You automatically feel at ease when you see someone on screen who is confident in what they bring that to the table, and that can be said without a doubt while watching Erika Alexander in NBC’s The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. That line of thinking is not just reserved for Alexander as a consummate performer, but it can be applied to her character, Monica Reese-Dinkins, as she and her ex-husband, played by Tracy Morgan, navigate the constant shake-ups in their lives. By grounding the comedy, Alexander brings pathos into the mix and reminds us all that a look, a glance, and a raised eyebrow can bring the house down.
Monica has been in Reggie Dinkins’ corner from day one, and it’s wise that the Robert Carlock comedy doesn’t make them adversaries in relation to their former marriage. The same can be said about how the comedy series’ doesn’t pit Monica up against Reggie’s newest girl, Brina. We’ve left those tropes behind, but it doesn’t mean comedy can’t be mined from other places. Alexander explains how she appreciated how the writers and the creative team didn’t want an ex-wife/new fiancée battle for the beginnings of this freshman season. Monica and Brina can bicker or argue, but both women have a lot more to do than focus on petty drama.
Since this series is shot in a mockumentary style, Alexander explains how difficult it was to get used to looking at the camera. Actors are trained to be aware of its presence but never acknowledge it, but welcoming it into your routine can be rewarding, especially when you consider that the camera operators are really extra characters for the comedy to play off of. I admit to Alexander that my favorite moment of this first season is when Monica is trying to get back into the romantic game only to have her date…expire. She doesn’t spit her wine out as much as it rolls forth, creating an indelible image for the camera to capture.
Do you think you have what it takes to be Monica’s assistant? Before we depart our conversation, Alexander and I laugh at the notion that Monica might never find a suitable replacement, and it’s hilarious that each candidate is wildly different than the last. Maybe she just needs someone to stand in her corner when she goes up against Ronny Chieng’s Barry Hu? An assistant that can bop him when he gets too cocky might all the position really calls for…
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is streaming now on Peacock.
