REVIEW: “Weird Loners” nothing of sort amid quirky sitcom surplus

Ever go into watching a new TV show with zero expectations and come out of it absolutely floored by its brilliance? Ever witness those rare and precious moments when suddenly not everything in life is terrible and human emotion still means something? To all who decide to sit through the pilot episode of Fox’s new ensemble comedy, “Weird Loners,” that probably won’t happen.

The series, which premiered Tuesday night, centers on four single 30-somethings living in New York, thrown together by a series of random, if relatively mundane, events. It’s like “Friends,” but not as genuine or funny. None of the protagonists of “Weird Loners” have anything in common with each other except for the fact that they’re all single and decently annoying.

Caryn (Becki Newton) is a dental hygienist desperate to get married. Unfortunately, her desperation manifests itself into a forceful clinginess that drives away all potential suitors, which the audience gets to witness in an incredibly cringe-inducing scene on a singles cruise. We find Caryn grappling with the creeping dread of ending up a spinster, which is a completely new and refreshing plot arc for a female character in her late 30s, right?

Stosh (Zachary Knighton), a classic womanizer and self-proclaimed “sex aficionado,” has just lost his office job and corporate apartment after sleeping with his boss’s wife. He moves in with his naïve cousin, Eric, under the guise of helping Eric cope with his father’s recent death.

Zara (Meera Rohit Kumbhani) is a free spirit with an intense fear of commitment. She moved out of her boyfriend’s apartment without warning, leaving him (unconvincingly) devastated. She spends much of her time painting darkly abstract artwork and selling it at a street market. On a whim, she moves in with Caryn the same day they meet, in a move that’s meant to be spontaneous and quirky but feels more forced than anything.

The only character who isn’t insufferable is Stosh’s cousin Eric (Nate Torrence), an oversized man-child who’s on his own for the first time after the sudden death of his father. He’s not the brightest bulb, but he’s profusely friendly, trusting to a fault and brimming with good intention.

The biggest problem with “Weird Loners,” though, is that it’s trying to tell a story we’ve already heard about characters we’ve already met. The market for TV shows about quirky single characters with odd but endearing personality flaws is already saturated. (Fox’s own “New Girl” comes to mind.) But this show is determined to make a space for itself in an already crowded boat.

So far, it seems like creator Michael Weithorn is trying to cash in on the same cultural phenomenon that spawned the more successful “New Girl.” Weird is in. Quirky is good. Single and too socially awkward to mingle is the new cool. If you’re not making frequent self-deprecating jokes about your crippling fear of ending up alone and your inability to connect with other people, you’ve missed the boat.

But here’s the thing: the four weird loners aren’t actually weird (except maybe Eric). They all seem pretty normal, even to the point of being bland. Yet they’re not quite relatable either, which is bad news for a character-driven show. It’s difficult to get invested in a show if you cannot get invested in its protagonists, and these “weird loners” don’t feel realistic enough to invest any real emotion into.

Nonetheless, the showrunners really want viewers to buy into the “weird” aspect of the series, and it’s obvious they throw everything into trying to make their audience believe it. Unfortunately, their zealous efforts feel over the top. The dialogue is stilted, the characterization is clichéd and the plot is glaringly formulaic.

That’s not to say this show is completely unbearable. If you get a kick out of watching things that make you feel strong secondhand embarrassment, you might enjoy “Weird Loners.” But there’s nothing particularly moving about this series. Its brief attempts at sentiment feel misplaced, and its humor is derived from exhausted stereotypes that really should be retired by now. Haven’t we as a culture evolved beyond the high-strung, desperate-for-love single woman trope?

If “Weird Pilot” is indicative of what the rest of the show will be like, it’s probably not worth the 22 minutes. If you’re looking for a comedy with endearingly oddball characters and genuinely funny delivery, you may want to try looking elsewhere. You do have a ton of options, after all.