alerts her she’s been caught on camera and they’re calling her principle. This might be the coolest type of vandalism I’ve ever seen. I’m both intrigued and wanting to learn how to crochet so I can do something similar!
We cut scenes again, this time to a Veterans Hospital physical therapy room. There is a veteran at one of the machines; he’s an amputee. The nurse reminds him that he’s leaving today, to which he agrees. She expresses concern for him, they share a little banter and he thanks her. A show after my own heart.
Welcome to the Neighborhood
We see the first complex sign of the Village. Its an early morning and the sun is casting on the sign. It seems warm and happy.
Then it’s a passionate shower scene between a young couple, cut short by a phone going off. The girlfriend is annoyed when the boy reaches for it; the phone says it’s his ‘Pops’. The girlfriend makes a comment and our scene jumps again, this time to an assisted living home where a nurse enters the room of two men. She’s asking where he’s hiding drugs, as another resident was “high as a kite’. The man denies it. She tells him to wake his roommate up; he says he can’t. The man has died.
The nurse sits with Enzo, and they have a short conversation before she gets a phone call and must leave. The nurse, Sarah, is almost out the door as the boyfriend from the shower scene comes in with cough medicine for Enzo. He asks why they don’t stock it there and she tells him that he’s selling it. As much as the scene was a rollercoaster of emotions, the humor was on par. Hilarious.
The boy, Gabriel follows his grandfather out of the home and into a coffee shop. They bicker, it’s clear that Gabriel and Enzo have a complicated relationship. Gabriel reminds him he’s in law school and he’s busy. Enzo tells him he doesn’t want to live in the home anymore and he wants to live with him. Gabriel reminds him that he’s got a one-bedroom apartment and a girlfriend. Enzo is unhappy with his response. Enzo’s quick witted and determined. I bet he gets into a ton of trouble as the season goes on.
“You’re under this roof, you’re family.”
Back to the Village, our veteran is outside in a cab, looking at the complex. The cab driver thanks him for his service, to which he doesn’t answer. A man exits the building and addresses the veteran as Staff Sergeant Porter and he tells him Nick is fine. He is Ron, the Village super there to welcome him in. Ron is loud and happy, someone you want to be around. You can’t help but like him.
“You’re under this roof, you’re family.” As they enter, Ron tries to thank him for his service as well. Nick explains that while they mean well, it sounds like he’s ordering a latte. He asks Nick how he lost his leg. Nick says an IED took out his Humvee. He was the only one to survive and e says the only reason he survived was because of a bomb dog named Jedi, who protected him. There seems to be much more to this story, but we don’t get many details. I sense some foreshadowing…
Ron tells him he owns a small bar, called Smalls and tells him he needs a bartender. Nick says no, but Ron is persistent. He tells him he should see the neighborhood and check out the bar. The two exit as our screen switches to a school.
Do Over
At the school, Sarah the nurse and her daughter, Katie, the one who made the heart, argue. The daughter says that she vandalized the site because they’re building a corporate location for a missile manufacturer there and she doesn’t want it in her “backyard”. Sarah is frustrated, when Katie suddenly grabs her purse and throws up into it. She tells her she’s pregnant. They argue in the bathroom while she cleans it, and it continues outside until Katie asks if she’s judging her when she made the same mistake. Sarah was a teenage mother. They are able to calm down and have a “do over”. This time they embrace and hug. You get the impression that the two of them are very close and they’ve only had each other.
A police officer patrols the neighborhood and sees a woman he knows being questioned by members of ICE. The officer, Ben, interrupts and he asks what is happening. The officers have a warrant for Ava’s arrest; they believe she is illegal even though she swears otherwise. Both live in the apartment building, too. A little boy exits the building, Sammy. He is her son. Ben tells her he must go with them, but he’ll watch over Sammy and they’ll get it figured out. She tells him to call Patricia.
We briefly are introduced to Patricia, who is in a doctor’s office waiting room when she receives the call from Ben. He asks her to get down to immigration; she says she will as soon as she’s done with her “meeting”. They hang up and the doctor comes in, she asks, “Good news?” The screens cuts again.
Plot Thickens
Sarah and Katie are taking a pregnancy test. Its positive and Sarah asks if she knows who the father is. They argue briefly, but then discuss options. Katie seems set on abortion, as she believes she ruined her mother’s life by coming into it. Sarah says otherwise, but Katie isn’t convinced. She believes her life could’ve been so much more without her. Sarah gets called away and Katie leaves though this conversation clearly hurts them both.
At the immigration center, Ava meets with Patricia. She tells her she’s been living here ten years and pays taxes and gave birth here. Patricia tells her that her papers were forged. Ava says she has no idea how. Her ex was the one to file it all.
Smalls
Enzo escapes the home with two friends. Nick and Ron go to the bar where Ron tells him the history just before Enzo enters with his friends. Ron tells them that he’s a veteran and all three of them salute him and tell them they also served. Nick doesn’t stop them and salutes back. The moment is tender and sweet. It’s a moment of respect and understanding.
Back at the home, Sarah is hiding in a utility closet where she finds a resident smoking. They discuss why Katie is unhappy with her and the resident says that the man who died that morning’s grandson is in the home packing up his things. She tells him that he’s cute and she should go introduce herself. She can be a great mother and still have a romantic life.
