Going Dutch

After the pilot where I was very underwhelmed I thought I would at least give it one more chance. I don't think I made it ten minutes in the second episode. The plots are just written like a junior high school project. Then again Dennis Leary's usual sharp wit is both missing, and what is attempted just falls flat. I guess because he played a hard nosed drunk fire fighter and a cop in two different series they figured it would work as an army officer. Part of the problem was in those other series he broke the rules, but usually for a good reason to help others. Here he is supposed to be the top brass in what seems like a dumb joke in the first place. I've never served, but I've heard wild tails by some who have. Somehow a base like this one just does not seem plausible in the military. So Leary being sentenced to it for insubordination seems just so dumb.

The casting of Denis Leary is an insanely bad choice. He could have being awesome in the part but the writing gives him and the other actors nothing.

This is just pay check material for the better known actors. I can see no way they would have signed on otherwise.

Leary is the main problem, they give him nothing to work with other than bad reactions to bad jokes, and I don't think he is an actor who can bring it without a decent script and direction.

The script is from an era of canned laugh tracks to boost the vague comic element.

They pack so much into the first episode at a incredibly superficial level no idea has time to breath and I have no idea how they will come up with material for later episodes.

The first episode feels like a first draft or even story outline which they fleshed out in 5 minutes.

I have zero hope this will get better in later episodes, there is nothing good .. the casting, script, directing, photography it is all bad.

As a Dutch person, I was curious to see where the show was gonna go, It was somewhat ok for a pilot, some jokes were good but most fell flat. I like Dennis Leary but the others were kinda meh. What bothered me the most though is if you wanna make a show about Going Dutch, actually do that then. Besides the many (unfunny) typical stereo types, there wasnt much Dutch, I think its filmed somewhere in Eastern Europe with Eastern European people with wrong accents. Atleast try to get it right if you wanna make a show like this, otherwise just call it Going Eastern Europe or whatever country they made this in.

I don't expect a low budget comedy to deliver an accurate depiction of the Netherlands, but this is just downright lazy. It's one thing to take creative liberties, but to conflate Dutch culture with... German, Swiss, Austrian maybe? Who knows? Honestly, I can't even tell what they're aiming for. It's as if the writers skipped geography class entirely, glanced at a pack of stroopwafels and cobbled together the entire plot based on a handful of tired Dutch stereotypes. If at least the humor could be its redeeming factor. But alas, the jokes are flat, shallow and barely enough to elicit even the faintest hint of a smirk.

It has potential. The funnier characters start to open up as the season progresses, and the show will blossom if it's given a chance. Supporting cast has the comedy chops. It needs to find its rhythm but its a fun storyline of the contradictory national identities and how it impacts individuals at a small scale. The characters Jan and Papadakis especially shine. I think season 2 should start at a higher baseline of emotional intelligence, the adult children thing is too predictable. There are odd moments of magical realism, heartfelt portrayals of efforts at connection, non-insulting reflective humor about America, Green light Season 2, then decide!