Blockbuster

Ok, I admit the low score is partly because I had much higher expectations, given the cast, but...

The characters are boring and generic, and without quirky characters you can't have a good workplace sitcom. The leads' chemistry can only be described as "people who have known each other for a while", and the banter sounds like it was written by an AI trained on unaired pilots.

I've just watched three episodes, and I can barely recall what was happening in them, except that one of them is about Halloween. It wasn't interesting or engaging enough, and I think I've smiled exactly once. Unlike Brooklyn 99 or Superstore, which manage to combine funny and absurd shenanigans with a social commentary, this show manages neither.

Knowing that the actors are good, I'd definitively say the problem is the writing, both the dialogue and the plot. It might get good by episode 10, but I don't have patience for that.

So...Objectively this sucks. BUT. But. It's obvious the cast also know it sucks and are totally phoning it in, which makes for quite the happy accident: Melissa Fumero is full on playing B99's Amy Santiago. She's slipped her on like a broken-in pair of shoes and she's totally unapologetic about it. That has lead me to go meta with my viewing experience and watch it as a piece of so bad it's good B99 AU fanfiction, and honestly I'm loving it. How did Amy end up in this universe? Is it a multiverse situation? Is she in a coma? She's found another cute but immature manboy to have a will-they-won't-they situation with, does that mean every Amy in the multiverse has a type or is it her subconscious trying desperately to remember Jake but unable to picture his face? What's the connection to Blockbuster? Jake still has his membership, could this be the key? Why is Rosa's mom there? The plot is predictable, the dialogue is generic, the characters are bland, but I can totally buy that as just being down to the creative limitations of Amy's subconscious which pushes me further towards the coma theory. If it is all taking part in her subconscious that raises the question of what happened to her? Did it happen on the job? Was it a perp? What's happening at the 99, how crazy is everyone going trying to catch the guy? Is Jake holding it together? It's Jake, he's totally not holding it together. And what does it say about her that she's imagining herself as a Harvard dropout working in a dying franchise video store? She was always super competitive, does she feel like she's settled with Jake and the kid? Or is it just her subconscious screaming at her to wake up before her lack of consciousness destroys her roadmap to becoming the youngest Captain in the NYPD? Seriously. So. Much. *100% headcanon* intrigue going on, get on board, you won't be disappointed.

If you can't get on board though, ok yeah it's just straight up trash, don't waste your time.

I couldn't even make it through the first episode. It just really wasn't funny to me at all. It didn't bring back any nostalgic feelings of renting videos. But then again, blockbuster in my opinion is the least nostalgic of any place that I rented videos. Once blockbuster became big, it felt more corporate. Video update, AV Video, and others are much more nostalgic, as someone who grew up in the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s. I was very disappointed because I love shows like superstore, parks and rec, the office, Brooklyn 99 (aside from the newest season which I couldn't stand), etc. This just felt poorly written. The lead actor is not a good fit for the role at all and I couldn't relate with the teenagers at all. Melissa fumero is also one of my least favorite Brooklyn 99 actresses. I had high hopes, but sadly, I cannot continue with this show.

It's not a bad show, but simply they picked a wrong time. They should have set a time when Blockbuster stores were flourishing. It would tell a lot of fun stories like the time when VHS is going obsolete, and DVD is coming out for the first time. It would give a lot of fun and nostalgia for movie fans and collectors. I know it's lame but Blockbuster stores were once one of young couples' dating courses too. People would think, "It was a fun time" while watching the show. However, I'm not quite sure what to make of the show featuring a dying video store. There's nothing to gun for. I've seen a news saying Netflix is having a financial problem recently. Approving a script like this would be one of the reasons.

I love Melissa Fumero.

I love Brooklyn 99 I love Superstore

This looked like a winner with vibes of B99 and Superstore and other similar comedies.

It's not good. I really wish it was. It's just not funny or interesting at all. The characters are bland, the jokes try too hard. Every episode has a million pop culture references squeezed in for the sake of it and they don't work. It will age badly.

Melissa's character is a carbon copy of America Ferrera's Amy in Superstore so we've seen it before.

We made it through 5 episodes because we really wanted it to get better. Can't watch anymore.

I just don't think I like Randall Park. He and Fumero have zero chemistry, it's painful to watch. Sorry.