| Mixology | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by |
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| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | Adam Gibbons and Mikael Sandgren |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 21-22 minutes[1] |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | February 26 (2014-02-26) – May 21, 2014 (2014-05-21) |
Mixology is an American sitcom that aired during the 2013–14 television season on ABC. The series was co-created by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who also serve as co-executive producers with Ryan Seacrest and Nina Wass for Ryan Seacrest Productions and ABC Studios. The series was green-lit by ABC for a series order pick up on May 10, 2013.[2]
On November 19, 2013, it was announced that the series would premiere on February 26, 2014.[3]
On May 8, 2014, ABC canceled Mixology after only one season.[4]
The series takes place all over the course of one night at a Manhattan bar called "Mix", where five women and five men meet up for more than just a casual conversation and a drink. Each episode follows two or three characters as they meet each other for the first time and from there determine the outcome in the finale, which is the end of the night.
Mixology, which is the first television project for film writers Lucas and Moore, was the subject of a bidding war among the networks in October 2012, resulting in ABC eventually picking up the project with a put pilot commitment.[5] In February 2013, Seacrest's production company became a joint partner on the project and Wass was added to the production staff.[6]
Of the 10 cast members who were added during the project, one of the members who was first added when it was announced, Mercedes Masöhn, decided to exit the production in March 2013 to seek other projects.[7] She was replaced by Ginger Gonzaga a week later.[8]
Also, in main publicity shots of the entire cast, Sarah Bolger is seen as an original cast member, but after exiting the production was replaced by Frankie Shaw.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Tom & Maya" "Pilot" | Larry Charles | Jon Lucas & Scott Moore | February 26, 2014 (2014-02-26) | 4.98[9] | |
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In the series opener, Tom, after breaking up with his fiancée, Laura, is forced back into the dating world by his best friends, Cal and Bruce. Tom's first encounter is with an attorney named Maya. Despite crying about his breakup to Maya, he successfully asks for her number. The bubbly cocktail waitress, Kacey, tries to break up with Dominic due to him being too dark and her being a positive person. Jessica has a date with Ron, whom she met on the Internet, until Ron vomits in her purse. Flashbacks narrated by Bruce show Tom's early life, his meeting Laura and their breakup, as well as Maya's early and current life. | ||||||
| 2 | "Liv & Ron" | Michael McDonald | Jon Lucas & Scott Moore | March 5, 2014 (2014-03-05) | 4.64[10] | |
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Since Liv has had an encounter with internet entrepreneur, Ron, outside the bar, the two had instant chemistry. Meanwhile, Jessica runs into her former best friend Fab, and they begin reconnecting, while both try to win the affections of the bartender Dominic. Even though he is infatuated with Maya, Cal and Bruce convince Tom to keep trying to pick up women. Even though he fails the first several times, he eventually makes a breakthrough. Flashbacks narrated by Bruce show Liv's early life and how she met her fiancé, as well as Ron's early life and his recent downfall.
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| 3 | "Bruce & Jessica" | Adam Davidson | Ira Ungerleider | March 12, 2014 (2014-03-12) | 4.29[11] | |
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Jessica, a single mom from New Jersey, is targeted by Bruce because he believes she is easy. However, Jessica rejects Bruce causing him to want her more, despite Cal and Tom's opinions. Meanwhile, Liv gets into some trouble with Ron. Maya is hit on by a group of Hawaiian men because they believe she is also Hawaiian, due to the Blue Hawaiian cocktail. Flashbacks narrated by Maya show Bruce's early life and the cause of his womanizing behavior, as well as Jessica's early life, the reason for her being a single mom, and how she copes.
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| 4 | "Cal & Kacey" | Richie Keen | Patti Carr & Lara Olsen | March 19, 2014 (2014-03-19) | 3.66[12] | |
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After hitting it off over a conversation about their hometown of Green Tree, Ohio, Cal and Kacey believe they are meant to be together due to being hopeless romantics. Meanwhile, Liv breaks more rules, with Maya's help, in an attempt to flirt with Ron. Jessica and Fab run into someone in the bathroom. Flashbacks narrated by Maya reveal the early lives of Cal and Kacey, as well as the reasons for their optimistic natures.
