What Changes May Have Saved "Gypsy"?

Despite its abrupt cancellation only six weeks after the release of the first season, the original Netflix series “Gypsy” has garnered a burgeoning and dedicated fan base (I among them). The cancellation was undoubtedly the result of the legions of critics who savaged it mercilessly. Perhaps there was pre-release buzz of the negative reviews that led Netflix to scale back any pending promotion for the show. The lack of promotion, combined with a slew of poor reviews, led to its demise. At the end of the day, Netflix has to choose where to invest, and to the great disappointment of its fan base, Gypsy was unceremoniously axed.

Among the dedicated fan base, we might ponder; what changes could have been made to the show to improve its reception among critics?

The Show's Title

The title doesn’t accurately reflect the show and holds little intrigue to draw in an audience. Anecdotally, Lisa Rubin, the creator and lead writer, had heard Fleetwood Mac’s Gypsy on the radio as she was writing the script. It is a superb song, but its connection to Jean Holloway is tenuous and vague. Using a different title wouldn’t have to necessarily lead to using a different theme song.

Suggested change: 
Change the title to “Dr. Jean Holloway” (but keep the haunting new rendition of Stevie Nicks’ “Gypsy” as the theme song)

Cast

Naomi Watts

As she’s practically in every scene, the actor chosen to portray Jean Holloway has to do some very heavy lifting. Was Naomi Watts the best choice? In my mind, the answer is “Yes! Unequivocally!” I appreciate nuance and subtlety in a performance, and I thought Watts was outstanding. Her understated performance was brilliant. 

But clearly and unfortunately, many critics did not hold such appreciation for her performance. My only hesitation about Watts is that because she had to focus on perfecting an American accent (curling those bloody Rs), she may not have had the luxury to pursue instinctual adjustments to the script that could have benefited various scenes.

Suggested change:
Perhaps Maria Bello would’ve been a better fit for the role. Approximately the same age as Watts, equally gorgeous, and also a hugely gifted actor. (And, specifically, no struggle to perfect an American accent.)

Karl Glusman

As Sam, Sid’s jilted lover, I thought Karl Glusman was miscast. His performance was awkward and self-conscious. I was also unconvinced that Sid would’ve chosen Sam as a long-term boyfriend with co-dependent characteristics . In my mind, there’s simply not a chance that Sam was in Sid’s league.

Suggested change:
Perhaps Miles Teller (approximately same age as Glusman); more handsome, grittier, oozing charisma. Hugely talented actor. Would likely have been appealing to Sid.

Sophie Cookson

Bloody perfection.

There isn’t a soul on the planet who could’ve better portrayed Sid. I think we’ll see great things in the future from this remarkably talented triple threat. Hollywood, look out! Sophie Cookson’s in the house.

All the other members of the cast were superb or better.

P.S. Huge score to land Brenda Vaccaro and Blythe Danner!

Clichés in the Script

This one is the most painful to mention, because in my mind, it’s so easily rectified. Dialog with clichés such as “Mother knows best” and “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is lazy and unforgivable. If the production was rushed to meet a deadline, it ultimately proves that finishing by the deadline isn’t worth the shortcuts that led to a script that was still a work-in-progress.

Suggested change:
Hire a script doctor or two! If there wasn’t time, make time. Here’s where a fledgling series can really be its own worst enemy, by compromising the script just to meet a deadline.

Distracting Sub-plots

Let’s be frank; the driving force pushing the plot of “Gypsy” is Jean and her dalliance with Sid. The sub-plots (Allison and her crippling drug dependency, Claire and her distant daughter, and even the mysterious Melissa) are mere distractions that dilute the overarching plot and perhaps even damage Jean’s character as a therapist. There is more than enough substance in Jean’s mid-life crisis as she explores her sexual identity, struggles with monogamy, and wrestles with the top of Maslow’s hierarchy. These sub-plots don’t substantially contribute to the thematic or artistic merit of the show.

Suggested change:
Cut the sub-plots and focus solely on Jean’s mid-life identity crisis. Also, this would give more time to focus on Jean’s anxiety about her daughter’s gender dysphoria (though in my day, we simply called such girls “tom boys”). Also, by removing the sub-plots, it may have addressed many critics’ complaints about the show's slow pacing.

