Unstable

The first season was great. Unique, funny and all the characters worked well together. The dads quirkiness and the sons desire to not live under his shadow was a great 2 character dynamic. The researchers all trying to accomplish their goal on a stressful deadline with external forces trying to steal the company away made for good comedic tension. And the therapist (Fred Armisen) living in the basement is quirky and hilarious.

Sadly the second season introduces Georgia (Iris Apatow) who leeches the life out of every scene she is in. Her presence is awkward, bland, and not funny at all. You almost begin to dread seeing her on screen because of the energy it robs from every episode. Her character is shoehorned into the series (possibly as a way to engage millennial viewers?) but other then half-shirts and selfies adds nothing to the dynamic between characters.

I really wanted to like this and hoped as they got into second season (which frankly surprised me) there is something missing from this show. Heart? Soul? Or maybe good writing, characters that you can like and root for. For a work place comedy with scientist watch Better off Ted. I mean the whole premise is good, The acting from the Lowes is pretty good. But it meanders and while only trying to fill 30 minutes seems to never get going at all. I really thought by second season they would find a rhythm but they really didn't and episodes tend to lag and have flat spots and story lines are dropped out of nowhere.

I didn't at first like the frenetic energy of the fast talking dialog and the handheld camera work that seemed like it was flying off chaotically, but it does grow on you and the story and cast chemistry settles in. The shows humor, look and feel, as well as the sound effects reminds me a lot of Avenue 5, and that's a good thing.

At first, Rob Lowe seemed to be reprising his Grinder role, but it's the schtick that he is good at. And the quirky cast are hilarious and very likable. And unlike Will Smith's untalented son who didn't deserve to be in show business, Rob Lowe's son is fantastic and delivers his lines perfectly. And the twins! Funny! Parody of the Winklevoss twins, maybe?

This is a good comedy fix.

Loved the first season. The science, the relationships, Rob Lowe's combination genius/mental illness. Even the son working at getting out of Dad's shadow. Anna as the glue and so clever in her purposely "mundane" role. It was funny with lots of witty lines and retorts. And so happy it was renewed. And then the second season started. Forced and cloying family drama. A new character who is complete cringe and deserves zero screen time. Complete waste of the two lab women who were central to season one. Not a single chuckle the first three episodes. And I can't watch anymore. It's worse than pulling teeth. So I leave with that.

I was planning to just play this as background noise but found myself tuning in. It's not a HAHAHA type of comedy nor slapstick. It's more serious set up with characters who are unserious, chaotic, unhinged, and campy. The whole bit is just dry dead pan and sarcastic humor. You'd laugh because it's ridiculous and somehow true too.

Reminds me of IT Crowd mixed with Big Bang Theory and Park & Rec. I found the characters fit the cast so it felt natural especially Rob Lowe's character who's an eccentric narcissist. The overall banter exchange is also fun to watch.

There's some little serious sweet moments but it's overall just unserious. Just watch the 1st episode and if you like it then you'd like the whole bit because it keeps a constant vibe. It follows a thin storyline but aside from that is episodic.