I think it’s fair to say Schitt’s Creek is the Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013) of the comedy genre. Why? Think about this – it’s a show full of (mainly) established people who, for one reason or another, never got their major break, and the show became big (read: mainstream) only after a few seasons on the air. And you can also say that the longer it went, the better it gotten.

Schitt’s Creek is an outstanding TV show. But you have to be patient with it, as the first season is great, don’t get me wrong – I liked it. But it’s definitely very much used for setting up everything. So if you go into this show and expect to laugh out loud from the first minute, you might be disappointed. But here’s the thing, even when it took a few episodes for this show to start going, I have never minded. Because these characters (not just Rose’s family) are fun to be with from the very first moment, even if they are not “hilarious” from the first moment.

And that is because you can tell the creators of this show (father and son duo Dan Levy and Eugene Levy) put their time and effort into flushing these characters into life, making them human. That might sound obvious, but it really isn’t because this show is about the ultra-rich people who lost everything. That could have been an awful attempt to try and humanize these ultra-rich folks who are so far removed from reality it might not have worked at all. But leave it up to those two to make them somehow relatable and intriguing enough for us to care about them without it feeling weird.

Everybody in this show entirely nails their character, and this is the Schitt’s Creek ultimate “weapon”. It’s not (just) about the humour (and there is plenty of that). Schitt’s Creek might be one of the few comedic shows where the humour almost feels accidental, and it’s all about our characters. Mainly their growth. And what growth it is.

It feels weird to single out one performer in this ensemble cast. But in my eyes, there is one character that undeniably grows so much you won’t recognize her when the show is over. And that is Annie Murphy, aka Alexis. When the show starts, she is by far the most obnoxious character, the ultimate “fish out of water”, spoiled princess type of a person. But, throughout the six seasons, her story and character arc go through so much believable growth you will be amazed, especially if you watch a clip from the first season and compare it to the end. And here’s the most genius/believable part about her character’s growth – underneath all of that, she feels like the same character, Alexis. But she acts like a different person altogether. I know this might sound bizarre (same, but different?) but let me explain. For me, what was the most astonishing thing about this show was all the character development without changing “the core” of their personas. So Annie’s Alexis still talks in the same way, still has the “I had really different upbringing” stories she has had since the beginning, but she’s no longer clueless, removed from reality and doubting herself. She’s a more empathetic, a kinder person who can function on her own she is not relying on anyone but herself without acting like a different person.

I hope I am making myself clear because that is what many TV shows don’t do as well as Schitt’s Creek. On occasions, you might not even recognize a character towards the end of your show because not only they are different, they act differently. And that sometimes might go against everything you knew about the person – they might talk differently; their mannerisms have changed because they’ve changed, and that’s not always how it is in real life. If you grow as a person, that doesn’t mean you suddenly start talking differently. It simply means you are better prepared for the next stage, equipped with everything you’ve been through to face the next challenge(s) of your life. And that is what I admired about Annie’s character on this show – underneath all her change, the “good old” Alexis is still there. The way she talks, the occasional remark “I know famous and rich people” – that will always be part of her because that is part of her core, soul, whatever you want to call it. But those things didn’t make her the “disconnected” character from season one. Those were mere personality traits, but that was all she had to offer. As opposed to the end of this show, those traits are still present, but those are no longer everything she got going for her. She is a much more complex person, but most importantly, it feels earned.

I could write a few paragraphs for all other characters on this show as all Rose family members go through something similar. They never change who they are throughout the show. You can tell Moira (played by the phenomenal Catherine O’Hara) will continually mispronounce words, and her accent will be unidentifiable at best (her “BÉBÉ” gives me everything I didn’t know I needed). But she is also a changed person after the six seasons of this show. However not changed enough where you wouldn’t recognize her completely. And that, to me, is undoubtedly phenomenal writing.

