The
Baristas Webseries Review
In
the annals of television sitcoms, the NBC comedy Cheers ranks
high on the list of all-time classics. With the simple premise of womanizing
Sam Malone and uptight intellectual Diane Chambers working side-by-side
in the Boston bar that bears the name of the series, Cheers
provided more that its fair share of laughs as it not only explored
the relationship of the two leads but the lives of its exceptional ensemble
cast as well. Although the setting for The
Baristas
is a coffee shop instead of a bar, the java-based webseries is more
akin to Cheers in both style and substance than other NBC sitcoms
that have utilized similar locales as the hangout for their characters,
including Central Perk on Friends and Café Nervosa on
Frasier.
Like Cheers,
The Baristas begins with an unexpected new addition to the
staff of the Affogato coffee shop in which the series takes place. Whereas
Diane Chambers is unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé in the
pilot episode of the NBC sitcom—leaving her alone and desperate
for employment—recently engaged Ben suddenly finds himself unemployed
and in need of a job on The Baristas. Since Ben’s soon-to-be
wife’s sister is the long-suffering girlfriend of Affogato manager
Sam, he is able to join the staff of the establishment and partake in
their ongoing humorous interactions with the small but entertaining
regular clientele of Affogato.
The
Baristas was created by former Pittsburgh resident Justin Kownacki
as a spin-off to his successful webseries Something
to Be Desired,
which premiered online in 2003 and ran for six seasons. Although many
of the characters from Something to Be Desired are part of
the cast on The Baristas, the newer creation effectively re-introduces
them and is enjoyable in its own right in much the same way as Cheers
spin-off Frasier. While there are no Sam Malone or Diane Chambers-like
leads for the various episodes to focus on, the ensemble cast of the
webseries shines nonetheless with its own amalgamation of regulars and
co-workers that compliment the narratives just as Carla Tortelli, Woody
Boyd, Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin did on Cheers.
In addition
to the struggling-to-keep-the-coffee-shop-afloat Sam (Shaun Starke)
and the always optimistic Ben (Will McMahon), the staff at Affogato
includes the bitter yet efficient Dierdre (Lacey Fleming), additional
newbie Reggie (Aki Jamal), the perpetually chipper Madison (Jillian
Vitko) and the likewise upbeat Gary (Joel Ambrose). They are joined
in the episodes by such regular customers as Ben’s best friend
Chase (Justin Mohr), a successful business school graduate with a snobbish
attitude; Astrid (Laura Lee Brautigam), an artist who has been dating
Sam for six years with no end in sight; Gary’s significant other
Scott (Hamilton Berube); Ben’s controlling fiancé Aubrey
(Katie Mo Goff); wannabe writer and decaf-drinking Glenn (Rick Hertzig);
Vanity Press publisher Rich (Erik Schark) and his second-in-command
Tabitha (Courtney Jenkins); and egocentric author Leo (Will Guffey).
Despite
such a large cast, The Baristas does an effective job of utilizing
the characters throughout the various episodes and allows them to shine
in their own unique and humorous ways. The narratives of each installment,
meanwhile, feature sitcom-worthy storylines that develop and build as
the episode goes along while the scripts are filled with numerous one-liners
that keep the comedy rolling. The main plots are likewise complimented
with side-bar and secondary scenes that further pack each episode—an
amazing feat considering the six-to-seven minute length of the installments.
The third
episode of the series, entitled “Game Night,” is a prime
example. In order to attract new customers and thus potentially increase
their work hours, Ben and Madison decide to organize theme nights at
Affogato. Their first attempt attracts—as Dierdre phrases it—“three
virgins playing Dungeons & Dragons.” The trio of
new females draws the attention of the male regulars of the establishment,
however, including publisher Rick who has apparently never played D&D
before. Sam, meanwhile, steals rolls of toilet paper from various nearby
gas stations when the coffee shop restrooms run out of the necessity,
leaving girlfriend Astrid to ditch the tow truck spotted them. The narrative
eventually shifts to a discussion of X-Men films, a misguided
bet and cash stolen from the tip jar.
Like Boston
with Cheers, or even New York City with Friends or
Seattle with Frasier, The Baristas pays homage to
its setting of Pittsburgh throughout many of the episodes. Affogato,
for instance, is an actual coffee shop in the region and Pittsburgh
City Councilman William Peduto makes a brief appearance at the beginning
of “The Competition.” In the episode “St. Patrick’s
Day,” meanwhile, references to the Pittsburgh tradition of celebrating
the holiday in Market Square are made, as well as remarks regarding
other areas within the city limits. “By the time we get to the
South Side, all the drunk secretaries are going to be sober enough to
want to make small talk again,” Chase muses about the notoriously
bar-heavy neighborhood.
Justin
Kownacki was a pioneer in the online video medium when he launched Something
to Be Desired in 2003. The long-running webseries attracted a large
fanbase as well as critical acclaim and was even a Yahoo! Video Awards
nominee for “Best Series” in 2008. With The Baristas,
he has not only created a worthy spin-off to Something to Be Desired,
but a genuine comedy classic that is capable of standing on its own
merits. The Baristas contains all of the ingredients necessary
for a quality webseries—well-developed characters, top-notch acting,
tight scripts and entertaining narratives. Add the coffee shop setting
into the mix, and the sitcom is indeed a Cheers-like destination
where viewers can ultimately feel glad they visited.
Anthony
Letizia (March 28, 2011)
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