Pilot review: "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23"

I won't try to hide it: I love me some James van der Beek. Whether he's playing Dawson, playing Moxon, or playing himself, I just enjoy seeing him on the screen. I especially enjoy that he can make fun of himself, and that's what he does on "Apartment 23" - he plays a fictionalized, (hopefully) exaggerated version of James van der Beek. But he's not the only good thing about this comedy pilot. Let's dive in, shall we?

I also adore Krysten Ritter, and have ever since she played lovably annoying Gia Goodman on "Veronica Mars". She brings a fun-bitch quality to the character of Chloe, the titular bitch in apartment 23. Chloe lures innocent new-to-New-York girls like dreamy wide-eyed June (played by Dreama Walker) to be her roommate, takes their rent and deposit money, and then scares them out of the apartment. But June won't go so easily - she's tougher than Chloe expects, and for that reason Chloe starts to like and respect June a little bit. They have a rocky first week together, but it seems like they may end up friends; however, I don't think Chloe's purged all of her crazy just yet. At least I hope not!

Walker as June and Ritter as Chloe. Photo: ABC.

Ritter can bring a punchy fun to playing the unhinged roommate, especially if characters like obsessed former roommate Robin and creepy neighbor Eli stick around. Of course, Chloe is also friends with James van der Beek (they used to date but were "genitally incompatible" and now he's her straight gay best friend), who goes along with Chloe's schemes and uses his former life as Dawson to seduce fans. All in all, the pilot episode was fun, funny, and a little sweet. The trick may be how long they can keep up the premise -- how many crazy things can Chloe do? Will storylines repeat themselves? But for now it looks like it'll be a fun ride. I'm excited to see how the season unfolds!

Want to see for yourself? The pilot is on Hulu and you can watch it for free right now! You can also get more information at ABC's official site for "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23".