And that is precisely what you get if you watch this show in its entirety. An unbelievably witty, charming, optimistic and funny show that will make you laugh in one scene just for you to tear up in the next one. I admired the writers approach and making this show with no “villain(s)”. Sure, there are some “wicked” characters here and there, but there isn’t anybody that would stand out. And every time you feel like something like that might be coming (this show deals with a lot of LGBTQ+ things), the show always manages to surprise you, and it takes a different route altogether. And yet, it never feels preachy or exhausting, something that could have undoubtedly happened. That’s because the show knows how to balance everything – from making you laugh to understanding a few things you might have not before (David explaining his sexual orientation with wines as props was sheer brilliance).

Overall, Schitt’s Creek started modestly and finished with the loudest bang in television history – winning nine Emmys in one year. All four main actors, writing, the best show… essentially you name it, they won it. And deservedly so. I could easily see this show going on for an additional two to three years, but they knew to stop at the top. And that’s how Schitt’s Creek joined in my eyes another “royalty” TV shows that never overstayed their welcome (for my money, The Wire (2002 – 2008) and Boardwalk Empire (2010 – 2014) are the top two that come to mind instantly) and managed to finish at the very top of their game. And that is not easy by any means. I can see myself re-watching this show and this becoming my to-go happy place kind of show, where you can go in and out of an episode so easily. If you haven’t yet, give it a chance.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

You know this show is something else when you feel the need to start your review with the good old fashioned nugget “Where should I start with this?” Let me put it this way – if somehow, you find South Park (1997 – ? my reviews here and here) to be “not crazy enough” (I don’t know how), then you might want to try watching this show. If South Park is Marmite (as in you either love it or hate it), then Paradise PD is Marmite mixed with Vegemite on top of a pineapple pizza. You are either in for all this craziness, and true “(no) balls to the walls” (hopefully fans of this show will understand), or you are out of this show quicker than a nun running from a sex shop.

Paradise PD is from the same people who made Brickleberry (2012 – 2015). I haven’t seen it, but (un)surprisingly, I’ve heard a few bits and pieces about this show and how crazy it was. Well, don’t be afraid. After Brickleberry got cancelled, the same folks approached Netflix (or maybe Netflix reached out to them, I don’t know, I wasn’t there). And the creators pretty much created similar-looking characters (again, only judging based on the posters and images), but instead of park rangers, they are police officers. Except they are all weird characters.

From a policewoman, who is obsessed with her morbidly obese colleague but he doesn’t care for her, and that drives her crazy to a police dog, who is effectively a human (talking, walking, think of Brian from Family Guy (1999 – ?)) but also into drugs. Like, all the drugs. All the time. And shagging everything that comes his way. And these two are probably the most “normal” ones in this show. I don’t want to spoil all the surprises for you, but trust me, you are in for a… treat?

I know this might sound obvious, but your enjoyment of this show directly corresponds with how much craziness you are willing to tolerate. And whether you get sick (sometimes even physically) of jokes involving… well, everything. Mostly body fluids. The show isn’t afraid to pull its punches. If you want to know what I am talking about, I will do something I haven’t done in a while and attach a video below to judge for yourself. This video is not a spoiler by any means, but if you are easily offended, viewer discretion is… not only advised but recommended.

And this is what I mean by everything I’ve written so far – did you laugh at the scene above? If so, Paradise PD might be your cup of… whatever this show is. If not, do stay away, as there are certain scenes, lot more outrageous scenes (my girlfriend stopped watching this show after episode three of season three called “Ice Ice Babies”. There is a hint in the episode’s title, but I won’t spoil it for you).

If I am being honest – I like this show. I don’t “love” it, but it’s because I wish the creators would make up their minds about the storytelling. Either nothing matters, and this is “just” a dumb, outrageous show with no character growth needed or everything matters. But in that case, some jokes and storylines simply don’t work (one of the main characters turning into a surprising villain, only after a season or so turning back). Believe it or not, this is the type of show that can’t do both. Because where they shine is the outrageous stuff, the types of jokes nobody else does nowadays. And when they try to implement a storyline that should make some kind of sense, it just drags everything down. Surprisingly, even though I was laughing at times, I found myself bored throughout some parts of season three. I understand the creators want to expand and give something more to these characters, but in the world; they set up, it’s hard to take anything seriously, especially after the villain storyline that just felt off.

