"Wolf Like Me" is the story of a relationship in which the man meets a werewolf, and it is no less realistic than the fictional elements in other less bloody romantic comedies. In fact, it may be more honest because its darker tone has to do with the stuff that people carry with them. But while it becomes a kind of free-for-all fantasy rom-com tropes, they all don't come together in this bizarre, sometimes fascinating story about embracing one's darkest secret.
One of writer/director Abe Forsythe's sharp ideas involves playing around with Meet-Cute's holy rom-com premise. Here, it's what happens when advice columnist Mary (Isla Fisher) smashes her car into Gary (Josh Gad). In addition to being the rare surprise moment of a car accident in film and TV, it's also a scathing introduction to the black comedy that lies ahead, and a funny way for two characters to meet. Mary comes to her home to give her daughter Emma (Ariel Donoghue) a copy of Carl Sagan's contact and apologize. He sees her kind soul, and speaks of his own, talking about struggling with parenting after the loss of his wife, Lisa. There is a sweet recognition of one's darkness here, as Mary also has a dear late spouse. Later, Gary learns that Mary ate her husband, as he is actually a werewolf.
Forsythe is passionate about the concept of a person having baggage in a relationship, and using werewolves in a slightly playful rom-com formula is a compelling way to portray it. But the emotional conflicts don't work, with Gary initially disgusted and horrified when he learns he's eaten people before; We also don't buy it when he worries that he's going to reveal his previously airtight secret to the world. Gad tries to cover this gap with nervous energy, especially when Mary crashes into her life, but it's not all that worrying or funny.
When Gary and Mary begin a relationship he very quickly changes his mind about his fears, which then affects how soon we don't believe the next problem is whether or not his daughter will accept it. The need to love runs throughout this series, but it also cancels out the worry that Mary's hunger at the full moon is going to ruin everything. Worse, the rhythm of the storytelling feels off, which is especially noticeable in the plot of a rom-com.
"Wolf Like Me" runs for six episodes, about 25 minutes each, and it's one of those series that feels like a flabby feature, with an episode quota stretched to satisfy more than the pieces inside. Has happened. It's about Gary and Mary, and it also gives Emma time to recognize her own personal darkness about her mental state and grieving her mother. But as powerful as Donoghue's performance is with the material, and how this arc provides representation to children who struggle with loss, it doesn't add much to the overall story.
Though the story's execution fails them, at least there's the chemistry between Fisher and Gad in "Wolf Like Me." They both lend some affinity to the darkness of their characters, and while they aren't as funny as the story wants them to be, they do have lively pranks, especially when their characters withhold their feelings about a love lost in the past. It returns to the baggage, and takes it or drops it. "Wolf Like Me" is a story in which you recognize what it's going for, but you just don't realize it. It's a true bleeding heart, compared to a lot of other rom-coms, but it could use a lot more bite.