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The Return of Jezebel James has one of most unique stories ever created for the small screen. Independent movie star Parker Posey portrays Sarah Tompkins, an editor for a prominent book publisher that distributes the Jezebel James series of novels. She has a strictly sexual relationship with Marcus, seemingly afraid of anything personal due to the aftermath of a rough divorce. As she was gazing at her co-worker's daughter, Sarah decides that her path to happiness will occur with motherhood. She soon discovers that she has a rare disease that makes her possibilities of conception impossible. So Sarah seeks out her estranged sister, Coco, hoping that she will carry her child for her. After a lengthy argument, the obstinate Coco agrees to carry Sarah's baby!
I requested the assignment of writing for The Return of Jezebel James because of how much I respect the creator of the show, Amy Sherman-Palladino. Her masterpiece, Gilmore Girls, was a truly innovative show with its characters so well developed that the stories practically wrote themselves. I was shocked to discover that The Return of Jezebel James was an archaic multi-camera comedy, far removed from its progressive predecessor. Never did I think that I would see a sitcom in this format again. With shows such as The Office revolutionizing the sitcom format, it was frustrating to see The Return of Jezebel James evoke such a stylistic regression. The show felt trapped in the poorly constructed set pieces and would have benefited from some outdoor on-location shots. Parker Posey gave her best impression of a zany Lucille Ball combined with the wit of a Lauren Graham, but that admirable attempt was still not enough. The show simply did not have the material to support its very talented star. Sarah's assistant, her father, and her mother were also very forgettable. The character of Coco was extremely irritating and I did not understand why Sarah would entrust such an awesome responsibility to such a negligent individual. Further more, I would have liked to have more of an explanation about why Sarah wanted to jump immediately into motherhood. The show's saving grace was an excellent performance by Scott Cohen as Marcus. I am biased because Scott Cohen had an excellent turn as a love interest on Gilmore Girls as well. He brought the same wit and charm to The Return of Jezebel James, but his performance was not enough to salvage this sinking ship.
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