Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Books, comics, TV, music
1

I started watching this on a whim (because trying to stave off the heebie-geebies from playing Dying Light is hard to do with House of Cards, and this is a comedy) and it’s pretty funny so far. It’s a Netflix exclusive, so all 13 episodes are available right now, and I’m finding myself laughing out loud often enough (half way through episode 3 now) that I feel it deserves a thread.

“I tried to pawn that gold tooth, but it turned out it was just a really yellow tooth.”

“You are definitely not Mrs. Piggy.”

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2

It’s a Tina Fey joint and a lot of 30 Rock folks are involved. Additionally, this was originally going to be an NBC show, but they passed at the last minute.

3

I watched about the first 6 episodes. It’s pretty great. And that rat in the first episode had huge balls.

4

So glad to hear the positive reaction. Won’t get to watch for a bit, but I’m a major Ellie Kemper honk.

5

I just watched the first episode, but this show is really effin’ good. NBC is idiots.

6

Martin Short is in rare form here.

“Ouch. I assume.”

7

We’re big fans of 30 Rock and Tina Fey so my wife pulled this up last night and we watched the first 3 episodes. My wife made some sort of crack about things seeming pretty disjointed, but I wasn’t able to pin her down on what she meant. One thing that did bother me was the step daughter seemed to have a personality change - the first time we see her she’s completely dismissive but after a short while she’s all “I’m gonna find out about you Kimmie” - I understand why it happened but it still felt a bit forced.

Overall though, seems like we’re going to keep watching.

8

Or they’re geniuses. NBC Universal produces the show and had they not sold it to Netflix it would have been canceled after its first season on NBC because they lack any sort of comedy brand or any way to launch a new comedy, particularly one that’s a touch quirky like this. So they sold it to Netflix, which immediately renewed it for a second season, ensuring 26 episodes. Plus, the second season has room for a little filth if they want since the first season was produced before it was sold to Netflix. I’m curious as to what changes they might make.

9

Saw four episodes last night, I really enjoyed it so far.

10

“And yes, in case you were wondering, there was weird sex stuff in the bunker.”

This is the spiritual successor to 30 rock, and I love it.

The premise is a bit insane, and the show is definitely rough around the edges, and I can see why NBC passed on it, as it is 30 Rock with less star power. Everything feels a bit lower rent than 30 Rock, and by god the premise of the show is crazy to base a series on. This is a weirder 30 Rock without Tina Fey, Tracey Morgan, or Alec Baldwin, not gonna work for NBC.

But for those of us who love Tina Fey and her production team’s style, it is awesome. It has plenty of those 30 Rock moments where you just bust out a loud laugh at some ridiculous gag, like that horrifying Times Square “Miss Piggy”.

11

I liked 30 Rock, but didn’t love it. Tina Fey is hilarious, but I think some of it was that I just didn’t like Liz Lemon. So this is actually win-win for me, 30 Rock style without Liz.

12

What the WHAT?!

(Actually, it’s fine if you have this weird opinion, I just wanted to use that quote.)

13

I’m just gonna put this out there: anything gets better with Tim Blake Nelson.

14

Hashbrown No filter.

15

I don’t know guys. I really liked this at first, but it seemed to go off the rails around episode 7. It went from clever to stupid and recycled. Harvey Keitel from Reservoir Dogs as the shame puppet was cool, but one quality joke per episode won’t cut it.

16

I think I agree with you. I’m at episode 10 now, and it’s feeling like a real slog to continue. They seem to be struggling for ideas with what to do with the premise, and I’m not sure that they’re going to succeed. This show is going to need a real refinement of characters and even some tone in season 2 to get me to care about it.

17

The second half switch from Kimmy in New York to Kimmy dealing with the past is a bit less interesting.

18

I’m four episodes in and while it makes up for the rough edges with some basic good joke writing, I think it’s the failure to properly construct its character relationships that’s going to make it break down. I mean, it’s reaching for some of this stuff–like the stepdaughter who is trying to figure Kimmy out–but it doesn’t seem to know how to establish actual dramatic relationships, or doesn’t think it has to. But even a comedy needs that to work long-term.

19

Yeah, honestly…for as good as some of the one liners on the show are, the more I think about it…this is a bad TV show. I can totally understand why NBC passed on it. It isn’t very good.

There’s potential here. Shows like Seinfeld and Parks and The Office needed a second or third season to hit stride.

But Nightgaunt, I think you hit on another problem with the show. It’s as if all the major characters–Titus, Jacqueline, and Kimmy–are all doing their own thing here. It’s as if none of the characters interact with one another. They just sort of talk at one another and work from one joke to the next, but they’re not acting together. It’s often as if the B-stories are from a separate series and just got stapled in with a few post production shots for each episode.

And the B-stories have been dreadful. That’s another problem.

20

Finished up last night, I agree the second half of the season was weaker than the first. I think you’re right about the lack of character relationships. Maybe it’s not really fair to compare it to Parks and Recreation, which had the best character relationships ever, but yeah, there’s nothing but circumstance keeping these people together.

Additional nitpicks: I hate situations where reasonable people are held hostage by unreasonable idiots for unreasonable…reasons? Again, comparing to Parks and Rec isn’t going to do any show any favors, but in P&R, we routinely have Leslie stymied by the goofballs of Pawnee. But Parks & Rec often managed to hit the right balance because it was sort of the point of the struggle of governing and trying to do the right thing for people who don’t always have their own best interests in mind. Even P&R slipped here though; it’s a very difficult situation to present without feeling like our protagonists are being treated unbelievably unjustly, to the point where it’s just no fun to watch, like Leslie’s recall vote for example.

So, spoilers for Kimmy Schmidt

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[spoiler]The final three episodes being a total joke of a trial irritated me the whole time. I know it’s a crazy cartoon world with very little realism to begin with, but I still just get angry watching Rev. Richard Wayne Gary Wayne steamroll the judge, jury, really the entire courtroom. It’s just stupid and not fun, and especially not three episodes of fun. Imagine if there was a lone rational citizen in Pawnee being shouted down by his idiot fellow citizens and a bumbling incompetent Leslie Knope.

And one more minor thing specific to those last three episodes, we didn’t need Jon Hamm. That felt like Tina Fey autopilot. He was funny on 30 Rock because hey, it’s that handsome guy from Mad Men in a goofy comedic role! And he’s a funny guy, he’s got good delivery and comedic timing. But he wasn’t given any great material here, there wasn’t anything particularly clever about his role here unless five years later you still just think it’s hilarious that it’s Jon Hamm in a comedy everybody, how unexpected! Yet again, P&R does it right, with two 30 second appearances and that’s it.
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All that said, I still like this show, and it’s a good Netflix binge watch. I look forward to next season. When it comes to zany mile-a-minute dialog, Fey (and whoever else deserves credit) still cracks me up, and Ellie Kemper is hilarious with pretty much everything they give her. Since I can’t stop comparing this to Parks and Rec, I’ll end with a favorable comparison and say Kimmy Schmidt and Andy Dwyer would probably get along great. Schmidt and Dwyer, #TrueDetectiveSeason3!