First off, I’m happy that ABC gave “Men In Trees” a second chance at life–and a second season, which premiered on Friday.
The series turns on a NYC writer Marin Frist (Anne Heche) who heads up to the tiny, quirky, male-dominated (so to speak) town of Elmo, Alaska for refuge after her fiance dumps her for another woman. In Elmo, Marin finds a kind of spiritual solace at the very least, if not a reawakening to all the things that really matter in life: good, loyal friends, a sense of community, natural beauty, true inspiration–and this NYC girl decided to make Elmo her new permanent home. Of course, the hot mountain man named Jack (James Tupper, Heche’s real-life lover) who fell in love with her (we think) might have helped convince Marin to stay, but then he went back to his childhood sweetheart Lynn (Justine Bateman) the second she came back begging for forgiveness.
We all know that Marin and Jack are in for a second chance though.

And speaking of second chances, the premiere featured–somewhat pathetically, somewhat humorously–the hokiest, most watered down, new age-y “spiritual quest” I’ve seen in a while. It went like this: Marin is trying to get over Jack but can’t. Hottie friend Cash decides to set Marin on a path to “spiritual rebirth” by taking her on a pilgrimage up the mountain to meet “Master Todd,” a spiritual guru who lives in a tree. Master Todd tells Marin to write down all her negative thoughts on a rock with magic marker and the climb to the mountain peak and throw the rock over. Spiritual rebirth acquired, for a bit of walking and a fifty dollar bill.
Ugh.
Could that have been any more cliche or “spirituality light”? I realize the show is a dramedy, and I tried to keep my sense of humor about this episode’s plotline, but it was cringe-inducing. Still, I will remain faithful to “Men In Trees” this season. I want to know what happens with Jack–can’t help myself.