Jean’s Relationship with Her Mother

There aren’t enough scenes between Jean and her mother to illuminate Jean’s character or offer insights into her motivation.

Suggested change:
More scenes between Jean and her mom! Blythe Danner is perfect in her role as Jean’s mom; this role should have been leveraged much more substantially. Also, by including more scenes with Jean and her mom, we may have learned about Jean’s father and how he fit into the picture.

Michael’s Piousness

I just wasn’t convinced that a drunk Michael, alone with Alexis in a hotel room, would’ve resisted her advances. And the fact that he did contrasts unflatteringly with Jean and her lapses.

Suggested change:
At least have Michael and Alexis make out a bit before Michael puts the kibosh on it.

Sid and Jean: Talking During Sex

Overall, I have no real complaints about the sex scenes between Sid and Diane; I thought the scenes were tastefully done and mostly authentic. The only complaint I have is that they shared so little dialog during sexual interludes (and what they did share was a bit awkward).

Suggested change:
This is a tough one; I can imagine that there’s really no way to shoot sex scenes that aren’t at least somewhat awkward. But perhaps a bit more dialog would’ve added another dimension to the authenticity. Perhaps if Sid and Jean didn’t take it so seriously and were less “deep”; if they’d shared more humor, it would’ve fostered intimacy and added another layer of earnestness and authenticity.

What NOT to Change

Don’t get me wrong; the suggested changes I’ve listed in no way diminish the overall artistic and thematic merit of the show; I’m a huge fan. There are many things about the show that I wouldn’t change at all:

Music

There are many cool tunes throughout the show, not the least of which were performances by the “Vagabonds.” In fact, more Vagabonds would’ve been better.

Shooting on Location

I think it was brilliant to shoot in NYC and Fairfield County. I’m sure it increased the cost of the production, but I think it was well worth it.

Sets

The Rabbit Hole, the pop-up party in Bushwick, the rooftop showing of The Lady Eve, Sid’s apartment, the house in Darien, the rehearsal studio, Jean’s office, Michael’s office, the list goes on; all superb.

Jean’s Wardrobe

Brilliant; perfect for mid-life professional mom living in conservative Fairfield County.

Sid’s Wardrobe

Also brilliant for the role; funky, bold, irreverent, sexy; what else would a Bushwick rock star wear?

Lisa Rubin’s Cameo at the Rabbit Hole in Episode One

A must; brilliant!

Drinkin' & Smokin'

The fact that the ladies are smoking and enjoying bourbon.

Fantasy Versus "Reality"
Jean’s fantasy of encountering Sid at the bar, versus the “real” encounter. This exemplifies Jean’s humanity.

Gypsy's Jean Holloway at the Top of Maslow's Hierarchy

“All drama is conflict; without conflict, you have no action. Without action, you have no character. Without character, you have no story. And without story, you have no screenplay.” 
~Syd Field, Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting

The new Netflix 10-episode series “Gypsy,” released on June 30th, has been widely panned, though some reviews have exhibited mercy and a few have even been relatively positive. Like any movie or TV series, it’s only as good as the script. Many critics have savaged the show for its snail pace (with one critic suggesting that you need only watch episodes 1, 7 and 10 to get the full picture, and another critic suggesting that half-hour episodes would've been more palatable). But I think the pace is just fine. When the story-telling is slower and more deliberate, you feel more like you’re a fly-on-the-wall, silently observing the characters, discerning subtle character insights. This is especially true when the characters are engaging and compelling, and you have a keen interest in how they live and what choices they make. When you’re a fly-on-wall, there are mundane actions and boring dialog to endure, but that’s part of what makes the tone feel more realistic.

What’s unforgivable, though, are the clichés in the script. Phrases like “mother knows best” and “you can’t judge a book by its cover” are cringe-inducing, especially when said phrases are exchanged between the two female lead characters as they engage in flirtatious behavior. If ever a script could have benefited from a script doctor, this is a shining example. That's the extent of my negative criticism, though. Despite the clichés in some of the dialog, the show has artistic and thematic merit, particularly because it ruminates on the two key common afflictions of modern day life in first world countries.

