‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ premiere review: Is Ellie Kemper’s Netflix series worth a watch?
Friday on Netflix, a series premiered entitled “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” that had us intrigued almost from the get-go. For one, this is the “30 Rock” follow-up for executive producers Robert Carlock and Tina Fey. Also, it is the first regular TV gig for Ellie Kemper since the end of “The Office.” Erin was a fun character, but Kimmy is an extension of some of those traits. She’s bizarre, likable, and fittingly unbreakable. You cannot destroy her spirit no matter how hard you try.
Ultimately, the series premiere of this show on Netflix feels very much like Kimmy’s own story: It’s upbeat, relentless, and somewhat inspiring. It also had a distinct “30 Rock” time. Maybe that is because of Jane Krakowski, but the humor is a big part of that. (The Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston joke at the end was controversial, but really funny.)
Here is the basic story for those who haven’t started the binge yet: Kimmy (Kemper) was trapped underground for years in a religious cult, and was taught that the apocalypse was there and that no other human beings were still alive. When she was eventually freed and her story became known, she decided that she would stay in New York City and create a new, crazy life for herself. This included her getting a new landlord (Carol Kane, “Gotham”), a roommate with big dreams and no money (Tituss Burgess), and a potential job working for an extremely wealthy, spoiled woman (Krakowski) with a bizarre set of rules.
There were moments where this episode felt very much like a pilot. It was the classic fish-out-of-the-water story, and there was a montage in here almost identical to every other series under the sun (or even “Elf,” for that matter). In the second act, the show lost a little of its steam, but the first and the third acts were so funny, we’re still planning to watch many of the other episodes on Netflix and potentially write about them. It’s rare that we actually laugh more than once or twice with a comedy pilot, and we did several times here. Netflix may still be an unusual destination for a more traditional comedy like this, but this series may break even the most cynical of hearts. Grade: B+.
What did you think about the first episode of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”? Share with a comment.