Selfie Premiere

I've watched the pilot episode of Selfie twice, mostly because I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. I thing that the next couple of episodes will really make or break the show.

Selfie promo with Karen Gillan and John Cho (Tuesdays at 8PM on ABC)

The basic idea behind Selfie is that Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) is a self-obsessed, attention seeking, Internet addict who has substituted Internet fame for real friends and a happy life. Upon realizing she has no friends, Eliza turns to her coworker Henry (John Cho) to ‘rebrand’ her and change her image.

Honestly, I didn't have high expectations for Selfie. However, I decided to give it a shot because  I love Karen Gillan (Amy Pond from Doctor who). I wasn't too impressed with most of the show. Overall, the episode seemed disjointed. Scenes and characters changed abruptly and the characters’ motivations seemed to turn on a dime. Karen Gillan’s character, Eliza Dooley, was so far removed from reality, many of the situations seemed absurd.

Both characters, Eliza and Henry, were so extreme that I they didn't seem real. Eliza had no grasp on any face-to-face contact. Throughout the episode Henry would have to instruct her in ordinary small talk, such as asking someone how they were doing. Henry, on the other hand was outwardly judgmental  and rude towards Eliza and made sure to show her that he was better than her

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Despite all of that, there were some funny moments in the episode. There were many clever pop-cultural references. These references were funny but they may date the episode in the future and distance long term audiences. There were also many singular moments which were relatable, such as Eliza coping with her feelings of isolation and Henry admitting that he isn't as perfect as he wants everyone to think.

While most of the episode didn't impress me, the last two minutes were sweet. Henry and Eliza sitting on the porch, both talking about their shortfalls was a relatable and thoughtful moment while still being funny. More scenes like this could make the show good. I do think I’ll watch the next couple of episodes and see how Selfie begins to evolve. I’m not sure if the show will last long, especially with the amount of sit-com/rom-coms debuting this Fall. But, Selfie has potential with its great cast and modern concept. I hope in the following episodes the show will grow from the pilot.