Satisfaction (2014)

As of right now, Satisfaction is actually suspenseful--leaving the audience unsure if its protagonists will embrace their better natures or succumb to their special version of suburban ennui. And though some of that suspense is a result of some messy decision-making, those types of messes look a lot like life.

The flawed but oddly compelling drama Satisfaction takes an especially cynical view of marriage, but it's no laughing matter in the USA drama.

Wisely, show creator Sean Jablonski does not cast blame on either of the Trumans for their marital mess. That makes the characters more interesting and sympathetic, rather than merely a victim and an offender.

Although the subject matter is darker than usual for USA, series creator Sean Jablonski manages to find lighter moments so that Satisfaction is not a depress-a-thon.

Satisfaction has the most provocative premise--until about halfway through when it doesn’t just go off the rails, it careens into the ocean, swims for England, sits for afternoon tea and then flings itself into the moon.

Passmore and Szostak give fine performances, and many viewers will no doubt appreciate having a drama that's designed to reflect modern life, without a crime or a medical crisis as a catalyst. They just might appreciate it more if it were a bit less grim and if the big plot twists felt a lot more organic.

Passmore was an engaging lead on "The Glades" and he is not bad here but the scripting of Satisfaction is leaden and unbelievable. Again, we’ve seen it before. And, at least in the premiere, there’s not enough entertainment value to see it again.