"Boots on the moon by 2024!"
6 episodes into its 10-episode run, I kind of love Netflix's new work space comedy "Space Force." It's sweet and friendly and kind, definitely more "Parks and Recreation" than "The Office." None of that cringe-y, really uncomfortable "Office" stuff here. Just some decent people trying to do their stupid jobs without being too terrible to each other.
It's first episode pilot is a rocky start because it's just honestly not very funny. But after a few episodes, it becomes less cartoonish and the show seems to get more confidant and comfortable with what it's trying to be; it really hits its stride mid-season. By episode six, I was occasionally chuckling out loud and mostly always had at least a smile on my face.
The cast is a mixture of highly respected comedians (Jane Lynch, Lisa Kudrow, Fred Willard and Kaitlin Olson), popular personalities (Ben Swartz) and newcomers (Tawny Newsome steals every scene she's in). John Malkovich adds gravitas as the head scientist but is having as much fun as the rest of the cast in this silly but never broad or juvenile production.
The cast is a mixture of highly respected comedians (Jane Lynch, Lisa Kudrow, Fred Willard and Kaitlin Olson), popular personalities (Ben Swartz) and newcomers (Tawny Newsome steals every scene she's in). John Malkovich adds gravitas as the head scientist but is having as much fun as the rest of the cast in this silly but never broad or juvenile production.
Newsome and Jimmy O. Yang's botany scientist Chan develop the sweetest chemistry throughout the first season and it becomes so much more than the typical sitcom trope of "will they or won't they?" The show comes up with ways to keep them apart and we become as bummed as they do because they're two characters that deserve to be together. Take that, Jim and Pam!
And then there's Steve Carell, who along with Greg Daniels is credited as show co-creator. Carell is great here and gives us a fantastic portrayal miles from the needy Michael Scott from The Office. His 4-star general Mike Naird is a by the books military guy who isn't so much incompetent as just someone who can't seem to make a correct decision to save his life. His folly always comes down to choosing military protocol over hard facts and science. Most of the show is of course a work place comedy but the show wisely fills out Carell's character by giving him a teenage daughter he's constantly at odds with and an absent wife he still sweetly pines for. Carell remains at the top of his game here and can make me laugh by just silently eating a moon pie while frustrated; he's a joy as always.
Always at odds with the terrible instructions he's given from above, Carell and Malkovich frequently argue about how to best handle things. In the last episode, an argument they have defines both these characters. Malkovich screams at Carell and says if he had any integrity, he'd quit. Carell responds with "The person in line behind me will be even worse. I know I'm not perfect but I know I'm not the worst." And that's Carell's character here in a nutshell. A flawed human well aware of his limitations but always, always struggling to do the right thing. It's just an all around fantastic character that I can't praise highly enough, especially in a sitcom based on one of the stupidest ideas in human history.
There's really no realism here but that becomes part of its appeal, its more of a fairy tale or a fable than a hard-hitting slice of realism that The Office was. Despite none of the characters feeling realistic, there are tons of small nice moments between unexpected friends and allies.
The show treads a mostly successful line between political humor while still being accessible to non-Washington insiders. There's in-jokes and references to current political players here if you want them. Those in the know will recognize analogues to Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos but the show doesn't rely on this knowledge to enjoy it. Besides, there's plenty of subtle stabs at broader pop culture milestones such as jokes about Bruce Banner and Wakanda and anti-abortion protesters dressed as the oppressed breeders from "A Handmaid's Tale." In effect, the show gets away with having it's cake and eating it, too.
Trump is never outwardly named but his poor leadership is never far from the conflicts presented in each episode. Obvious jokes about him abound, though and two jokes about the president rage tweeting feels like two too many, at this point.
At the end of the day, this is a fine first season effort that hopefully will be given room to grow and expand into funnier and more interesting directions. So many ultimately great sitcoms needed time to mature into the classics we now consider them to be. "Parks and Recreation" had a terrible first season before it regrouped and pivoted into a completely different direction. Even "The Office" needed time to stop aping its original inspiration to grow into its own unique groove. The first half of "Space Force's" first season is better than both of those sitcom starts and that bodes well for its future. Let's just hope Netflix sticks with it and give it the room and time to become the 4-star success it could be.
 |
| Tawny Newsome steals another scene... |
And then there's Steve Carell, who along with Greg Daniels is credited as show co-creator. Carell is great here and gives us a fantastic portrayal miles from the needy Michael Scott from The Office. His 4-star general Mike Naird is a by the books military guy who isn't so much incompetent as just someone who can't seem to make a correct decision to save his life. His folly always comes down to choosing military protocol over hard facts and science. Most of the show is of course a work place comedy but the show wisely fills out Carell's character by giving him a teenage daughter he's constantly at odds with and an absent wife he still sweetly pines for. Carell remains at the top of his game here and can make me laugh by just silently eating a moon pie while frustrated; he's a joy as always.
Always at odds with the terrible instructions he's given from above, Carell and Malkovich frequently argue about how to best handle things. In the last episode, an argument they have defines both these characters. Malkovich screams at Carell and says if he had any integrity, he'd quit. Carell responds with "The person in line behind me will be even worse. I know I'm not perfect but I know I'm not the worst." And that's Carell's character here in a nutshell. A flawed human well aware of his limitations but always, always struggling to do the right thing. It's just an all around fantastic character that I can't praise highly enough, especially in a sitcom based on one of the stupidest ideas in human history.
There's really no realism here but that becomes part of its appeal, its more of a fairy tale or a fable than a hard-hitting slice of realism that The Office was. Despite none of the characters feeling realistic, there are tons of small nice moments between unexpected friends and allies.
The show treads a mostly successful line between political humor while still being accessible to non-Washington insiders. There's in-jokes and references to current political players here if you want them. Those in the know will recognize analogues to Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos but the show doesn't rely on this knowledge to enjoy it. Besides, there's plenty of subtle stabs at broader pop culture milestones such as jokes about Bruce Banner and Wakanda and anti-abortion protesters dressed as the oppressed breeders from "A Handmaid's Tale." In effect, the show gets away with having it's cake and eating it, too.
Trump is never outwardly named but his poor leadership is never far from the conflicts presented in each episode. Obvious jokes about him abound, though and two jokes about the president rage tweeting feels like two too many, at this point.
At the end of the day, this is a fine first season effort that hopefully will be given room to grow and expand into funnier and more interesting directions. So many ultimately great sitcoms needed time to mature into the classics we now consider them to be. "Parks and Recreation" had a terrible first season before it regrouped and pivoted into a completely different direction. Even "The Office" needed time to stop aping its original inspiration to grow into its own unique groove. The first half of "Space Force's" first season is better than both of those sitcom starts and that bodes well for its future. Let's just hope Netflix sticks with it and give it the room and time to become the 4-star success it could be.
No comments:
Post a Comment