Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Tina Fey's Mind Explodes


Netflix - forcing us to keep paying attention every single week

 "Steps - four of those motherfuckers. They wanted three, but I was like, four's better" - Krazee-Eyez Killa, Curb Your Enthusiasm, S03E08






Holy shit - Netflix is on a roll! In two weeks, they have released House of Cards season three and Tina Fey's new show, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, a surreal, ultra dark and light at the same time comedy. My God, at this rate, Netflix is never going to allow me to rest. Whilst keeping up on Justified, Archer, It's Always Sunny, Survivor, Togetherness, The Walking Dead, Man Seeking Woman, Family Guy, Last Week Tonight, and Better Call Saul, there's also these Netflix shows to binge on.

Oh who am I kidding... I love it.

Also played by Ellie Kemper...
While I wouldn't call Kimmy Schmidt a stroke of genius the way that earlier parts 30 Rock were,  it has its own charm and occasionally has a joke almost shockingly clever. The plot is relatively high concept for a comedy. Essentially, Kimmy Schmidt, played in all of her Erin-From-The Office cheer by Ellie Kemper, is kidnapped fifteen years ago by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, a doomsday cult leader, along with three other women. In the present day, Kimmy is broken out of the bunker in the ground that she lived for so long. Yet, instead of having Brooks from The Shawshank Redemption syndrome and not knowing how to live in the modern world, Kimmy immediately embraces everything around her. Instead of PTSD or depression, Kimmy jumps into her new life, even if the last time she was in the world she was an 8th grader from the 90's. Taking some of the money donated to the "Mole Women" rescued from the bunker, Kimmy moves to New York, taking up a job as Jane Krakowski's nanny and rooming with Titus Burgess in an apartment owned by Carol Kane.

The characters within the show are the most polarizing aspects of it. Kimmy herself doesn't have many layers; she's happy to be alive and in the world, happy to be exploring the world as a 29 year old instead of 14 year old, and generally interested in finding a job, love, and happiness in the futuristic land of 2015. Then, we come to Titus, her flamingly gay, wannabe Broadway Star, roommate. The problem with his character as a "lovable gay best friend," is that his shtick gets a little old when every single episode he is central to the plot. I'm not saying Titus Burgess, the actor portraying Titus Andromedon does a bad job - he makes the best of the scenes he's in. However, the character itself would be much better suited to being someone that shows up for a laugh once every couple of episodes than one who continuously shows up every second. Due to the lack of good material, some of his jokes end up being tired race satire, something that when done right can be funny, but at a certain point just feels forced.

On the brighter side, we have Jane Krakowski and Carol Kane - two veteran comic actresses who are able to make for good comedy whenever they're on screen. Krakowski is a rich, not-so-happily-married forty-something year old who hates that she's not quite as young and spry as she once was. She's pretty sure her husband is cheating on her, and she is in constant awe of her stepdaughter who constantly demeans everyone in her path. Carol Kane, on the opposite end of the spectrum, owns the building that Titus and Kimmy inhabit. She's used to a poorer life, one where drug deals go down on the corners and it's commonplace to smash a rich person's car with a bat. These two polar opposites of lifestyle and of Kimmy's world provide an outlet for making fun of either class in addition to letting the world the show creates expand.
From 60's business man to 90's cult leader

Finally, we come to the true highlight of the show: the guest appearances. Tina Fey has always been fantastic about coming up with wacky side-characters that can show up, make you crack up, and then disappear. Throughout the inaugural season of Kimmy Schmidt, some of the highlights of the show come from Martin Short's disturbingly hilarious plastic surgeon (an introductory scene almost reminiscent of the "Ready, Aim, Marry Me!" Jack Dorso appearance on Arrested Development,) Jon Hamm's charismatic Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, or Dean Norris's "how to be a straight man" trainer. The frequent guest stars and side characters make for more entertaining viewers, not only providing another comedic outlet, but for TV fanatics like me, it's fun to play the "it's that guy from that thing!" game.
Side Note: Who else was excited when Harper's Island's Adam Campbell showed up for five episodes?!

All in all, it feels like Kimmy Schmidt is a blown-out-of-proportion version of a regular Tina Fey comedy. The wacky side characters are no longer on the side, but in the forefront. The darkness of the premise meshes surprisingly well with the lightness of the mood. For all of its adventurousness in premise and character, I salute Tina Fey's new comedy, even if pure laughter wise, it's below the mark of some of the other comedies on TV.

Seeing as how Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is already renewed for a second season, it'll be interesting to see how the show develops. It could easily fall into an absurd, over-the-top rut, but if it's lucky, it will become a wacky yet grounded, clever while laugh-inducing, addition to the ever-lessening comedy landscape.

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