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About a year ago NBC ordered a new comedy from the creator of 30 Rock, possibly hoping for another live-action cartoon with a light touch of left-leaning satire that made the show so beloved in critical circles and social media. What it got was a new comedy from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, a live-action cartoon that savaged the Patriarchy through the tale of a woman desperate to prove herself a survivor after living in a bunker for fifteen years under the oppressive eye and hand of an End Times preacher. And despite sounding like a recipe for melodramatic misery bait, it just so happened to be as joke-packed as their last show, even as its sense of humor was far darker. NBC didn't have a loving clue what to do with it. Thankfully for us, Netflix did.  As stated before, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper, The Office, Mystery Team) spent 15 years of her life in an Indiana doomsday cult with three other women, only to be discovered and set free after the fuzz closes in on the sleazy preacher running their bunker. On a trip to New York City to film The Today Show, the now 30-year-old Kimmy realizes she has absolutely nothing waiting for her in her hometown of Durnesville except the mark of victimhood. She opts for a clean slate under an assumed name in New York, moving into a shoddy apartment tended to by insane landlady Lillian (Carol Kane, Taxi, Wicked) and shared with larger-than-life actor Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess, 30 Rock's "Queen of Jordan" episodes), and is eventually hired as a nanny by the wealthy and neurotic Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski, more-or-less reprising Jenna Maroney with a couple of interesting twists), who quickly becomes a friend and confidante. Life is lived and lessons are learned as Kimmy makes peace with her past and inspires those around her, blah blah blah. Look, I vomited out that abstract of the premise and if I put my mind to it, I could vomit out some more words about what this show really has on its mind and how it's such a brilliant feminist work. But I'm not that well educated and none of that poo poo really matters right now. Here's what matters: It's loving funny. It's as good, possibly even better than having 30 Rock back. The gags come at the same frequency and land with a similar percentage. The key difference is tone: 30 Rock had the benefit of lead characters of modest-at-worst privilege, which kept the jokes from getting too heavy. But while Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, doesn't dwell too much on the darker aspects of our heroine's life, it makes no bones about the fact that she is fresh from a profoundly damaging experience, giving its humor a jet-black sensibility. How do they get away with it? The answer begins and ends with Ellie Kemper. She finds a razor-thin line between "childlike naiveté" and "badass big sister" and moonwalks across it, armed with an elastic face and bottomless resolve. In a just world, she's a mortal lock for the Emmy. All 13 episodes are now on Netflix; dig in. And as with any Netflix thread, be aware that there will be unmarked spoilers for the entire season. If you want to react to something you just saw, make a post without reading the thread and come back later. And to head this off, a second season has already been ordered.
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Mar 7, 2015 01:01
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| # ? Apr 20, 2024 00:59 |
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First 2 episodes at least roll in between 23 and 24 minutes each, so slight possibility we're getting more than the cuts that would've been aired on NBC. Never a bad thing.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:01
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Just burned through 6 episodes in a sitting, if you liked 30 Rock you will like Kimmy, just go watch it theres no regrets there. Also the autotuned into is funny and happier than it has any right to be, its perfect.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:16
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Spaceman Future! posted:Just burned through 6 episodes in a sitting, if you liked 30 Rock you will like Kimmy, just go watch it theres no regrets there. Also the autotuned into is funny and happier than it has any right to be, its perfect. Yeah, I love the theme tune, but I'm not a fan of the credits editing.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:22
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I thought the first episode was just ok due to mostly being setup but it pretty much hits its stride immediately in episode two. I didn't really know what to expect going in but the tone, pacing, and style of humor are very 30 Rock which makes me very happy. And yeah I love the theme song especially since it was actually done by the Autotune the News guys.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:23
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I wasn't sure on this based on the description but holy poo poo I hardly stopped laughing during the whole first episode. Always trust in DivisionPost.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:24
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Just finished the first seven episodes. It's really good. I can hardly wait for a super cut of all the "zingers" Kimmy uses on Xanthippe.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:25
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Fellatio del Toro posted:I thought the first episode was just ok due to mostly being setup Yeah the 'losing $13k just because' thing grated and it was obvious where it was going, but enjoyable enough for a setup episode. 2nd episode definitely better.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:25
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I'm four episodes in and absolutely love it. Ellie Kemper is just so much fun to watch. So much positivity.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:31
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I watched a few episodes because I really like Ellie Kemper (and Tina Fey) so I assumed I'd like this but I only laughed about once or twice. I didn't care for the characters besides Kimmy, they weren't likeable and it's really hard to pull off a good show about terrible people like Always Sunny does. It didn't help that Jenna was one of my less favorite 30 Rock characters. It felt cheaply made and seemed like it would have been out of place on real TV. I'd like to have seen a show about more of the cult stuff and less small-town girl trying to make it in The Big Apple with dated pop culture references and she's only naive to a point, she'll surprise you once per episode. Is there anything else Tina Fey is working on? With all her success I'd expect to see her doing something bigger.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:31
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I know people tend to decry the Netflix model, but I don't think most people (including the people praising this series) would have stuck around for all 13 if they had to wait a week between episodes. The show is good, but its not great, and there are a lot of trope-y episodes in the first half of the run that would've turned people off if they were the only ones available.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:36
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The show is really good but I felt like the last two episodes were off a bit. Not as many funny jokes and the show's concept gets a little too dark and some of the humor feels lost the more they focused on it. Maybe that was just me though. I like how they introduced enough threads for the inevitable next season but they could do well enough to cut Kimmy's step dad out. He was bad.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:40
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No way the last two episodes were great, mainly due to Jon Hamm. Agree about the step dad though.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:42
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This is fun so far, but Jane Krakowski is Native American?
