ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 3, 1997 TAG: 9704040020
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Tom Shales
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: TOM SHALES
It would be virtually impossible to champion the cause of good television and not support ``Relativity.'' Unfortunately, this sweet, smart, shrewdly observant drama series has had a hard time of it in the ratings since ABC introduced it last fall.
Intelligently written, tender yet realistic in its depiction of an ongoing romantic relationship, ``Relativity'' is seductively engrossing. Even if you don't like it, you gotta love it. Or at least wish it well.
Now after a long hiatus, ``Relativity'' has returned, but only relatively speaking. ABC is airing the show on Monday nights at 8 for a few weeks, but there's no predicting its fate after that. The first of the three new episodes aired March 31. The next two air Monday and April 4.
In them, the series gets even better, although the central affair between Isabel, 24, and Leo (about the same age) hits its rockiest obstacles yet. In the premiere last fall, Isabel (Kimberly Williams) met Leo (David Conrad) while both bummed around Rome. They fell in love, kerplop, almost instantly, although it turned out Isabel was already engaged to a tall guy back home.
Since then, their lives and many of the lives they touch have gone through complications either comic or traumatic or sometimes, somehow, both. Isabel and Leo moved in together weeks ago, but now that arrangement is in trouble. In the March 31 episode, Leo forgot that he and Isabel had tickets to a concert and told her he had to work late that night. So she asked if it would be all right if she went with her former fiance, Everett (Randall Batinkoff).
Leo said of course it would be all right but what he really meant was of course it would not be all right. Sometimes people feel obliged to say precisely what they do not mean. To get even, Leo sleeps overnight at the home of his glamorous boss, Julia (Maria Del Mar). Nothing sexual, he just ``crashed on the couch'' after working late.
Isabel finds this out in the April 14 episode. She calls Julia's house and Leo answers. He expects her to take it on faith that ``nothing happened.''
Meanwhile, Karen (Jane Adams), Isabel's married sister, has taken rather a blinding shine to, of all people, Leo's longtime oddball roommate Doug (Adam Goldberg, a true comic original). When Karen's husband Alan returns from a business trip, he is in for a shockeroo.
Wherever there is a relationship, there are bound to be misunderstandings, hurt feelings, little white lies, big white lies, and all kinds of unintentional, unforeseen consequences. ``Relativity'' examines these microscopically and with wit and insight, too. No matter how it may sound from this description, it never turns into soap opera.
Another plus for the show: It features the best-executed kisses on television. The romantic moments are genuinely romantic, bound to stir memories both fond and painful. ``Relativity'' stays relatively close to truth.
There are, of course, drawbacks. Sometimes it gets icky. We find out in the next episode that Everett keeps a ``dream journal.'' Oh brother. All the characters are white, affluent and involved in artsy-smartsy occupations, and they sit around talking about architecture and photography. Sometimes they seem like younger versions of the spoiled snots in Woody Allen films.
But the dialogue is sharp, the plot lines unpredictable, and the cast very attractive, especially Williams. She gets her hair cut in the April 14 episode and looks even more gorgeous than usual. ``Relativity'' is from the production team (Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz) that created ``thirtysomething'' and ``My So-Called Life,'' and they have great eyes for young talent.
Ratings for the March 31 episode were extremely bad. Such a pity. People who root for quality programming have to hope they will improve. If you don't watch it - please, don't make a point of not watching it. In the narrow world of smart TV, ``Relativity'' is the real thing.
- Washington Post Writers Group
LENGTH: Medium: 73 linesby CNB