The Z-Suite

I really wanted to enjoy this because I love Lauren Graham and Mark McKinney, but it was one of the most instantly awful comedies I've ever seen. Series populated by legitimate monsters of characters like The Righteous Gemstones, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and Veep understand that there has to be SOMETHING there to make the audience interested in what happens next. Some insight into human flaws that makes these characters interesting, without asking you to sympathize with them. This show, meanwhile, presents you with a cast of characters who haven't done anything nearly as harmful, but holds them in far greater contempt. Every character is a shrill caricature of someone the writers hate. It's all very surface level and obvious humor. If you're going to be that unoriginal, you should at least be charming. Unbearable.

I wanted to like this comedy. There is potential for a great workplace comedy that acknowledges the strengths and weaknesses of both generations represented.

Unfortunately, it begins with a completely farcical premise, and it is woefully written with little plot progression in the first two episodes. The lack of forward momentum in the storylines could be forgiven if the time was instead used to develop the characters at all, but alas, that did not happen either.

The talents of their leads is wasted by simply trotting out outdated Gen-Z slang that the elder generation "couldn't possibly understand" despite being 5-10 years past its expiration date. On top of that, every character is completely oblivious and exhibits some form of buffoonery and not in a "slapstick" way. There doesn't seem to be a coherent vision for what this sitcom wants or is trying to become. It lacks the ability to entertain in the loudest way possible.

I think the writers room had a race about how many trending hashtags they can mash in one scene. The problem is that they have succeeded and we are left with 7 word/lingo-hydra / scene. Sadly it lacks coherence or any sort of smart or smirk.

Making actual jokes was most likely banned in the writers room and any attempt at them was killed by the studio saying it was too risky.

Do watch for education, this is how you should definitely not do meta-commentary.

Half-way through the pilot our main characters are fired for pointing out everything I've listed above (badly sadly) and there you have your pitch of the year. Sad to see the always amazing Lauren Graham having to speak such utter nonsense scene-by-scene.

Lauren SO deserves a monster comeback vehicle, after her absolute masterclass performances in "Gilmore Girls" and "Parenthood", but this is painful. Don't get me wrong, Lauren absolutely CARRIES her role and steals every scene she's in, and I honestly don't think the supporting actors are bad, but the concept they're all forced to portray is "cringy" (to use a Z term) and so immaturely over-the-top that the entire show comes across as confusing and misguided.

Are we laughing WITH the Z generation or, as this old Boomer uncomfortably felt while watching, are we just being crotchety old farts making fun of not only the "Gen Z" stereotype but the actual generation itself? Mine don't even live with me anymore, but during far too many scenes I could FEEL my own Gen Z kids rolling their eyes back in disgust. The stereotype is so heavily leaned into that this feels like a generational (aka one's age range) mean-spirited hit-piece, and it becomes just another "entire-series-based-on-one-dumb-old-man-joke" comedy.

On the (very dim) bright side, there's no laugh track. Also, and the only reason I even checked this series out in the first place, there's Lauren Graham, who can make ANYTHING captivating and enjoyable. She tries so hard with what she's given here, and is worth an IMDb star all by herself, but she's only a human without magic script skills. Actually maybe she DOES have some writing input, but if so she needs more. Nico Santos plays Nico Santos, but he still cracks me up as Lauren's (Monica's") comic sounding board. His whole "tightroping-on-the-edge-of-offensive" schtick continues to be entertaining to me.

The rest of the supporting cast are fine and well-casted, the set decorations are impressive considering the obviously-low budget, the direction is creative and engaging, and honestly the writing is fine, too. The characterizations are fun, effectively silly, and written to perfection. I think it's the CONCEPT that feels played-out and somewhat hateful. Again, are we poking fun at Zs, or are we slapping them across the face?

Vacuous, plastic, boring beyond belief (and that's just the first 3 minutes).

If a friend were to ask me, I'd say, "Don't waste your time."

What on earth compelled Lauren Graham to sink to this level of dreck?!

Ad agencies are typically staffed - in reality - with very bright, well-educated people who have studied human psychology and are engaged in the business of deception (how else to explain rampant obesity, fat-related illnesses / disease, and the propensity of North Americans to inhale junk food they know - at some level - is exceptionally bad for them).

This sorry excuse for entertainment is not that.