REVIEW: THREE STRIKES, YOU'RE DEAD!
Ronnie Boozer is a baseball superstar who has suddenly forgotten how to play. His dueling brand managers need Ronnie’s talent back to keep their jobs. His wife wants to know what happened to the man she married (and his paycheque). His agent wishes he’d pursued his real dream of becoming a flutist. What does all this have to do with a murder plot, iced cream and puppets?
Sean Springer’s Three Strikes, You’re Dead! is a physical comedic romp that is conceptually strong throughout and well-scripted. The cast are a bunch of stereotypical sleazeballs in their own right and are dedicated to their roles. There’s some strong influences from old-school sitcom television and it played to a receptive audience. There’s live flute playing (which becomes a bit gimmicky) and a very unexpected and impressive attempted murder scene which was the highlight of the entire show.
Three Strikes, You’re Dead! is a very typical and perhaps, to use sports terminology, safe play. It takes a while to establish everyone and get to the really enticing part which is the murder plot and its resolution. Were these relatively unlikeable characters portrayed by a weaker cast, I believe the show would have fallen flat. Luckily, this is not the case. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys sitcom vibes, cleverly staged murder scenes and baseball.
