‘Black Donnellys’: Sibling Rivalry

The Black Donnellys makes me queasy, but I can’t look away.

Let me make a disclaimer right here–I am not a fan of the sort of comedy employed by, among others, Larry David, Sarah Silverman, and the entire cast and crew of The Office. I don’t get a kick out of “cringe comedy.” I understand that these shows are often funny, it’s just that I don’t enjoy watching them.

Chalk it up to memories of an awkward childhood, I suppose.

So I think it’s what seems to be Donnellys' set pattern thus far that gets to me, as it plays out like the dramatic cousin of those sitcoms and forces me to want to watch with my hands over my eyes. The pattern is that someone will accuse Tommy Donnelly of murder, he’ll deflect the charge, they’ll say he’s protecting his brothers, he’ll try to protect his brothers, Jimmy Donnelly will get in his way because he wants to run things because he’s the older brother, and then someone will be threatened with bodily harm.

Have you ever tried to convince a sibling to just shut up and let you do the talking? Have you ever gotten into deep trouble and/or been highly embarrassed because that (ahem) charming sibling wouldn’t listen to you, simply because you’re their big sister and they’d really like you to “STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!”?

No? Yeah, um, me neither . . .

I guess, then, that Donnellys has hit its mark perfectly. I’ll just keep watching, patiently waiting for the point at which Tommy Donnelly can stop operating under the radar and actually start running the show.

I’ll be over here, holding my breath.

By Liz McKeon