Overall, Paradise PD is a show I’d recommend to anyone who is looking for an “anything goes” animated show, as that is where this show shines. The storylines contained within an episode are brilliant. And there are a ton of quick jokes, so you can’t watch it with your phone as you want to be focused on everything as they throw things at you any way they can. The only thing this show doesn’t do well is trying to have overarching storylines going through seasons or establishing some characters, just to switch them back and forth. If you are looking for a show where nothing is off-limits, look no further.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

As I wrote in my post about Michael K. Williams passing (here), I was going to, finally, sink my teeth into The Night Of. The show I’ve heard people talk about when it was coming out, but ever since then, barely anybody mentions it. And I get it there is so much stuff out there things sometimes get forgotten about. Well, you better not forget about this show, or if you are like me, you better not sleep on it too, because you’d only be doing a disservice to yourself, as it is simply an excellent show through and through.

The Night Of is a limited series (or mini-series, if you wish) that has only eight episodes. That is the first win here – it’s not too short and not too long for the story it tells. It’s exactly as long as it needs to be for you to get familiar with the characters. And this is where this show brilliance lies – the character work. The choices the creators made how the characters are portrayed everything is without over-selling it, pure perfection. At first, I was surprised to see James Gandolfini‘s name as he passed away in 2013. But then I discovered that this has been “brewing” for a while, and he was supposed to play the role of John Stone, portrayed by John Turturro! How great would that be? But John definitely didn’t disappoint, but I will get to that soon.

It’s hard to talk about this show’s brilliance without going into some heavy spoilers. But before I do that, let me acknowledge the titular star and the heart of this show, Riz Ahmed. He was phenomenal in here. Every decision, whether it’s a smart one or a pretty dumb one (and this character makes a lot of each), makes sense given how Riz is portraying his character, Naz. I honestly hope Sound of Metal (2019, my review here) and his (well deserved) Oscar nomination for that movie finally allows him to “breakthrough” to be a big name because he has got it. You name it he’s got it. He’s immensely talented and is single-handledly carrying this show. If this show had nothing else going for it (and believe me, it does), you should watch it for Riz’s performance alone. With that being said…

Beware, SPOILERS are coming!

I think The Night Of, even though it’s a great title, it should have been called differently – Making a Murderer. Or, if not murderer, at least a criminal (very least). It’s chilling how this show displays the system in its “full glory”, but at the same time, the show is not trying to make Naz into a saint. He’s made some dumb decisions (took his dad’s car without permission, did drugs and alcohol with a complete stranger, panicked and made himself look extra guilty), but we can safely presume he’s not an awful person.

Yes, he’s got his flaws, and as the show progresses, you hear more and more about them (prone to violence, even though he was provoked, selling his classmates pills), but it wasn’t until he was thrown in the system for something he hasn’t done, where his character skewed towards his terrible side. That is what The Night Of is about – the demise of one “kid’s” character, who might have made some mistakes, but he was thrown into jail to fend for himself. So everything he does from them on, he is doing because he is slowly losing any hope, he might win the case. But also because he wants to survive. So even though the show ends with him being cleared of his charges because even the jury is hung 50/50 and nobody is budging, he is most likely lost. He lost his way, his will to live; he started to use drugs regularly, and he distrusts his mum because deep down, she still believes her son could be a murderer. And that’s the thing – even though he is out of the system at the end, you see him and know that unless he gets some massive help, he will end up back in prison. But this time, he would have done it.

And I can’t remember whether I have ever seen a show or a film that would be this complex. As yes, we have gotten thousands of movies and TV shows from prison over the years. But I can’t think of any just now, whose main character is “a normal guy”. What I mean by that is, you usually see two stereotypes – either somebody who is almost a saint and makes one big mistake and ends up in prison or somebody who isn’t a saint and how they are trying to change or survive in prison. I think the closest, to a certain extent, was Orange Is The New Black (2013 – 2019). As that series comments on this issue too, but even there, they didn’t go as deep. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a brilliant show, and you should 100% watch it if you haven’t already. But given the fact they had so many characters, they couldn’t go that as deep as this show has gone. Because here, it’s easy to identify with Naz’s character. Yes, you might not be of Pakistani heritage, as he is, but everything else is unbelievably relatable. He’s just “a dumb kid” who has made some mistakes in his life, sure. But what he’s gone through and how he turns out at the end… that was rough to watch. It was scarier than many horror movies because it felt so real. You can feel “the light” that used to be in his eyes was no longer there at the end. And it will take a lot of hard work, energy and money to “get it back” if that is even possible.

