Review: Woodstockers Is Precisely the Next Hit Dramedy You Didn't Know You Needed

Today, May 8, marks the Series Fest premiere of Woodstockers, which is by far the best series most readers haven't heard of until now. Created by Psych star Corbin Bernsen, Woodstockers revolves around the lives (and deaths) of the members of a small community, most of whom settled down in New York after falling in love with the instantly iconic counterculture that the original Woodstock Music and Art Fair was so emblematic of back in 1969.

Previously, I spoke to Corbin Bernsen and co-star Maggie Lawson, as well as director Oliver Bernsen, each of whom offered plenty of poignant insights into Woodstockers. Now, I get to share my full, unabashed review of the series' pilot episode, and, while it is just a single episode in at this point, everything about Woodstockers so far points towards it very well becoming one of the next perfect TV series.

What Is Corbin Bernsen's Woodstockers All About?

Woodstockers largely revolves around Corbin Bernsen's Lenny Baker who, along with his best friend Calvin Reddick (portrayed by Stephen Tobolowsky), fell in love with Woodstock and decided to never leave.

Decades later, Lenny finds himself living a far different life than the one he imagined for himself. Although he is still free to smoke plenty of pot and espouse the classic "Peace, love, and harmony" message that defined so much of his generation, all it takes is a series of otherwise ordinary personal tragedies to remind him that those ideals never really took root.

Not only does Lenny's wife of 43 years, Rebecca (portrayed by Barbara Hershey), leave him to embark upon the acting career she gave up to raise their family, but Calvin tragically passes away, leaving his best friend with little more than a kindly specter to lean on. This, couple with the sudden return of his moderately-estranged daughter, Alice (portrayed by Maggie Lawson), further drives home just how far removed Lenny's present is from the dreams he charted in his youth.

As much as Woodstockers is about Lenny's personal journey, the series' pilot episode is even more so about things happening in Lenny's life that he simply cannot control. There is no recourse for any of these devastating turns besides smoking a joint and coming to terms with them as best Lenny can, which lays a firm foundation for the rest of the series to come.

Numerous plot threads are quietly introduced in the pilot episode of Woodstockers, though not all of them are given the tug they need to start truly unraveling. While this could easily frustrate audiences, Woodstockers doesn't set anything up in a way that it demands an immediate resolution or further exploration.

Rather than offering any sort of promise of a grander story waiting to be uncovered, ever aspect of Woodstockers is born organically from its incredibly relatable cast of characters. Where there is any genuine upset, there is an obvious and understandable human reaction behind it. As such, every potential direction that Woodstockers could take any of its cast members in has room to breath, as none of them ever feel as though they are being pushed to further a narrative that is not their own.

Over the course of the first episode, Woodstockers introduces audiences to every character they need to know and gives them precisely the right amount of information. What little Woodstockers tells its audience outright is evoked naturally through normal human interactions, never shoehorned in via a named storytelling device.

All of this amounts to a series that unfolds at a surprisingly steady pace in spite of the decidedly devastating trajectory Lenny's life takes so abruptly. While Lenny is only just beginning to unpack the full scope of these changes, viewers are left feeling intimately aware of it all, which couldn't be a better testament to Woodstockers' many successes.

The Roadmap for Woodstockers Is Even Better Than the Pilot

After being conceived of as a stoner comedy, Woodstockers was refashioned into the deep, character-driven dramedy that it is today, yet that was only part of the way the series' was reimagined. Most importantly, Bernsen envisioned a full four-season narrative, one that will (hopefully) play out across each of the four seasons that comprise an entire year.

On top of promising fans a complete, overarching narrative to look forward to, this concept paves the way for individual characters, relationships, and events to be reframed through the lenses of the literal seasons. And, with its New York setting, there is almost no better place in which to explore the tonal shifts that take place within even Woodstockers' small, tight-knit community.

Assuming Woodstockers does receive the full four-season treatment it has mapped out for itself, there is no reason to think that the series won't simply get better as it continues. Every character and every line drawn between them is more than worth exploring, just as every lingering question is more than worth answering, no matter how uncomfortable the truth might end up being.

Woodstockers Offers Audiences an Imperfect Pilot for What Might Be Another Perfect TV Series

Woodstockers doesn't have the perfect pilot, albeit by no fault of its own, and that may actually be the next best thing it has going for it. While the casting, core concept, pacing, and tone of Woodstockers are all generally impeccable, there is an underlying messiness that permeates every small silence and minor gap in the pilot episode.

In another series, this messiness could be chalked up to a rushed production, suboptimal editing, or an overly stuffed writers room. In Woodstockers, however, it is a clear reminder that there is no big twist or all-important B-plot to come. It is a reminder that this is a human story all the way down to rock bottom. And, if that hurts, it is only because being a person does, too.

At the same time, Woodstockers is careful to avoid ever being antagonistic towards its viewers, instead letting every uncomfortable and painful moment flow and ebb without outside agitation to keep things moving along. It is this profound dedication to examining its characters and stories for what they are that opens the door for Woodstockers to attain "perfect TV show" status, and, with any luck, Woodstockers will be back sooner than later to do just that.