THE PLOT THUS FAR
This half-hour comedy focuses on the urban adventures of Ben (Bryan Greenberg) an aspiring designer who has seen previous passion projects derailed by fate and fortune, and Cam (Victor Rasuk), Ben’s best friend, free spirit and would-be mogul. This season, as they continue to hustle to get their CRISP line of T-shirts and hoodies off the ground following a (potentially) lucrative trip to Japan, Ben and Cam scour the downtown NYC scene for new business connections, following any lead they can get to get noticed in the ultra-competitive fashion industry. Among those who rub shoulders with Ben and Cam in and around the city are Ben’s ex-girlfriend Rachel (Lake Bell), an interior decorator now searching for meaning after a globe-spanning trip to Africa and Europe; Domingo (Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi), a well-connected street pal with his own “entrepreneurial” business; David “Kapo” Kaplan (Eddie Kaye Thomas), a hedge-fund manager and high-school acquaintance; and Cam’s cousin Rene (Luis Guzmán), an ex-con who is eying his own get-rich scheme by marketing his Rasta Monsta energy drink.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“How To Make It In America” failed because it wanted to be Entourage for an even smaller sub-section of people. A lot of the defenders want to keep expounding how this show was a living/breathing representation of New York City. However, that doesn’t mean much to the majority of America. What they say is a group of capitalists stepping on each other and desperately hoping to get ahead. While the characters are developed, your concern for them never elevates past a certain level.
Each main character has their own life and perspectives and they do well in portraying that. The collection of characters, however, is a little unrealistic although I’m sure there’s a group like this somewhere. Ben is the main focus character along with Cam. Ben worries and stresses, but he’s trying to do well and live his life best he can. Cam has faced the many dark sides of American society along with his cousin Rene.
The Blu-Ray comes with commentaries, recaps and featurettes. The A/V Quality is pretty strong for a series that never had to lift above standard drama levels. The 1080p transfer only sports minimal digital noise, while the DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track has almost no back channel support. Still, I enjoyed listening to the commentaries, since no one had any idea what they were doing wrong. In the end, I’d only recommend a purchase to fans of the short-lived series.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!
