"You're a bitch."
"Oh, sure that."
Jaye Tyler (Dhavernas) is a loner working a dead-end job at Niagara Falls souvenir shop Wonder Falls. She is content with her underachieving life, until the animal souvenirs begin talking to her. They give her vague instructions to help people in need. When she refuses to listen to their instructions, they go to drastic measures to get her attention, like keeping her up all night. She reluctantly goes along with it, while trying to appear normal.
Jaye has a supportive and successful family. Her father Darrin (Sadler) is a respected surgeon and her mother Karen (Scarwid) is a bestselling author of travel books and is overly involved in her children's lives. Her sister Sharon (Finneran) is an immigration lawyer and is overly ambitious and competitive. Her brother Aaron (Pace) is a Ph.D. of comparative religion and still lives with their parents. Jaye's best friend, Mahandra (Thoms) is a waitress at their favorite bar, The Barrel, where the new bartender, Eric (Leitso) is intrigued by Jaye.
When I was researching Pushing Daisies, I discovered creator Bryan Fuller's other TV shows. First I tried Dead Like Me (because it was available for instant streaming on Netflix)... but I hated the show. My favorite character was replaced with a character I couldn't stand, and the main character wasn't that interesting. In 2012 I watched the pilot for his reimagining of The Musters called Mockingbird Lane, which I loved, but the show was not picked up. Based on these experiences, I was hesitant to try another Fuller show that I knew only lasted a season, but ultimately decided to give it a try.
The show did not disappoint. It was quirky and colorful and filled with interesting characters. Caroline Dhavernas is great as Jaye. She is sarcastic and funny, while still showing a wide range of emotions as the show progressed. It was easy to root for her. It helped that she had a great cast of supporting actors / characters. Katie Finneran makes Sharon sympathetic, while still making you cheer against her. Lee Pace, who went on to star in Pushing Daisies, is hilarious as Aaron. You want to be Tracie Thoms best friend because her relationship with Jaye is so entertaining. William Sadler and Diana Scarwid are funny as the parents and Tyron Leitso is a heart throb and very funny. The minor characters are extremely colorful and the muses have a lot of personality (you look forward to their return).
On paper the show doesn't sound like it would work... in fact, in interviews on the DVD, the creators / producers knew the show probably wouldn't last beyond a season, but what a perfect first season. They had many ideas for future seasons (which sounded epic), but part of the shows charm is that it only lasted 13 episodes... yes, they don't solve every mystery of the show, but that is what makes it such a popular show.
Wonderfalls (2004)
Creator: Bryan Fuller
Starring: Caroline Dhavernas as Jaye Tyler
Katie Finneran as Sharon Tyler
Tyron Leitso as Eric Gotts
William Sadler as Darrin Tyler
Diana Scarwid as Karen Tyler
Lee Pace as Aaron Tyler
Tracie Thoms as Mahandra McGinty
Neil Grayston as Alec
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