Out of Amazon's eight comedy pilots this season, "Betas" is by far my favorite and in my opinion the most deserving of a full season. Its charm and witty writing in addition to the performances make the script feel of a higher caliber than any of the other projects, all while building upon a story reminiscent of "The Social Network". One of the few on the Amazon line-up to have an impressive cast of familiar faces, "Betas" simply knocks the competition out of the water.
The biggest flaw of "Betas"? Compared to the seven other pilots, this one is easily the most dramatic. There are rare opportunities to laugh despite the best intentions in the subplot, but that really comes as an afterthought mostly thanks to the script. After tries of goofy, political and sci-fi humor, "Betas" was a refreshing change of pace that took a more serious tone and who's comedic tone stems more from its writing than anything else.
Proof in point: within the first act of the pilot, there is a conversation between Trey and Lisa, in which Trey's genius attitude tries to breakdown and determine her type while trying to prove a point. Lisa turns his head and expectations around for a loop, leaving not only the guys smirking but us as an audience as well.
Its these simple moments in addition to the ability to balance out these characters. While I could spout Big Bang Theory comparisons here, the characters in the pilot are incredibly balanced; smart but socially inept. Trying to venture outside those boundaries, the stories at first seem cliche but venture into so much more.
Trey's quest has twists but its his drive that really stands out in the inevitable business meeting. There's a Zuckerberg/Eduardo mentality of a relationship between he and Nash, but whether this relationship fully develop its similar source remains to be seen. Nash is the borderline sociopathic genius but it's through Karan Soni's performance in just those quirks that make his performance astounding.
Mitchell and Hobbes' subplot about picking up a girl wasn't all that impressive, I'll admit. None of the jokes stand out and really we simply establish that Hobbes is the crudest member of the gang while easily having a bit more life experience than the rest. But perhaps most of all, it's the twist regarding Mikki that I loved the most. For at least two-thirds of the plot, she is a simple stranger with barely any dialogue whatsoever. But when she discovers Mitchell's true intentions with Dane, a switch is flipped and she immediately becomes one of the guys and a likable character that is just incredibly awesome. It's something I wanted more of and would love to see more of.
Using "the t-word" once again, the twist regarding Trey's significant other at the bar is also another smart move that will have you smirking while Ed Begley Jr.'s entrepreneur is the road bump our two geniuses are attempting to overcome. It's the passion of Trey that really speaks out in Joe Dinicol's portrayal but perhaps its after the goal is met where the outcome becomes personal that really works just as well.
Behind Trey, I cared about whether or not the app worked and the underdog story to beat the snobs over a bogus app but more importantly how the meeting also affected Trey and Nash's friendship as well. The ending leaves a few cliffhangers in that department and the surprise text conversation leaves you exactly like Trey: blown away and optimistic.
Out of every Amazon pilot, "Betas" was the first one where I wanted to start the second episode immediately as soon as the credits began to roll. The characters are unique enough and the low budget never hurts the quality of the series. Each of the main characters are likable, but it's that main relationship between Trey and Nash where the show simply works. It's far from perfect, especially as the more odd elements and subplot that are brought forward tend to really drag the series premiere down, but out of the pilot slate presented I found myself absolutely in love with this project especially.
What did you think of the pilot? Let us know either in the comments below or tweet us @FilmThrasher on Twitter!
