The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 1 (2019)
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Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 1 Review
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a television sitcom created by Tina Fey. It premiered its first season on Netflix in 2015. It’s a very entertaining show and the first season was a strong start.
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“Hashbrown no filter“
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It follows a 29-year-old girl who has to adjust to her new life in NYC after having been living in a bunker for fifteen years. Yes, the premise itself is very odd and the show still has trouble in its tone as it is overly comedic for such a dark past of the protagonist, but it did lead to an interesting situational comedy of her adjusting to new technology and trends.
Kimmy is a wonderful character. She is easy to just love and her optimism and innocence isn’t mistaken for naiveté and stupidity, which I really appreciated. Her reactions to everything and everybody around her were infectiously fun and especially Ellie Kemper’s work in the main role is stupendous. She really sells all of the fun body language and the silly facial expressions.
Tituss Burgess is also excellent as her gay black friend Titus. He is one of my favorite characters on the show as his many insecurities are played out for laughs beautifully, especially his baldness, his unemployment and his campiness. He’s this very silly and very relatable unemployed guy who is always whining about his problems.
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Lillian herself needs more work to be honest. Her many amusing lines of dialogue are memorable for sure and the whole high-pitched execution by the actress is interesting, but the fact that her subplots just feel disconnected from all others continue to bother me. Jane Krakowski as Jacqueline is a whole other story. She is indispensable in this role of a very rich blonde who is spoiled and vain. All of her interactions with Kimmy were hilarious in their contrasting personalities and she’s usually relegated to many of the funniest quotes.
The first season has thirteen episodes and most are pretty good, but I do guess that the show is only beginning to find its stride as most comedy series usually do. Kimmy Goes Outside! is the introduction to the whole show and it is rushed, but that’s the point as Kimmy’s new life is only beginning and she isn’t just a victim. That joke about victims was hilarious. Everybody was introduced here in an abrupt, but rather memorable manner.
Kimmy Gets a Job! is all about Jacqueline and she’s great here, but the overall episode is pretty good, though less memorable. Kimmy Goes on a Date! is too ridiculous in the date storyline and the whole Native American backstory to Jacqueline’s life was simply absurd. The show having all these racial stereotypes and not getting any flack for it was super weird to me as the guy who usually isn’t offended by this, but even I found this approach dated.
Kimmy Goes to the Doctor! is positive in its message, but one of the less memorable episodes nonetheless. Kimmy Kisses a Boy! is solid in all the relationship drama and I find Cyndee a particularly well written, good character, but the highlight here is Titus and his problems with aging that were played for laughs and also with care.
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Kimmy Goes to School! is probably the most childish episode of this bunch, but it works because the teacher is so funny in his incompetence and laziness. Kimmy Goes to a Party! is one of the best episodes of this season as everything here finally works so well. The highlight is Kimmy pretending to be British as Kemper truly shines in those Cinderella-like sequences.
Kimmy Is Bad at Math! introduces her crush Dong, who is this Vietnamese stereotype. The two click and are so much fun together, but he is still very one-note unfortunately. Titus being a werewolf and being liked more than when he is black is a PC joke, but one done right.
Kimmy Has a Birthday! is all about Kimmy’s family drama, but it’s undercooked for now with the family members being underdeveloped. Kimmy’s in a Love Triangle! only does the triangle stuff in a limited capacity thankfully while Titus learning to be straight for acting opportunities was so funny as heterosexuality here is lampooned gloriously how over-the-top it can be thought of to be.
Kimmy Rides a Bike! is truly hysterical in the courtroom scenes as Jon Hamm is by far the best guest character on the show so far. How he plays everybody with his charms was perfectly realized and he was impeccably cast. Tina Fey and her partner are also very funny in their incompetence. The bike subplot was resolved in a very crazy, memorable fashion too.
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Kimmy Goes to Court! is once again brilliant in the courtroom scenes while Titus embarrassing himself in front of the cameras was pure comedy gold. Kimmy Makes Waffles! is only solid in the bunker scenes, but is otherwise a forgettable conclusion.
Overall, the first season of this show has its problems in tonal inconsistencies, some dated sitcom stereotypes and conventions and uneven quality of episodes, but those that work are terrific and the characterization on this show is truly excellent.
Worst Episodes: Kimmy Goes to the Doctor! and Kimmy Makes Waffles!
Best Episodes: Kimmy Goes to a Party!, Kimmy is Bad at Math! and Kimmy Rides a Bike!
