The adage that we are all just six degrees of one another is explored in the powerfully written, subtly acted new ABC drama Six Degrees. Rather than rely on a twisty crime, a gimmick or any kind of mind bending, Six Degrees is instead like watching an independent film gem–a little bit at a time.
Meet the six Manhattanites whose dots are connected: Carlos (Hostel’s Jay Hernandez), a nice-guy cop who meets Mae (Traffic’s Erika Christensen), after she’s arrested for indecent exposure (she takes her top off while riding atop a garbage truck) and gets a crush on her big time. In trying to find her to ask her out, Carlos inadvertently helps limo driver and gambleholic Damien (Freedomland’s Dorian Missick) in a brawl, and they become friends. In turn, Mae seems to be running from someone who wants her dead and goes incognito to work as a nanny for Laura (About Schmidt’s Hope Davis), a mother whose reporter husband was killed while covering the Iraqi war six months prior.
Laura then meets Whitney (I, Robot’s Bridget Moynahan), a bigwig exec at a PR film, at a nail salon, and they become fast friends, especially after Whitney confides she suspects her fiancé may be cheating on her (he is). And finally Whitney hires photographer Steven (Roger Dodger’s Campbell Scott), who was once a big name but is now nearly washed-up, recovering from substance abuse. He hasn’t been inspired to take pictures in a long time–that is, until he sees Laura dissolved on her front step after giving away all of her husband’s clothes and is moved enough to start clicking away. See? They are all linked somehow.
Once again, we’ve got a TV show employing a cast mostly known for their feature film apperances. Indie darlings Scott and Davis are clearly the standouts as equally tortured and shell-shocked people, coping with their lives one, er, degree at a time, while the other four don’t look like they are having any troubles keeping up with them.
The fact Six Degrees attracted such high-caliber actors is a testament to the writing of the show (there’s a slew of writers credited), as well as coming from the mind of creator J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost). The camaraderie seems to work, a real indie film environment. They’ve written dialogue that never lapses into the formulaic but instead remains honest and have created characters absorbing enough to make us want to know more about them.
Bottom Line: Six Degrees proves the networks are rising to the occasion to create compelling, sophisticated drama. The trick will be to maintain that high quality and keep us tuned in.
