"Huff" Season 1 Review by Maura Kelly

Hello. I’m Maura, your resident film reviewer. As I never aspired to be a film “critic”, what you’ll be getting from me won’t be the paradigmatic dissection of cinema (for that, check out the NY Times, or give Roger Ebert a ring). I watch films, and review them my way, plain and simple. How am I feeling today? Lonely, alienated, and real stoned? Then I say, Fuck you, “Pretty Woman” cause that shit’s never happened to no real girl.

But today I’m reflective – more sunshine than clouds – and only a tad buzzed off of a tall boy of Coors Light. I’m also super into “Huff” Season 1. The Showtime series debuted in 2004 and chronicles the life of L.A. psychiatrist Craig Huffstodt (Hank Azaria) and the characters that weave in and out of his life. Wait. Showtime…series? But Maura, I thought you were a film reviewer… Yes, but I can explain. TV development in the past half a decade has engendered an incredible amount of smart, character-driven, cinematic quality productions. “Huff” is one such show, and I am totally hooked.

The first episode begins with Huff at a martini lunch with his offbeat, vice-ridden, lawyer best friend, Russell (Oliver Platt). Huff’s phone rings: “Shit Karen, you can’t do that. Whatever, tell him I only have 15 minutes.”

Waiting in his office is Sam, a teenage boy who just came out to his parents. His father told him that he’s better off dead. Sam told them that if his mom hadn’t “tweaked his penis when he was 5” and “stuck her tongue down his throat and said that’s how French people kiss”, maybe that would’ve helped. Looks like the freak-show doesn’t brake for the gates of Beverly Hills. Comforting… I guess?

Huff assures Sam that he’s done the right thing, but reminds him, “The message Karen gave me said your father threatened to kill you, and that’s a lot different than ‘you’re better off dead’.” Sam becomes irate, flips his chair, asks Huff why he’s siding with them. At almost warp speed, he pulls a revolver out of his backpack and into his mouth. Before Huff can intercept, he pulls the trigger and blows his brains all over the room.

Most of the series centers around his family dynamic — their tensions, betrayals, and dirty little secrets, which I think is a whole lot more interesting than watching his patients bitch for 30 minutes (Ahem, “In Treatment”. Gabriel Byrne you’re a dreamboat, and I’m sorry, but that’s the only reason I still tune in).

We meet Beth, his wife, his voice of reason teenage son, Byrd, and my personal favorite, his mother. Izzy Huffstodt (Blythe Danner) is the live-in mother-in-law from the deepest trenches of hell. The St. John-clad, martini permanently in hand Izzy is chock full of WTF quips like: ”That’s one thing I’ll say for those Jews — their food is clean,” and “Where’s the Clorox. That little fella was a homosexual. Thank God you outgrew that phase.” She’s so out of touch, that you fall just short of hating her, and instead wait for what ridiculous stunt she’ll spring on us next.

I’m not going to lie: After Sam went out with a bang, I had to click the ol’ pause button and take a few moments. Where could this show possibly go from here? Structurally, things like this don’t usually happen until mind-fuck season finales, and we’re only at 14:49 here of an hour-long, 13 episode season. But “Huff “ is smarter than this. And its season finale also manages to give “mind-fuck” a whole new meaning. Story lines involve Huff’s schizophrenic brother, a patient-turned-stalker that tries to kill his wife, his best friend inviting the whole Best-Buy TV department over for an ecstasy party and knocking up a sales girl, his mother’s channeling of Dr. Kevorkian, Huff’s brush with infidelity, and his son’s coming of age.

The product of all this is a thoughtful and engaging dramatic series, full of jaw-dropping moments that, as it’s tagline reminds us: “Life. Sometimes you wake up in the middle of it.”

-MK