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Mar 7, 2015 02:43
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Haven't watched it yet, but really excited. I love Ellie Kemper so this and the Tina Fey factor have me pumped!
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Mar 7, 2015 02:44
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I marathoned the show today. It's absolutely brilliant, hitting the mark between Fey's 30 Rock and Adult Swim's live action programming (I barely laughed at all during the last two episodes--not because they weren't funny, but because my brain was pretty much folding itself in half trying to reconcile the comedy with the inherent darkness of the situation). I almost wish that Netflix hadn't put it all up at once, since almost all the episodes deserve the examination and discussion that simply doesn't occur when a season is released all at once. The show has so, so many things to say about the strength of women it's astounding--and it never feels heavy-handed or preachy. Part of this is due to the strength of the female actress' performances--Kemper, Krakowski, and Kane all hit it out of the loving park. It's also notable for having a "gay sidekick" character that actually feels like a real person. Did I mention that UKS also has a lot to say about gay people? Because it does, and it handles its points about being a gay man as deftly as it does about being a woman. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is brave, fearless, and loving hilarious and deserves to be watched by everyone. Oh and the guest stars, save for one exception (oh look it's Martin Short acting goofy, what a surprise) are absolutely perfect, especially the one who plays Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne. Edit: Eggnogium posted:No way the last two episodes were great, mainly due to Redacted. Agree about the step dad though. asecondduck fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Mar 7, 2015 |
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Mar 7, 2015 02:46
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lelandjs posted:I marathoned the show today. It's absolutely brilliant, hitting the mark between Fey's 30 Rock and Adult Swim's live action programming (I barely laughed at all during the last two episodes--not because they weren't funny, but because my brain was pretty much folding itself in half trying to reconcile the comedy with the inherent darkness of the situation). I almost wish that Netflix hadn't put it all up at once, since almost all the episodes deserve the examination and discussion that simply doesn't occur when a season is released all at once. I still like the show as a whole.
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Mar 7, 2015 02:58
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2 episodes in and I'm convinced it'll be great. It's like if Ugly Betty lived in 30 Rock's Springfieldian NYC. So much of the show hinges on Kemper and she knocks it out of the park. It helps that D'fwan was probably my favorite tertiary 30 Rock character
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Mar 7, 2015 02:59
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lelandjs posted:Edit: TV shows on Netflix don't get spoiler tags once they're up on the site.
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Mar 7, 2015 03:00
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Satorr posted:Just finished the first seven episodes. It's really good. I can hardly wait for a super cut of all the "zingers" Kimmy uses on Xanthippe. I loved the moment in episode 2 when Kimmy realises where Xan's bullshit story about her boyfriend 'from Hawaii' came from. Something about "Those books say for age 12 and UP. AND UP, KIMMY!  " just nailed me right in the funnybone.
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Mar 7, 2015 03:00
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Jose Oquendo posted:TV shows on Netflix don't get spoiler tags once they're up on the site. I feel like that particular casting should be spoiled. I am pretty disappointed to have it ruined for me  I knew what I was getting into but still
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Mar 7, 2015 03:03
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Bown posted:I feel like that particular casting should be spoiled. I am pretty disappointed to have it ruined for me If I had my druthers I'd want it tagged, but I respect the argument to leave it untagged. I could call for a moratorium -- tag specific details about the last 1/4 of the show for x days -- but I feel like that could confuse and anger people. I mean, you're talking to the guy who does the TV IV Awards; I specialize in making convoluted rules that drive people crazy.
