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| Courtesy of IMDb |
The first season of Ordinary Joe just ended. Thirteen episodes is not enough though, and I hope it returns for another season. It's a really well-written show with a strong cast! I feel like I currently have only one friend with whom I can discuss this show. So if anyone else here is watching, speak up!
Funny side note: I told one of my friends I was watching Ordinary Joe and she thought it was a reality show, like Joe Millionaire. I hope I can convince her to watch this show though.
Here's the basic premise: Joe Kimbreau has a decision to make at college graduation. Depending on what he decides, his life plays out based on that decision. Since he has three directions in which he can go, we get to see all three decisions play out while he lives parallel lives in a Sliding Doors way.
In one life, he is a nurse, married to Jenny, his college sweetheart, and raising their son together. That's what would have happened if he went to the lake house with Jenny. Those scenes are in green lighting. He wears glasses and has bangs.
Another life shows Joe as a cop, single and living with his mom at his childhood home. He runs into Amy, the girl he met at graduation, and starts to take interest in her. Those scenes are in blue lighting. He had a standard, clean-cut look.
The third life shows Joe as a rock star (although he has a country vibe at times), married to Amy. Those scenes are in red lighting. He has long hair and the makings of a beard.
All three lives have their share of uplifting moments and complications. The supporting characters show up in each life in different ways, but a lot of things mirror each other (in a funhouse mirror kind of way).
For Jenny:
She is married to Joe in the nurse life, and is a paralegal, as she never got to go all the way with becoming a lawyer, due to raising a child so soon after graduating college.
She is married to another man and has two daughters in the rock star life, but her path crosses with Joe's at their reunion and she tells him something that changes both their lives.
In the cop life, she is married to a guy she was friends with in college, who swooped in when Joe didn't show up at the lake house. She has a son with this guy, as well, and is a lawyer.
For Amy:
In the nurse life, she is married to Joe's best friend Eric and they help with Joe's son a lot.
In the cop life, she is coming out of an affair with the politician she's helping campaign for and trying to see where things go with Joe.
In the rock star life, she is married to Joe and campaigning to become a politician herself, after suffering a miscarriage.
Both Eric and Joe's uncle Frank have different roles in each of his lives, as well. That's all I will say for now, so you can see how things play out. There are other things I don't want to mention as to not spoil the show. I will share a few more thoughts after the trailer, for those who have watched the entire first season already.
James Wolk is fabulous as Joe in all three scenarios. I really enjoy watching him. Two actors from You have big supporting roles: Jenny is played by Elizabeth Lail, who was Beck in season one. Eric is played by Charlie Barnett who was Gabe in season two (I remember him more from Russian Doll though.) I've never seen Natalie Martinez in anything before, but she's great as Amy. Anne Ramsay from Mad About You plays Joe's mother. I like her a lot in this role too. John Gluck plays Nurse Joe's son Chris, and he is an amazing kid with a beautiful singing voice. He has physical disabilities, which are addressed on the show and handled in a sensitive and thoughtful way.
If I haven't convinced you to watch this yet, then the trailer will do it:
