oan Girardi (Tamblyn) is a typical teenage girl who worries about what to wear to school, likes to listen to music and has a family she doesn't quite relate to. A recent move to a new city hasn't made her life any easier. On the way to school one day, a boy her age starts following her and seems to know more about her than he should. In fact, he knows more about her than anyone could. He introduces himself as God, and Joan's more than a little freaked out.
Uncertain if she might be losing her mind, Joan listens as God tells her he has some errands he'd like her to do for him. He promises he'll look different every time he talks to her and he asks her to get a job at a local bookstore. At first, she isn't sure what to do. She goes by the bookstore, but can't bring herself to go in. However, at school the next day, when the lunch lady asks her why she hasn't gotten the job yet, Joan begins to believe—maybe not that she's actually talking to God, but that she should at least do what's being asked of her.
While Joan's dealing with her God crisis, the rest of her family are having issues of their own. Joan's father, Will (Mantegna), is the chief of police, and he's is dealing with a killer who's targeting teenage girls. Her older brother, Kevin (Ritter), nearly died in a car accident a year and a half earlier and is confined to a wheelchair. Her mother, Helen (Steenburgen), believes it's time Kevin got back out in the world and got a job. And her younger brother, Luke (Welch), is a science nerd who performs science experiments in his room.
As Joan's family starts to wonder why she's acting so strange, Joan does what God's asked her to do. What she'll discover is that her actions will have far-reaching effects she never could have imagined.
Deus ex machina goes to high school
Joan of Arcadia is a bright new drama from CBS that explores faith and family in a way we haven't seen before. The subtle script stays far, far away from the heavy-handed hit-you-over-the-head type storytelling that too often takes place with this type of material. The experienced cast brings a solid foundation to the drama and, even better, God has a starring role.
Joan's conversations with God are funny and strange. Neither we nor Joan has any idea why God would put "get a job" on Joan's to-do list. What in the world might getting a job have to do with Will's search for a serial killer or Helen's crisis of faith or Kevin's unwillingness to get past the accident that almost ended his life? But, cleverly and surprisingly, Joan's actions will touch many people, some directly and some indirectly.
At its core, Joan of Arcadia explores the balance between real life and faith, the physical and the metaphysical. While God may be the centerpiece of this story, the family drama is just as poignant. We'll have to hope that every episode won't feature the search for a serial killer; however, it's undeniable that when Will tells Joan he wants to make whatever she's going through all right, we know its because he knows there is very little separating Joan from the teenage girls who have been murdered. He wants to protect her and keep her safe in a way he couldn't protect Kevin.
Amber Tamblyn takes on the lead role, and she's just right as the bright but confused Joan. Jason Ritter, who is John Ritter's son, gives an affecting performance as Kevin, and Michael Welch does a nice job as a little brother who might as well be an alien to his family. The parents' roles are taken on by veteran actors Joe Mantegna and Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen, and their performances are rich and textured. As a family, these fine actors come across as real people, and a family drama couldn't ask for more than that.
