Challenging ‘Camping’ Continues Dunham’s Love For the Unloveable

Camping, HBO’s new comedy from the producing team of Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, debuts under a mixed response from critics. Most reviews echo the same theme: Dunham and Konner have fashioned an unlikeable series about unlikeable people. People seem to have a hard time appreciating the challenge of learning to love people despite all of their aggressively on-display faults. But that’s sort of the point of most of Dunham’s work. You have to work to see the good in characters who behave so badly. Put in the effort, Dunham seems to be saying, and I’ll reward you in spades. That was the case with the ultimately great Girls.

It remains to be seen whether or not Camping will play long enough to reach that same plateau of hard-earned appreciation. Based on a British series of the same name, it doesn’t quite have that water cooler buzz factor that Girls had. Still, I found most of the characters to be incredibly off-putting and annoying — and completely hilarious still. Camping may not be a great series, but I don’t doubt that Dunham and Konner know what they’re doing. I’m in for the ride.

The comedy stars Jennifer Garner (her first TV role since Alias) and David Tennant as Kathryn and Walt Siddell-Bauers. Kathryn invites a series of couples for a weekend of camping to celebrate Walt’s 45th birthday. Kathryn, to say the very least, is intensively unlikeable. She’s a Type-A planner. One who orchestrates every ounce of spontaneity for the event. But thanks to Garner’s inherent likable qualities, you still follow Kathryn even if literally every single thing she does feels like nails on a chalkboard.

What’s most interesting to me in Camping is why does Walt love Kathryn so much despite her obvious, massive flaws? Why are these people still together and stepping through the motions, even trying to make it work despite their very aggressive incompatibility? Most of the couples included in the series fall into this category. Couplings feel random and haphazard, a collection of miserable misfits making each other even more miserable. If you don’t find the humor in that, then Camping is not your thing.

Dunham and Konner are also gifted with an incredibly talented cast who run with these characterizations. Garner and Tennant are great, but best in show goes to Juliette Lewis who plays Jandice — a reiki healer, notary, and about 5 other roles. Lewis has an incredible gift for playing the kind of misfits that, in the hands of any other actor, would be near-unwatchable. Yet, here, you’re pulled in by her magnetism. Yes, she’s completely insane, but you love her still. Lewis has long been the most underrated performer in anything she’s acted in recently. I suspect Camping continues that trend. It’s a shame. She’s absolutely great.

Camping needs time to grow on me for sure, and I’m not completely sure that I want this series to extend beyond it’s initial season. The British series lasted only 6 episodes, and our 8-episode version feels just about right. I can certainly tolerate unlikeable characters, but it’s tough to make it appointment viewing in this era of television gluttony.

Camping premieres tonight at 10pm ET on HBO.