At times, we all like to go to our happy place, don’t we? Our TV watching is one way we can do that. A new series started recently, and its premise and storytelling certainly takes us there. It’s called “Cupid” and I’ve watched and enjoyed the first two episodes. I’m so excited about this new series that I wanted to shout it from the rooftops and thank ABC for putting a show like this on the air. But instead of climbing up on the roof, I decided to write a review to encourage other hopeless romantics like me to tune in and see what all the excitement is about.
The main character is Cupid, aka Trevor Pierce, played by a likable actor named Bobby Cannavale. He claims he really is Cupid, and that he was kicked out of Mt. Olympus and put back on earth by the gods as a punishment for not being up to par in performing his cupidly duties. His mission is to bring together and permanently unite one hundred couples, and he has to do that without the aid of his bow and arrows and without the help of divine intervention. When he completes that mission, he’ll then be allowed back in to Mt. Olympus. I’d say that was a huge task, considering how successful we are in real life of trying to hook up couples we know, right? The thing is, we’re not sure if Trevor really is Cupid, or if he’s just delusional. In our hearts, we want to believe he really is Cupid, and during the story, we are shown some subtle signs that make us believe he’s the real deal.
Another main character is Dr. Claire McCrae, played by a pretty actress named Sarah Paulson. Dr. McCrae is a psychiatrist, and she’s also the author of a best-selling book about healthy relationships. In her capacity as a psychiatrist, she is asked to come to the local mental institution to evaluate one of the patients. The patient is our main man, Cupid. Dr. McCrae grills Cupid about his preposterous claim and she’s not believing it for a minute. Although, she admits he does seem to know a lot about the myths surrounding Cupid. He manages to do some creative manipulating and is released from the mental hospital. Dr. McCrae is assigned the task of supervising him and keeping tabs on him to make sure he does not pose a threat to himself or to others. It proves to be a daunting task.
Since her book came out, Dr. Claire McCrae started a support group that meets weekly to discuss love relationships and how to make sure they are healthy ones. She invites Cupid to come. He stands up in class and tells everyone how wonderful love is and how it should be spontaneous and exciting. Dr. McCrae gets a little angry and states that there is no such thing as love at first sight. She says that “Love is what’s left after the heat and passion die”. Cupid is appalled by that statement and asked her “Who ripped your heart out?”
In the first episode, we see Cupid trying to hook up his friend Dave with a mystery woman who Dave keeps talking about. Dave is from Ireland and is here in the states temporarily. Back in Ireland, a girl named Holly had walked into his pub and asked Dave for directions to the airport. She was flying back to New York City where she lived. Dave never forgot her, and she has haunted his dreams ever since. He just knew in his heart that she was his soul mate, and he wished he had gotten her phone number but he didn’t. That is what Dave is doing here in New York City. He’s looking for the elusive Holly. Cupid sees the challenge and starts the ball rolling.
Cupid then meets a girl reporter named Madeline at one of Dr. McCrae’s meetings. And he arranges for her to meet his buddy Dave in the hopes that Madeline will write an article about Dave’s quest to find Holly in the big city. Madeline does meet Dave, but she finds herself very much attracted to him. She sort of wishes that Dave will never find Holly and that he would fall for her instead. They did hang out together and one night they ended up riding a ferris wheel together and kissing. Dave finds himself very smitten with Madeline, but he still thinks he’s meant to be with his mystery woman named Holly. Madeline sadly follows through with writing the article, and even has a composite sketch made up of Holly to put in the paper.
In the meantime, Cupid is working at his job as a bartender at a karaoke bar. One night, Holly comes walking in to the bar to meet up with Dave, and the inevitable sparks fly. Here is his dream girl, right before his eyes. They leave to go to another bar to talk in private, and much to Dave’s surprise, he realizes they don’t have anything in common. The first clue Dave had was when he suggested that they go for a carriage ride through Central Park and Holly laughed as if it was a joke. Dave meant it. And Holly apologized, saying she was a jaded New Yorker. At that instant, Dave knew that the girl he kissed on the ferris wheel was the one for him. He wanted to be with Madeline instead.
Then a bad thing happened. Immigration authorities found Dave and deported him back to Ireland immediately. Madeline was devastated and confided in Cupid about her heartbreak over losing Dave and how much she missed him. He told her that she should fly out to see Dave, but she was worried about putting herself out there and maybe getting hurt. Our boy, Cupid, convinces her to hop on a plane for Ireland. Madeline did, and as she walked into Dave’s pub, he couldn’t believe his eyes. They melted into each other’s arms for a happily ever after. I grabbed my kleenex and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. I was so happy for them.
Now for the spooky moment. Let me explain. In Cupid’s apartment there is a large strand of wire with wooden beads on it. It’s suppose to represent his endeavor to unite one hundred couples together. After Dave and Madeline finally got it together over there in Ireland, a single wooden bead mysteriously appeared on the wire and started sliding toward the success side. This is one of the signs that has us convinced that this guy who calls himself Trevor really is Cupid.
I couldn’t wait until the next week to see who Cupid would unite next in his mission. In the second episode, Dr. McCrae has a friend named Riley. Riley thought she had found a great guy, and one day she was kissing him out in broad daylight when a private investigator named Nick popped up out of nowhere and took their picture. It turned out that the guy Riley was kissing was actually married and his wife had hired a private investigator to find out about her husband’s extracurricular activities. After Riley kicked the married guy to the curb, a strange thing happened. Riley and Nick, the private investigator, found themselves attracted to each other. Nick thought Riley was a bit mysterious though, and one day he spotted her with an older gentleman who he surmised was her sugar daddy. But in reality, it was her real daddy who just wanted to protect her and her wealth from men who only wanted her for her money. A big misunderstanding ensued though, and it looked like Riley and Nick were broken up for good. Cupid had to intervene in order to straighten things out. Through herculean efforts, he manages to sort out all the mess and finally bring the two lovebirds together. You’ll be happy to know that love reigned supreme and Riley and Nick ended up head over heels in love.
Once again, Cupid was successful in uniting two people, so the next scene finds him back in his apartment staring at the wire with the wooden beads. Sure enough, a wooden bead appears and drifts over to the success side, documenting another completed and happy union.
There are a few sub stories in these two episodes, as well as the main ones I mentioned here which makes Cupid’s stint here on earth that much more interesting. This promising series is all about relationships and how they work and that is such a fascinating subject to most of us. I love happy endings, and that’s why Cupid is my new favorite show. I know I can tune in and follow a love connection from their first meeting to them being blissfully in love. Crime drama shows may end up with the private investigator standing there looking smug in the final scene because he solved yet another gruesome homicide. But in the world of Cupid, the private investigator in the final scene will be locked in a sensual embrace with a beautiful woman and have a smile on his face.
