The concept is interesting. What if there really was an Illuminati type organisation? It's a silly idea with lots of potential. Especially for Mike Myers to play a bunch of quirky characters. And for late night casual entertainment, it's pretty good.
Mike Myers can be hilarious, especially in the Austin Powers movies, but like many comedians he can also stray into very stupid and weird territory. I don't mind stupid or crude jokes per se, for example Monty Python does that all the time and they're usually hilarious. But Myers sometimes will just be weird. The jokes stop to make way for something absurd and off-putting.
This show never quite has a consistent balance. There are funny moments but plenty of lame or boring parts as well. It's frustrating, although never overly annoying. The frustration mainly comes from disappointment that it could've been very funny and insightful rather than mildly funny and very random.
Some of the cameos are fun. Keegan-Michael Key is hilarious, even just with his facial reactions. Ken Jeong is usually hilarious but doesn't get to do that much. His lines don't change anything or bounce of anyone. Lydia West was likeable although her character is less interesting by the end. Saunders was completely unrecognisable to me as the Maester.
Myers himself is also inconsistent. It's ironic, because he's clearly a very good actor. The characters really are quite different from each-other. Their voices, mannerisms, gestures, posture, timing - everything. But some of them are just weird choices. In fact, most of them are. They're all somewhere between realistic impression, over-the-top silliness, Myers being himself and believable made-up characters. A mix of those things.
In fact, in some ways, the dramatic parts of The Pentaverate work the best, at least in terms of acting. I actually cared about the main character, Ken Scarborough. Myers seems to be being sincere. But the plot is so stupid, how can I be expected to take it seriously? It's a mismatch which doesn't quite work. Some of the other characters are also fairly serious, like Lord Lordington. He wasn't funny, but he was pretty believable.
Anyway, this show was enjoyable overall although a bit disappointing by the end. I wish Myers committed more to one thing or another. Either go full retard, so to speak, and be funny. Or offer some interesting insights into modern life and politics. Have a message or a dramatic core - fine. But tone down the gross, random stuff and play up the central themes and comedy. It could've been great. Myers has plenty of talent to make great comedy.
