Inexplicable TV Review: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Season Two

Season two trailer image.

Warning: Spoilers follow for seasons one and two of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Another week, another Netflix binge session thanks to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, although this will probably be the last one until the fall, when more Marvel TV comes out. Let me give Netflix enthusiastic “kudos!” though for airing UKS, which is now probably my favorite half-hour sitcom airing.

In season two, UKS isn’t really doing anything all that new. It’s more of Kimmy adjusting to “modern” life after being trapped in a bunker for a decade or so. However, the second season does a better job of making Titus seem like an actual human being, plus, focusing more on the good side characters (Carol Kane, absolutely going beast mode this season) and less on the bad (thank god there was farrrr less of Dong). Also, Jane Krakowski is still incredible.

The second season also absolutely nails one aspect – guest stars, whether in for one-shots or recurring. The best recurring character, obviously, is Tina Fey as a Jekyll-and-Hyde therapist, depending on her intoxication level. She’s in about half the episodes, and will hopefully be back in future seasons, thanks to her being one of the show’s creators. Joshua Jackson is also good in a one-shot appearance as a store clerk.

However, the greatest impact comes from a character who’s only in the final episode. Because it’s a super spoiler, let me cover it up with a different font color. Highlight to read: Lisa Kudrow just flat out kills it as Kimmy Schmidt’s mom. She’s been awesome on a slew of late night talk show appearances ever since Friends finished, but I wasn’t ever that interested in things like The Comeback. So, it was awesome to see her in this role, and it was pretty much perfect casting.

Anyway! Season three can’t come soon enough. I’m hoping they shift completely away from any Dong storylines, and just find a somewhat decent guy for Kimmy. (Or hey, failing that, it could just be a fun sitcom without any focus on dating!) If you’re tired of all of the heavy, drama-filled stuff on Netflix, definitely binge your way through UKS.

No, thank YOU for being our friend, Betty White. And for saving SNL.

Considering how much I've been down on Saturday Night Live this season, I was honestly hoping that they didn't manage to mess up what should have been a slam dunk. After all, my anticipation was high, since I had been following the "Betty White for host!" movement in two different posts, here and here. Plus, Jay-Z was the musical guest, and I love Jay-Z! (You know, in a ghetto thug way, because I'm street.)

There was electricity in the air from the opening skit, as Betty White got such a reaction from the studio audience that she could barely sputter out her first line. This, and the digital short that closed the show, were moments that brought a smile to my face. Similar to the Super Bowl or the clinching game of a World Series or election night, you just got the feeling that you were watching something special. The episode probably did a great rating - I'm going to guess the highest of the season for a kind of mediocre one for Saturday Night Live.

With that as background, this episode was... pretty average. Unfortunately, there were a slew of rehashed skits, like the spoof of Lawrence Whelk and the dancing Spanish language sketch, that left Betty with small cameo roles. Most of her humor derived from saying dirty words in sketches, like one that consisted of her saying "Lesbian!" about a dozen times.

The two best sketches, outside of the always good Weekend Update, were rehashes. It was the prison outreach sketch, with Kenan and Betty yelling at kids to stay straight. It wasn't original in the slightest, but Betty got plenty of lines, unlike a lot of the other sketches. In the skit before the goodbyes, Tina Fey played a census taker, a funny re-do of a skit from a couple years ago featuring Tim Meadows and Christopher Walken.

Spicing up a lot of the show were a slew of guest appearances by former female cast members. I spotted Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Ana Gasteyer, Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph, who pregnancy has been very, very good to. In fact, the only person I was surprised not to see was Cheri Oteri; I would have figured her as a participant. And while I was really hoping for a super-special-surprising cameo, like Julia-Louis Dreyfus or Sarah Silverman, it wasn't meant to be.

Oh, and by the way, Jay-Z performed! His first "song" was actually a shockingly long medley of several songs that lasted about six or seven minutes. I'm for it, since I'm a big fan. The second song was merely average though, and the dedication at the end to Betty White felt a bit cheesy. Plus, hey, no Beyonce? C'mon Jay, pull out all the stops!