Ben loses Sammy and then Patricia tries to convince Gabriel to take Ava’s case. He reminds her that he’s not yet a lawyer. We learn that Patricia is a social worker and that as their neighbor, it’s both their duties to help her. Gabe gets a text saying someone is using his credit card, but promises he’ll try and help.
Catastrophically Single
Sarah approaches the grandson. His name is John. They share an awkward but cute introduction and she invites him to an event that she cannot look “catastrophically single” for because of her daughter. He agrees. This doesn’t happy like this in real life. There isn’t a cute scene where you tell the guy he smells like pastries and he finds you charming… but, I admit, it works.
Gabriel enters the bar, where his credit card was last used. He and his grandfather bicker again, and he leaves, telling him to go back to the home. Nick gives the three men his credit card, so they can go to their next location.
There is a party on the top of the roof, usually every third Friday of the month. Ron tells him that they bumped it up just for him. Everyone is supposed to meet up there. Ron and Patricia dance on the roof as the party starts. This is super cool; what apartment building do you know has this sort of set up? Lights and music? That’s amazing. Meanwhile, Enzo and his friends sneak into Coney Island to ride the swings in honor of their friend’s memory. Ava discusses options with Gabe.
Twinkly Lights and Good Music
Back on the rooftop, the are several conversations going on. Ron is talking to Sammy while Patricia and Ben watch. Sarah and her date, John show up. Nick spots her and they share a look. This seems weird. That wasn’t an innocent stare by any means. Ron interrupts before he can say anything. Patricia makes a call to a cancer center.
Ron continues his speech and welcomes Nick to the Village. Sarah is the person who brought him here, she volunteers at the VA where Nick was. This might be what happened to get him here, but there must be more to this story. Because they share a short conversation, for a second we might get the answer. It gets awkward but then he excuses himself because a package arrived for him. Then, Sarah asks John how long he’s been divorced, while Enzo and Gabe discuss their argument from earlier. They make up over a few shots of tequila.
“Family is where you find it, kid.”
Nick’s package is… Jedi! The dog that saved his life. They have a reunion outside the apartment complex. Cue all the sappy feelings. Katie walks up as Nick and Jedi share their moment and he jokes, “We don’t usually kiss in public.” Introductions are made, and he tells her he likes her shirt, which is a peace sign. She tells him she has a lot of problems with war, to which he agrees. Katie and Sarah make up on the roof a second time.
Sarah then goes to visit Nick who answers the door on crutches. He seems embarrassed to not have the leg on. We see that the two have history from the introduction of their conversation. Alas! … a lot of history, apparently. Nick is Katie’s father! WOW. That explains the look… where has he been? He tells her that they’ve met, to which she asks if he told her who he was. He says no. She asks if they can wait, as Katie has a lot going on. She doesn’t mention the pregnancy. Thankfully, they agree, and the scene ends with Sarah saying, “Hey Nicky, welcome home.”
Our episode ends with flashes of all the characters, and a final cut of the entire apartment building, pretty lights on top.
Some Thoughts
Where to begin with this episode? It takes a lot for me to fall head over heels in love with a show. There are several factors that caught my interest here. I love the idea of watching a group of people interact even though so different. There’s never a moment during the pilot where I felt bored or confused in a way that left me frustrated. There’s great humor and detailed writing, with respect to where and what they are filming.
I love that I’m familiar with several of the actors and how lovable all the characters are. There are a lot of them and I feel that the episode gave each character a fair introduction. They didn’t have to say a ton about each character, you were able to get a sense of who and what they are from each scene. The diversity is super cool, too. Its totally New York City.
A Few More…
Furthermore, I also love that there is a veteran centered in the storyline who is portrayed well and accurately. And I admit, when some other TV fans told me about this part, that is why I checked it out. Warren Christie does an excellent job portraying Nick and it doesn’t feel forced. I’m hoping this continues as time goes on. And who doesn’t love a dog? More Jedi, please!
I love that there’s a social worker (portrayed well). I won’t go into a long rant here, but you can tell from the moment she enters the screen that she puts others first all the time. That is something social workers are known for, to the point of their downfall sometimes. That should be interesting as the episodes go on, especially considering what we learn about her.
A New Hit?
Mike Daniels also wrote for one of my favorite shows of all time, The Brave, so it feels good to support someone who had a hand in something that meant a lot to me. While it’s extremely early in the show to say it… I think he’s got a hit on his hands. A lot of people can relate to creating your own family and having people in your life that might not be blood related, but are huge factors in how they live. Especially in today’s world where many people don’t even interact with their neighbors, this feels great. It’s the kind of relationship that you want to have with those around you, in the middle of the busiest city in the world. And it feels real.
So, one episode in… The show sets up an arc for the season that seems both difficult and a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to how each of the characters continue to interact and just how long each of them can keep their respective secrets and stories going before others notice.
Welcome to the Neighborhood… It’s nice to meet you.
The Village airs on NBC, Tuesday nights at 10/9c – You don’t want to miss it.
Stay connected with So Many Shows: