MTV's recent forays into scripted programming have been hit or miss. While "Awkward" and "Teen Wolf" were well-received by audiences, "The Hard Times of RJ Berger" and the American remake of "Skins" disgraced the network's already lackluster schedule.
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"I Just Want My Pants Back" feels shockingly reminiscent of "Skins." Both feature bed-hopping, drug-hungry youngsters frolicking around cities, too untroubled for the world they inhabit. But unlike the Baltimore teenagers of "Skins," the characters of "Pants" are college graduates in Brooklyn, trapped in awful jobs. Despite a degree from Cornell, Jason Strider, played by likable newcomer Peter Vack, is stuck cleaning toilets at a casting agency.
No matter how much the show believes it, Jason and his friends are not "cool outsiders," but rather Urban Outfitter-drenched fashionistas with Ivy League educations to boot. Thus far, it is impossible to sympathize with the characters, as they wake up in their beautiful apartments, attend the trendiest parties and complain about their jobs when, realistically, most others their age are struggling to pay rent.
Consequently, the overarching plotline for Jason's character, in which he tries to reconnect with a one-night stand who stole his pair of pants, feels shallow. What makes this girl so special, and why is this boy's quest to find her so important? "Pants" fails to set the stakes and gives its characters ample time and opportunity to whine about the most mundane problems. This may be the network that broadcasts "Jersey Shore," but audiences still deserve a show with a more mature, self-aware outlook on life.
Regardless, "Pants" is surprisingly capable of witty one-liners and situations. "Do you need a pregnancy test?" a convenience store owner sarcastically asks Jason's hungover friend Tina (Kim Shaw). A subplot in the second episode involves engaged couple Stacey (Elisabeth Hower) and Eric (Jordan Carlos) attempting a four-way with a married couple to spice up their relationship. The absurdity of the situation and the total compliance of the actors combine for an energetic story worthy of television's finer comedies, like "How I Met Your Mother" or "Modern Family."
These rare clever moments are in sharp contrast to the rest of the show that comes off as the product of an MTV executive's research on hipster culture. MTV should be less concerned with seducing an audience using low-brow characters and more willing to let writers speak with their own unique voices. Still, "Pants" finds ways to prove that it's better than its MTV predecessors – if given free reign by MTV, it could transform into a bold, intelligent program with its own distinct personality.