A script does more than set the pace and define the dialog. The other key function of the script is to lay out the character trajectory (or, as Christopher Moltisanti of The Sopranos so endearingly refers to it with his New Jersey accent, the “arc”). The lead character’s arc is alluring as an anti-hero model. Jean Holloway, a therapist based in Manhattan, is enduring a typical mid-life crisis made worse by her impulsiveness and her ethical lapses. 

What’s evident in the beginning is that Jean’s arc is of the “first world problems” genre. Initially, on the surface, there doesn’t seem to be any obvious conflict for Jean to resolve, other than a somewhat prickly (and arguably typical) relationship with her mother. Her husband Michael, a successful attorney, is devoted and genuine; their sex life (always a good barometer of a relationship) is robust and thriving. She and Michael have a darling nine-year daughter named Dolly with tom boy-like characteristics. They live in a splendid home in Fairfield County, Connecticut, one of the wealthiest suburbs in the U.S., enjoying lives among the 1% (even if it does involve obligatory social engagements with narrow-minded neighbors).  

Conflict Driven by Affliction

Jean’s primary conflict is slowly bubbling under the surface. She suffers from the two key components of any modern-day mid-life crisis in developed countries:

• Mid-life reflection on significant life choices and the resulting trajectory of one’s life
• Boredom with a settled, routine life (the Jack Nicholson “what if this is as good as it gets?” question)

These afflictions are atop Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, characterized as “self-actualization.” All of Jean’s fundamental needs are taken care of; she is wrestling with the pinnacle of the hierarchy, self-actualization. Who am I, how did I get here, and how should I act now?

At the top of the pyramid, self-actualization is comprised of the following characteristics:

• Morality
• Creativity
• Spontaneity
• Problem solving
• Lack of prejudice
• Acceptance of facts

Morality and Problem Solving

Jean engages in highly questionable behaviors as a therapist; chief among them, violating personal boundaries in the context of a professional relationship with her clients. In one case, she casually befriends the daughter of a client at a beauty salon. Both the client and her daughter are completely oblivious that Jean has covertly inserted herself into these women’s lives; it’s highly unethical behavior. 

From Jean’s perspective, she is engaged in problem solving; the mother and daughter are at an impasse in their relationship, and Jean is frustrated by the lack of significant progress. Jean exploits the insight gained during therapy sessions to directly influence the trajectory of these women’s lives. This exploitation clearly exhibits Jean’s sociopathic tendencies, and yet there’s an angle that she’s not really breaking the rules, she’s simply “just trying to help.”  But there’s a reason why professionals are trained to respect the confidentiality of their sessions with clients. By not doing so, Jean is living by her own set of rules, pushing the boundaries of the end justifying the means.

Spontaneity and Creativity

The most profound blurring of boundaries occurs with Jean’s client named Sam. Sam is a young man struggling with the effects of a difficult break-up with a young woman named Sidney. Throughout multiple therapy sessions, it emerges that Sam has had a highly co-dependent and combustible relationship with Sidney (involving matching tattoos, no less). 

Jean seems unable to maintain a healthy professional distance between herself and Sam’s descriptions of his relationship with Sidney. The more Sam reveals, the more intrigued Jean becomes; she eventually commits another egregious ethical lapse and introduces herself to Sidney at her workplace (a local coffee shop called “The Rabbit Hole”). She introduces herself to Sidney with a false name, setting the stage to interact with Sidney as an alternate persona, thus laying the foundation for a mountain of lies.

From the initial meeting at the coffee shop, the primary trajectory of Jean’s character is established. “Diane” (Jean’s alter-ego) and Sidney play a highly flirtatious game of cat-and-mouse throughout the first six episodes, mired in a “will they or won’t they?” framework, until episode seven’s consummation. There's fierce anticipation mixed in with subtle nervousness, as Sidney takes Jean by the hand as they abruptly leave the bar for her apartment. 