And it’s not just Riz’s character who is complex. John’s character, the “bottom-feeding” lawyer, is also flawed. He does questionable things, he has his flaws, but underneath all that, he is trying his hardest to be and do good. It’s almost like a foreshadowing; what could Riz’s character look like in 20/30 years from then – if he does the work and re-lights that fire in his eyes, as they are very similar to each other. John Turturro’s character is miserable, dismissive, occasionally over the line mean guy, who almost always snaps back to being… not necessarily good, but neutral, possibly? He is trying his very best, and that occasionally doesn’t work as well, let’s just say that. And that is why he is so keen to help this “kid”. Because deep down, he can see he couldn’t have done it, but more importantly, he sees parts of himself in him when he was younger. And maybe he was thinking to himself that he would do something nobody has done for his character – reach out and try to help him. That is how I interpreted John’s character, as there isn’t much we know from his past. But we can see one thing – he is also killing it in this show. For my liking, Michael K. Williams had little screen time, but as with anything else, he didn’t waste a single second when he was on the screen. I need to repeat myself, but he’s gone way too soon.

The Night Of is also perfect in the sense that we don’t know who killed the girl. Yes, there is some strong evidence pointing at one person, but that’s never “finished” or confirmed. That might have seemed like a cheap move in another show, but when you have such a tight script, it worked. As when we see, what became of Naz, there are moments where even I doubted myself, whether he had done it or not. We never see the scene of the murder; we only see the aftermath, and all from Naz’s perspective. So in a way, the show puts you in a jury’s seat rather than the judge’s seat. Because it’d be easy to root for him all the way had we been shown what happened that night and who stabbed her. But then we would turn into judges. By not knowing for sure, the show makes you, the viewer, the 13th juror on the panel, and it’s only up to you to see for yourself and come up with your conclusion.

The other thing I have touched on briefly. The show displays brilliantly, how it must feel like to live as a minority (especially Muslim minority) post 9/11 in the USA. And the reason I know that for a fact, it’s a simple yet unfortunate fact. All the things people say and do to Naz’s family, once the news is out, about what “he’s done”, we have seen happen in real life. We have seen comments like “This reflects poorly on Muslim community.” or how people get death threats because of what somebody else who belongs to their religion/tribe/whatever has done. It showcases clearly, that you are not punishing just one person. by throwing them in jail. You are punishing their family and, in some cases, their entire community. And nobody should be blamed for anybody else’s actions. Whether or not the person in jail has done whatever they are charged with, it’s not their family or community that should be responsible for the actions of one individual.

And this is what I meant by the title of my review, “The Definition of Complex”. No matter how you approach this show, you can dig in deep and find many real-life things, real-life characters and most importantly – a reflection of our system. Of our mindset, way of life, punishing people. This show is not about whether Naz has done it or not; it’s more about everything else around it and how it affects more than just him. Bravo.

Overall, The Night Of is one of the best mini-series I have ever seen. I am now kicking myself for sleeping on this for way too long. And from now on, I will try to bang this show’s drum. Because I don’t believe it’s being talked about as much as it should be. Everything about this feels earnest, authentic, and because of that, uncomfortable. But sometimes, we need to face some uncomfortableness to open our eyes. To recognize there might be an issue or two with our system and how can we address it or, better yet, fix it. This show doesn’t offer you any simple solutions because there is no such thing. Any show that’s about an issue so complex won’t have easy answers. But that doesn’t mean we should stop asking difficult questions or looking for solutions. And yeah, Riz Ahmed and John Turturro are phenomenal in this.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke