Coming from comedian Jim Jefferies, FX’s newest irreverent comedy, Legit, centers on a struggling comedian (Jefferies) who is inspired to do better things with his life and minute fame after helping a friend’s terminally ill brother (DJ Qualls) get laid for the first time. Nothing about Legit on paper sounded like it would be like a show for LA TV Insider Examiner, but while it absolutely is more “dude oriented” than is usually our cup of tea, it is also extremely sweet and sensitive in a way we just weren’t expecting. The ability to take us by surprise like that and make us feel even harder than it made us laugh is why we can’t wait to see more from Legit.
The pilot of Legit is very much an unconventional bromance road trip comedy as Jim and Steve (Dan Bakkedahl) take Steve’s brother Billy (Qualls) out of his hospital and drive to Vegas, where rather than spending a weekend of debauchery gambling and drinking, they cut straight to the chase and hit a strip club that also houses hookers. See, Billy has Muscular Dystrophy and is still a virgin at 32, and though his mother (Mindy Sterling) does not approve, his brother and friend will do anything to grant him what could be his last wish.
Qualls is absolutely the shining light in Legit. His character could be tragic and one-note depressed, but Qualls plays him with a strong wit and attitude that comes through even in Billy’s dark moments. And being confined to a wheelchair, at times with an oxygen mask, doesn’t limit Qualls either. Without being able to rely on his body to express himself, he allows his eyes to speak for him in ways you rarely see in comedies. He is an absolute joy to watch on-screen, and we’re so glad a series finally recognized his huge talent.
Jefferies in a bit Jason Gann-lite in the initial scenes of Legit, but his comfort level grows exponentially by the time the episode has found its stride. While Qualls is the heart of this show, Jefferies is the soul, and watching his character have the slow revelation of what he should be doing with his life should be inspiring to us all. Of course, because it’s a twisted comedy, it doesn’t come without a little self-indulgence along the way, but that shouldn’t demean its power, only punctuate it stronger because of the dichotomy.
Legit premieres on FX on January 17th 2013 at 10:30 p.m.
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