Feature Story this week Tender laughs Walton Goggins stars in ‘The Unicorn’ on CBS

By Sachi Kameishi TV Media

T he trope of the loving-but-ultimately-incapable single dad is a prevalent one in pop culture. From “Aladdin” (1992) to comedydramas like “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999) and beloved shows that include “Full House” and “Two and a Half Men,” it’s clear that there’s something about an earnest, flawed father that disarms and charms audiences. Perhaps it’s the subversion of a gender role, or maybe even more about the absent mother herself, but single fatherhood is a detail that can be conducive to many kinds of narrative, everything from comedy to melodrama or the coming of age of a young heroine.

However, most single-dad narratives don’t flesh out the dad character himself: he’s usually more of a detail in someone else’s life, a small part of the greater story. Even in shows where you’d think it would warrant a greater arc, this character is often used as comic relief or to punctuate the lead character’s story with endearing moments. CBS is looking to change all that.

“The Unicorn,” which you can catch on Thursday, Dec. 26, on CBS, feels different than everything else on television right now. The show stars Walton Goggins (“The Hateful Eight,” 2015) — one of the best and most underrated actors working today — who plays Wade, a single father of two trying to find a way to cope with life a year after his wife’s death. It’s an exploration of grief and middleage friendships. It examines what it takes to rear children on your own. Perhaps most importantly, it navigates different ways to find relief in the aftermath of great tragedy. Oh yeah, and it’s hilarious.

The show’s name may not seem appropriate at first glance. Unicorns and familial tragedy? The pilot episode spells out the connection nicely:

Wade is still reeling from his wife’s death and is unable to focus on anything but work. This takes a toll on his daughters, Grace (Ruby Jay, “Holly Hobbie”) and Natalie

(Makenzie Moss, “Steve Jobs,” 2015). When the situation deteriorates to the point where the girls have nothing to eat but leftover casseroles, lasagnas and other frozen offerings left over from their mother’s wake a year prior, Wade’s friends, Forrest (Rob Corddry,”Childrens Hospital”), Delia (Michaela Watkins, “Casual”) and Ben (Omar Benson Miller, “CSI: Miami”), decide to talk some sense into him. Their solution? Get Wade back into the dating game. He’s a unicorn, they say — a man who is not single out of desire or lack of potential, but one who has a proven ability to commit and provide. In a dating landscape full of unemployed, emotionally vacant, toxic people, Wade is like a mythical creature, something most believe to be impossible. He’s a unicorn.

The show doesn’t kick into gear with Wade and his new journey as a player on the dating scene. A lesser-quality series might find the laughs in goofy encounters and the quirky women a single dad might get tangled up with. Instead, we get to witness Wade on a date with divorcee Danielle (Bianca Kajlich, “Rules of Engagement”), as he, disarmingly and sincerely, overshares with her that without his wife, “I don’t really know who I am anymore.” Again, a lesser show would follow that up with a pity-sex encounter, but not “The Unicorn.” Wade declines. From the start, his character is a whole, well-drawn one, not the stereotype we’re used to.

So far this season, we’ve seen Wade get a dressing down from a widows support group because of his anger issues; we’ve seen him deal with his friends breaking into his online profiles to micromanage and protect his dating life; and we’ve seen him reassure his children that he loves them and their mother. It becomes clear early on that the show measures Wade’s “unicorn-ness” not by how much he shines among other single men, but in how he copes with (and learns from) his loss and experiences. Cast member Rob Corddry said of “The Unicorn”: “It’s a halfhour comedy, but it’s not afraid of the feels.”

If it’s not “feels” you’re hankering for, do not fret. “The Unicorn” pulls at the heartstrings, but it also showcases a bulletproof comedic core. The cast is full of comedy veterans, most of whom have known each other for years, which creates a chemistry that most shows can only hope to stumble upon. The writing is quick and witty, and Goggins proves that he is a gifted comedic lead. Make sure to tune in to the network sitcom that is as rare as its namesake: “The Unicorn” airs Thursday, Dec. 26, on CBS.

Adopt a Highway

After serving 25 years in prison for a minor drug offense, former convict Russell Millings (Hawke) discovers an abandoned infant in a dumpster outside where he works as a dishwasher in a seedy motel. He finds a note under the baby that says, “Her name is Ella,” and Russell de-

Stars:Ethan Hawke,Elaine Hendrix,Diane Gaeta,Mo McRae, Chris Sullivan,Betty Gabriel, Loni Love. 2019. 78 mins. Drama.

The Kill Team

A young soldier, Pte. Andrew Briggman (Wolff), grapples with the morally questionable actions of his unit under the command of Sgt. Deeks (Skarsgård). When an Afghan boy is killed,

Briggman considers reporting his platoon to the authorities. But when Deeks starts to suspect that Briggman’s loyalty to the team is waning, he begins to show his true colors. Briggman’s very life may be at stake as Deeks reveals just how violent and single-minded he can be. Director: Dan Krauss. Stars:Alexander Skarsgård,NatWolff, Adam Long,JonathanWhitesell, Brian Marc,Osy Ikhile,Rob Morrow. 2019. 87 mins.Action.

Extreme Sudoku

cides to take the child home with him instead of turning her over to the police. New to the world outside of prison and still adjusting to a world so different from the one he knew before prison, Russell falls in love with Ella and puts his freedom at risk in the hopes of keeping her. Director:Logan Marshall-Green.