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Mar 7, 2015 03:09
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Major Spoiler no tags: Martin Short as the s/he pufferfish plastic surgeon is worth the entire run of episodes on its own.
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Mar 7, 2015 03:16
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You should do 'We Didn't Start the Fire' with updated lyrics. BALLOON BOY AND OBAMACARE THE ONE PERCENT ARE BILLIONAIRES
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Mar 7, 2015 03:30
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OK, I said it in the general thread, but can we get more talk about how great Carol Kane is as Lillian? I'm watching episode 4 right now and the story of her husband's death is sheer perfection. "He got up to go to the bathroom and on his way back, he was shot!" "By YOU, Lillian!" "It was DARK and a black man was tryin' to get into bed with me! It was the 70s!"
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Mar 7, 2015 03:43
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On the second episode and this is already at 30 Rock levels. Like you figure Tina Fey might take a brief pause to get back up to speed but it's just rapid fire.
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Mar 7, 2015 03:52
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Wait till you get to ep 3. It has Jacqueline's backstory.
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Mar 7, 2015 03:56
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This show is so loving funny. Yoko is incredible.
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Mar 7, 2015 04:27
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This, Galavant, and Better Call Saul have come out in the last few months. Good times good times.
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Mar 7, 2015 04:33
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Spaceman Future! posted:Major Spoiler no tags: Martin Short as the s/he pufferfish plastic surgeon is worth the entire run of episodes on its own. gently caress you
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Mar 7, 2015 04:45
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Watched the first seven episodes and it's better than I thought - and I had high hopes. It actually gets better with every consecutive episode. The writing definitely has traces of 30 Rock. And Jane Krakowski's, Tituss Burgess' and Carol Kane's deliveries are amazing.
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Mar 7, 2015 05:07
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The whole cast does a great job, but no one should undersell Ellie Kemper. The show wouldn't work without her energy.
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Mar 7, 2015 05:16
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"This is no scarier than the time I tried Indian food. Except this time, I'm gonna do it."
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Mar 7, 2015 05:25
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Holy poo poo, I've never laughed harder at a TV show than when Martin Short appeared.
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Mar 7, 2015 06:22
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Binged the whole thing today. Wanted to try it out, but once the 30 Rock pacing and sense of humor reared its head I knew I wasn't doing anything else for a few hours. Thought it peaked in the middle of the season, though. The last two episodes, while necessary to get rid of the elephant in the room that would otherwise hinder the series, were just not as fun. I mean, that was kind of the point, but still, it lost a few points with me. The blatant green-screen blends well initially but gets loving dreadful in the last two episodes. I guess that was the point they realized they had Netflix money and not NBC money? And the whole small-town courtroom wacky hijinks thing wasn't strong enough to last three episodes, even if it was buoyed by Hamm and Fey. Anyway, Tituss is great, Ellie is great, Xian or whatever is great, Lillian is great, Jackie is just Rich Jenna Maroney but that's fine by me. Solid start to a series that has tons of potential.
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Mar 7, 2015 07:51
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Mods, can someone put "You know, who among us is a perfect foot slut?" in the thread's title, please?
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Mar 7, 2015 08:03
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Cameo spoilerJon Hamm was the lead's high school drama teacher? What the gently caress? Wikipedia has the weirdest details. Also, this show owns.
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Mar 7, 2015 09:08
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SunshineDanceParty posted:The whole cast does a great job, but no one should undersell Ellie Kemper. The show wouldn't work without her energy. This show's actually been something like a half dozen different premises where the only constant was that Kemper would play a naive Midwestern girl who came to New York. One version had her becoming a fire island bartender in a bar owned by her gay dad. That one was a Multicam. I think Deadline called it the gay version of Cheers. She's really core to the show.
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Mar 7, 2015 09:23
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Worked my way through the first 6 eps this morning on the strength of the hype in Couch Chat. This is such a fun show! I love that even though the humour is so dark and the backstory is the grimmest thing ever that it's got such an overall feelgood tone. Ellie Kemper's bringing so much energy and everyone is bringing their A game. I have a special soft spot for Xan though, just cause she feels like a Skins character back when Skins was great and there's not enough of that kind of thing on TV.
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Mar 7, 2015 10:43
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Her mixed metaphors and 90's jokes are the best.!
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Mar 7, 2015 10:46
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