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| 5 | "Fab & Jessica & Dominic" | John Fortenberry | John Enbom | March 26, 2014 (2014-03-26) | 4.85[13] | |
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Jessica and Fab compete for Dominic's affections; Tom wants to make a move on Maya; Cal and Bruce go to another part of the bar after Kacey refuses to serve them. Ron seemingly forgets the time he spent with Kacey and offends her; however, Kacey turns out to have mistaken Ron as someone else. Liv and Maya also find out how many women Ron has slept with. Flashbacks narrated by Bruce reveal Dominic's easy life and secret love of music, and Fab's struggles. | ||||||
| 6 | "Tom & Maya II" | Richie Keen | Vali Chandrasekaran | April 2, 2014 (2014-04-02) | 4.33[14] | |
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Things are going well with Tom and Maya, until Laura, Tom's ex-fiancée, enter the bar. Tom, Cal and Bruce try to make a quick exit strategy but when their plan fails, Maya teaches Tom how to talk to Laura. Meanwhile, Liv is interested in Jessica and Fab's ability to flirt with guys, so she asks for some pointers, while Kacey and Ron have a run in with a group of attractive firemen. Flashbacks narrated by Bruce reveal Tom's unwillingness to give up on people, and Maya's extreme willingness to do so.
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| 7 | "Bruce & Fab" | Michael McDonald | Gloria Calderon Kellett | April 9, 2014 (2014-04-09) | 3.65[15] | |
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Bruce and Fab hate each other, but as the night continues, thinks might change. Meanwhile, Tom accidentally gets into a fight with a group of guys at the bar, which gets other girls attracted to him, while Cal tries to reconcile with Kacey. Jessica shows Liv and Maya a very well-endowed photo of a man (Ron) that leaves Liv wanting more, and they try to find out who he is, with Dominic's help. Flashbacks narrated by Maya reveal Bruce's willingness to put up with anything in exchange for sex, and Fab's lack of understanding of how relationships should work.
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| 8 | "Jessica & Ron" | Eyal Gordin | Aeysha Carr | April 16, 2014 (2014-04-16) | 3.86[16] | |
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Jessica now regrets sending a nude photo to Ron after realizing she barely knows him. Meanwhile, Liv complicates things between Jessica and Ron. Maya hits it off with an attractive guy, who mistakes her for an escort. Bruce's chance to hook up comes when he meets a woman who is into red-heads, but things quickly begin to look grim. Flashbacks narrated by Bruce reveal how Jessica and Ron met online, and their reasons for doing so. | ||||||
| 9 | "Dominic & Kacey" | Scott Ellis | Jared Miller | April 23, 2014 (2014-04-23) | 4.32[17] | |
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After countless encounters of meaningless sex, Kacey decides to confront Dominic about their relationship status but is shocked when Dominic wants to take the relationship to the next level. However, he doesn't even know what that means. Dominic turns to Tom for advice. Meanwhile, Liv, who has been drinking all night, is confronted by Maya and Fab who try to help her. And the chance of hooking up with someone is being ruined for Bruce and Cal as they fend off an unwanted guest. Flashbacks narrated by Bruce reveal how Dominic and Kacey started hooking up, and their very different views on the relationship.
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| 10 | "Liv & Jim" | Alex Hardcastle | John Blickstead & Trey Kollmer | April 30, 2014 (2014-04-30) | 3.78[18] | |
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Bruce gets into an argument with Tom and Cal after he finds out they watched the third season of "Downton Abbey" without him because of his constant disparaging remarks. Bruce takes offense and finds a new group of guys to hang out with, but they also start to call him out for being a terrible person. Meanwhile, Liv is forced to face her actions when her fiancé shows up. Flashbacks narrated by Bruce reveal how Liv and Jim's relationship started, and the feelings underlying it.
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| 11 | "Bruce & Maya" | Jeffrey Walker | Dave Horwitz & Maria Pinson | May 7, 2014 (2014-05-07) | 3.84[19] | |
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The night is about to end and nobody wants to go home alone once it is last call. Bruce enlists Maya to fake flirt with him to get Jessica's attention, but when things start to get serious between them, Tom comes to the conclusion that he's flirting with disaster. Meanwhile, Fab spots her attractive gynecologist, who has a thing for another woman in the bar. Liv and Ron go to a strip club. Flashbacks narrated by Cal show that Bruce is able to get a lot of women despite his attitude, and so is Maya.
