Like HBO's The Sopranos, Showtime's HUFF shows us as much about the interior lives of its characters as it does their exterior relationships and problems.
Azaria is brilliant as a well-known, highly paid psychiatrist whose practice overlaps into his family's life in countless ways, often at the expense of his own interior self-expression (except through fleeting appearances of a phantom character) and his family's safety and security. The rational approach he has to display at all times -- in other words, is practiced in displaying -- almost becomes his downfall.
Oliver Platt -- as Huff's longtime friend and successful, raunchy attorney -- and Blythe Danner -- as Huff's mother -- practically steal the show because they're both great actors and they've both been given off-the-wall, fascinating, likable characters. Platt and Danner provide some of the funniest moments. Swoozie Kurtz guest stars as the mother of Huff's wife, and is compelling in her struggle with cancer.
Drama, marital conflict, mother/son problems, unmet needs, occasional frightening violence, drugs, teen sex, kids acting more mature sometimes than their parents: HUFF has it all. And it's relieved by quirky, sometimes laughing-out-loud comedic moments. As well as the consistent solid acting and interesting story lines.
I'm not sure I can wait a year to see what happens next. The last episode left me on the edge of my chair.
Frankly, I signed up with Showtime so I could get the Sundance Channel. But, I'd keep subscribing just to catch HUFF.