The pre-coital game of "Truth or Dare" is a potentially disturbing foreshadow of season two, as Sidney asks an exceedingly dark question, "If you were going to kill someone, how would you do it?" Jean's answer is not grisly but is disturbing none-the-less; she doesn't flinch at the question and recounts how she would exploit the victim's weakness by getting to know them. After "Truth or Dare," a bit of dancing to this superb groove, some toking and the requisite pizza and licorice, it's time for bed. 

The sex scenes in "Gypsy" aren’t gratuitous. The evening at Sidney's apartment is a manifestation of Sidney’s successful seduction of “Diane,” and of Jean’s roguish deception. Jean even has the audacity to tell Sidney that the reason she "broke up" with Michael was because of Sidney (or, because of what Sidney represents). The fabricated tales just keep getting spun, burying unsuspecting Sidney in a trough of lies. Perhaps Jean's story portends an ominous event later.

Sidney's lust shines through the entire interaction. Is Sidney's lust for Jean largely driven by the mystery that she has not yet untangled (but longs to)? Or is the sexual attraction more layered than that? Like any fledgling sexual relationship, it's nuanced and complex for both parties. Jean studies herself in the mirror the following morning and doesn't seem to like what she sees. Though we don't know what she's thinking, it's likely that the weight of her deception is starting to intrude on the ecstasy of the fantasy.

Jean’s relationship with Sidney is spontaneous, precisely in contrast with the established routine of her daily life. It provides her with a new layer of sexual experimentation and excitement, not only because Sidney is strikingly gorgeous and charismatic (and 20 years her junior), but because Sidney is a woman. A sexual relationship with a woman is exactly the kind of spice that Jean thinks she needs to abate the monotony of her marriage. But Sidney is alluring to her for other reasons; Jean sees characteristics of herself in Sidney, such as a devil-may-care attitude, a defiance of societal norms and an enviable lust for life. Jean is also intrigued by Sidney’s creativity as a singer in a local indie band. 

In Sidney, Jean is able to assuage the longing for an alternate life she may have had, had she chosen to forgo the traditional trajectory of career and family. At the same time, Jean chides Sidney for failing to create a “back-up plan" and become “an adult” with “responsibilities.” This chiding secretly comforts Jean for choosing the traditional path (though Sidney is none the wiser, because of course she doesn’t know the real Jean). Sidney, poor darling, perceives Jean as “unencumbered” and can’t understand why Jean is concerned with the traditional trappings of career and family.  

The grand irony is that Jean pursues Sidney in an attempt to escape from her encumbrances.  

Acceptance of Facts

Jean is not able to accept the facts of her circumstances, and therein lies her core conflict. Instead of accepting the fact that even the most fortunate among us suffer periods of boredom with routine, she remains unsatisfied. She indulges her impulse to retreat into sexual fantasy, setting up a dangerous artifice of lies as an alternate persona. Jean is in a place in life where she doesn't want to accept the facts as they are; and maybe that's ok. Maybe she is rebelling against all of the facts she has earnestly accepted all of her adult life. 

Without any kind of visible moral quandary, she engages Sidney in a relationship and doesn’t seem to consider the consequences that will likely crush Sidney when the artifice collapses. Or, instead of crushing Sidney, perhaps the revelation will only further compel Sidney to up the ante and engage deeper with Jean. 

It's not at all clear how Sidney will react when the facts do eventually emerge. We don’t yet know the price that Jean will pay for failing to accept the facts; season two will illuminate the situation. At this stage of the story, Jean has a long way to go to reach self-actualization, and there's a strong possibility that she'll leave a trail of heartache in her wake. There is a fierce strand of irony throughout Jean's engagement with Sidney; while she is presenting a false narrative to Sidney, she is simultaneously wrestling with true and very potent feelings that are driving her to explore her suppressed sexuality. 

What will be the cost of her identity exploration? Will she lose her husband? Will she disengage from her family? Will she further delve into her sexual relationship with Sidney? How does an intense extra-marital sexual relationship fit within Jean's personal and public persona? What is Jean's "plan" for her engagement with Sidney; is it deeper than infatuation and experimentation? What constitutes a fulfilling and satisfying sexual relationship and how does it contribute to identity? We NEED SEASON TWO to further explore these real questions of mid-life female identity in the public and private domain.

Note: On August 11, Netflix announced it was cancelling Gypsy after one season.