All in all, this was one of the better episodes of the season, which is like being the beauty queen of Bumfuk, Indiana. However, the reaction Betty got made it worth watching and experiencing.

Grade: B

The bumper picture from SNL is from this review of the show.

TV Review: Thursday night slightly disappointing

The first result for "Thursday Night Lineup".

Normally, I can count on Thursday being my best night of television weekly, since it has an array of shows on. The NBC comedy lineup is quite formidable for a stereotypical 20-something like myself - Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office and 30 Rock. I watch all of them except 30 Rock usually, but I watched even that last night, which was a good thing because the other three shows were disappointing. A mini-review on each, with the warning that HUGE SPOILERS for all the shows lie ahead:

- The Office "returned" from a longer break than the other shows, and I'm not angling to get on the "blog" of "unnecessary" quotes with that statement. For some reason NBC or the show's producers thought it would be a good idea to come back from a long break with a clip show.

Now, clip shows have a time and a place, but I don't really think they're necessary in a show's sixth season. The Simpsons do them frequently, but they have been on for about 47 years now, and have done everything, as South Park so eloquently noticed at one point. The Office had a major story arc throughout the show's lifespan - the Pam and Jim courtship - surrounded by minor arcs revolving around Michael and (later) the higher up's ineffectiveness. I don't think you need a recap show, unlike, say, Lost, where there are dozens of characters to keep an eye on.

That being said, I found the B-story arc of the episode to be fairly entertaining. A corporate health assessor was trying to scope out the health of the Scranton branch of Dundler-Mifflin, and of course, Michael, Dwight and Andy were playing hijinks on him. Unfortunately though, unless I blinked, I don't even think Jim or Stanley were in the episode.

- Parks and Recreation focused on Leslie's second date and zany dinner party with some lawyer friend of Ann (Rashida Jones). To be honest, I find him impossibly dull. What's up with people who travel to exotic places suddenly being presented as "interesting" people? Traveling to some place awesome does not in turn make you awesome. A mathematical theorem, if you will:

Lame Person + Exotic Location = Lame Person
Fun Person + Exotic Location = Fun Person
Therefore, X Person + Y Location = X Person

Basically, I'm tired of people on television and in my actual life thinking that travel is some magical substitute for a lack of a real personality. Great, you touched a dolphin. Maybe next time Flipper can teach you some god damn tricks.

... But outside of that angle, which dominated the show, Parks and Recreation had some good singular moments. The continued slow-burn on the sexual tension between April and Andy is good, although Andy still seems way too old for her, even if he has the mindset of a kid.

- Community was also somewhat disappointing, but maybe it's just because I found last week's episode with Jack Black so awesome. (That's not even counting the Alison Brie cheerleader outfit, which was also so awesome.)

I found the main storyline of the episode, which was Jeff's relationship slash non-relationship with a faculty member, kind of flat. Yes, I realize they kind of hooked up around Halloween time, but she has been completely absent from recent episodes. So now, I'm just supposed to accept her on my screen, making out with Joel McHale? I say nay! Luckily, other portions of the episode were humorous, and as always, the last bit with Troy, Ahbed and Jeff delivered.

- Surprisingly, I found 30 Rock to be the highlight of the whole comedy block, even though I'm not a regular viewer. Everyone keeps telling me to get into it, but I missed the initial episodes, and I hate jumping into shows half-way through seasons.

If last night's episode is any indication of the regular quality though, I think I'll have to take the plunge. Liz Lemon (Tina Fey, looking as foxy as always) wanted to transplant the show to a sunny locale. She convinced her boss, Alec Baldwin (looking as foxy as always), to do so, but he changed her idea from Miami Beach to... Boston!

I like Boston, so I thought that was a bit of an improvement, as opposed to being in the bizarre crime capital of the world. In Boston, the gang got into plenty of trouble, especially Tracy Morgan, who was harassing historical reenactment guys on the street. Good times! I heart Tracy Morgan.

All of the pictures are on the first Google Images page of results for their respective show's search term. The picture at the top is from here. 30 Rock is from here. The Office is from here. Community is from here. And Parks and Recreation is from here.