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| 12 | "Last Call" | Elliot Hegarty | Matt Donnelly | May 14, 2014 (2014-05-14) | 3.99[20] | |
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Tom finds himself bonding with Liv but in the process, Liv and Tom can't help but realize they might actually be meant for each other instead. Bruce starts to panic when he realizes Jessica is probably going to go home with Dominic, so he sets out to find a backup girl he can take home. Flashbacks narrated by Bruce show how similar Tom and Liv are.
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| 13 | "Closing Time" | Jon Lucas & Scott Moore | Jon Lucas & Scott Moore | May 21, 2014 (2014-05-21) | 4.04[21] | |
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On the series finale, the night is coming to an end and it's Tom's last chance to ask Maya to go home with him. Meanwhile, Bruce has to decide whether or not to be with Jessica, Liv finds herself in a situation in which she must make a decision that will ultimately affect her happiness. Kacey comes to conclusion after learning some troubling information about Cal and has to decide if she still wants to keep her date with him.
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The pilot episode "Tom & Maya" debuted on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on February 26, 2014 (2014-02-26), to an audience of 4.98 million viewers, it would become the most watched episode of the series.[9] The second episode "Liv and Ron", one week later, drew 4.64 million viewers.[10] The least watched episode of the series is the seventh episode "Bruce & Fab", which drew 3.65 million viewers.[15] The finale episode of the series "Closing Time" which aired on May 21, 2014 (2014-05-21), to an audience of 4.04 million viewers.[21]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 48/100[22] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[23] |
| Newsday | B[24] |
| New York Daily News |   [25] |
Brian Lowry of Variety gave a score of 80%, and wrote, "Maintaining this sort of rat-a-rat patter is no small feat, but the series gets off to such a promising start as to bode well for future installments. Moreover, the shifting pairings from episode to episode create a semi-serialized element that deftly builds off the groundwork laid the previous week, conjuring questions about who’s going to wind up with whom."[26] Karen Valby of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a "B" grade, and wrote, "If you like--or like zoning out to--slick and shiny romantic comedies in the vein of New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day, Mixology is the show for you. But underneath the glossy, Ryan Seacrest-produced banner, this cocktail actually has some genuine sweetness and originality."[23] Diana Werts of Newsday gave the series a grade of "B", and wrote, "Some twisty situations, some unexpected heart, some nuanced acting. Some serious single-camera potential. Could be worth awaiting last call to see who goes where, and why."[24]
David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle gave a positive review, saying, "The show is funny enough, although you might wonder where it would go in a second season, but here's the dirty little secret of Mixology: It's intelligent and poignant as well as being entertaining".[27] Vicki Hyman of the Newark Star-Ledger gave a mixed review, saying, "Only intermittently funny but unceasingly crass."[28] Matt Roush of TV Guide gave a mixed review, saying, "While some of the flirtatious banter in these random odd couplings can be witty and even winsome, after a few rounds (I made it through three episodes), I was ready to close out my tab."[29] David Hinckley of the New York Daily News gave the series 2 out of 5 stars, and wrote, "At the end of the night, Mixology doesn’t have a lot of fizz".[25] Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times gave a mixed review, saying, "There is something mechanical and arbitrary about the plotting, as if a mess of gears that didn't actually go together had been smashed into some semblance of a working order."[30]
Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post gave a negative review, saying, "In its first few episodes, "Mixology" loudly and repeatedly makes the case that women (who are judged on their adherence to very limited set of rules regarding appearance, dress, behavior, etc.) are objects to be won, that men must employ elaborate stratagems to obtain sex (and only sex) with these female objects, and that even if the facade of "game" drops on occasion, sincerity and kindness are usually things to be mocked."[31] Dan Fienberg of the HitFix gave a negative review, saying, "Nearly every character is introduced in the most repulsive way possible and then the show tries to backtrack, sell the characters out and make it seem like they're all just marshmallows."[32] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter gave a negative, and wrote, "Mixology is a tone-deaf, poorly executed, badly written series that, in the parlance of the show, kind of rapes comedy."[33]OnRotten Tomatoes, the series has an aggregate score of 33% based on 10 positive and 20 negative critic reviews. The website’s consensus reads: " With an uninteresting story, forgettable cast, and occasionally vulgar humor, Mixology proves a less than intoxicating blend."[34]
