In 'Bent,' where's the chemistry?

Of course, she has to downsize, to Venice, Calif., and must refurbish the kitchen and other parts of the house. That's where Pete (David Walton) comes in. He's a more-or-less-reformed gambling addict and surfer dude, who more or less used to operate a contracting business. He needs a gig, although she's understandably reluctant to let a fast-talking bad boy with three-day-old stubble into her life. But she's attracted, and a rom-com is born.

"Bent" was created by Tad Quill, a former top producer at "Scrubs" who clearly knows how to fashion lines in the form of a scalpel. What's wrong, in fact, is chemistry and payoff. Screwball comedy is all about repression, and sexual tension, and protagonists who want each other, but throw spitballs instead -- preferably clever, funny, crackling spitballs.

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However, Walton and Peet have zero chemistry, or chemistry of the sort that, with a minor adjustment to the script, could make them brother and sister. That takes the sting out of the dialogue, and worse, the show ambles along without getting viewers to particularly care about Alex or Pete. Without that requisite electricity, they're hollow, or just sad.