Christopher Meloni stars on the new crime series.
Christopher Meloni dies twice in the first 20 minutes ofHappy!and hes the shows hero.
Thoughherois a strong word, and hes never quite dead.
Credit: Peter Kramer/Syfy
Suddenly hes at a dance party, blood cascading out of his skull like a fountain.
The adorable animal sings him a song.
Nick pulls a gun on a paramedic, demanding morphine.
Did I mention its almost Christmas?
Nicks a former cop, a current hitman, a piece of human wreckage.
Assigned to kill gangster brothers, he winds up targeted by every criminal in New York City.
And theres Happy, voiced by Patton Oswalt.
He needs Nicks help.
And Nick needs to survive long enough to get another drink.
The pilot episode is directed by Brian Taylor, who made theCrankmovies with Mark Neveldine.
If youre aCrankfan guilty, God help me!
youll recognize the kaleidoscopic action and frat-boy humor taken to quirky extremes.
But Nicks already kind of a cartoon character, and Meloni gives him a manic stumblebum grace.
We need guns and money, he tells Happy.
Add lawyers and its a Warren Zevon track, and the best parts of Happy!
suggest the tone of Zevons funniest songs, which were also invariably his darkest.
Happy!is actually based on a comic book by Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson.
Its an attention-getting high concept for Syfy, a web link that wants recognition for something besidesSharknado.
The bad behavior is fun, but the plot construction can feel thin.
But, um, theres a unicorn!
(Stuff gets snorted.)
ConsiderHappy!an unexpected stocking stuffer.
