The Unicorn is the rare network comedy that starts off really good

The A.V. Club

The Walton Goggins-led CBS comedy may revolve around a hot widower who is a "unicorn," but it might be a "Trojan horse for a new sort of hangout comedy, the kind that takes into account families that don’t fit into the nuclear mold (not to mention, the divorce rate)," says Danette Chavez, adding: "The Unicorn pilot has a few subtle but potent touches, like an empty freezer that marks the passage of time and Wade’s rapidly dwindling denial about the fact that he does need to move on with his life. The writing is smarter than you might expect from the first outing for a network sitcom (if you don’t believe me, check out virtually any other half-hour pilot that aired this week)."

ALSO:

• The Unicorn has a great cast, especially with Walton Goggins as lead: "I can't speak to how a stranger to Goggins' thrilling cable résumé might respond to The Unicorn, but the series' innocuous and amiable charm was the thing I enjoyed most," says Daniel Fienberg. "A guy who has made a career out of playing dirty cops, flamboyant crime figures, sadistic overseers and other motley malcontents proves a thoroughly pleasant presence as a loving father of two and grieving husband. It's not an exciting performance. It's a nice performance. And why shouldn't Goggins be allowed and encouraged to show off the rest of his range?"
• The Unicorn is a thoughtful and sophisticated sitcom about what follows mourning — in other words, the rest of life
• From Beverly Hills, 90210 to The Shield: Looking back at Goggins' past TV roles
• Walton Goggins finally gets to play a good guy: “The thing that scared me the most, to be quite honest with you, is that this is closer to who I am than anything I’ve ever played,” he says. “Really, it kind of is me. I don’t have anything to hide behind.”