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Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Review: Come for Tina Fey's Signature Humor, Stay for Everything Else

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 1

NBC's loss is Netflix's gain when it comes to the energetic new comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Originally developed for the former by 30 Rock masterminds Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the series moved to the latter in November, (and earned an immediate Season 2 renewal in the process). Now it's finally making its much-anticipated debut, and having seen the first six episodes, I feel comfortable in saying that Kimmy's network switcheroo was for the best. The comedy is eccentric, charming, and optimistic... and it probably would have failed on NBC.

Ellie Kemper (The Office) stars as the titular Kimmy, a naive but plucky 29-year-old who was kidnapped by a doomsday cult leader named Richard Wayne Gary Wayne when she was 14. After being rescued from the underground bunker in Indiana where she lived with her three "sisters" for 15 years, Kimmy decides to start over in New York, where she moves in with Titus, a gay wannabe Broadway actor played by Tituss Burgess (a real Broadway actor you'll recognize as 30 Rock's D'Fawn). Even though they don't have much in common, they support one another's dreams and ultimately bring out the best in one another.

The series and its humor will feel instantly familiar to fans of 30 Rock. Not only is Fey's voice fairly recognizeable at this point, but Jane Krakowski co-stars as Kimmy's narcissistic boss, Jacqueline Voorhees, a former stewardess-turned-trophy wife who's doing her best Jenna Maroney impression ("Feet are the new butts!"). It's a testament to Kimmy's writing that Jacqueline is so over-the-top that you have to wonder whether people like her can actually exist, yet she's still likable and relatable. Even when she's lamenting the fact that she's not a perfect "foot slut," seeing that she's unhappy in her marriage to a man who can't be bothered to return home for his son's birthday adds a humanizing layer to her otherwise shallow character. Like Kimmy and so many other New Yorkers, Jacqueline is trying to escape her own surprising past while building a new life. You can hardly fault the woman for that.

However, while it's easy to see that Kimmy contains some of 30 Rock's DNA, the two shows' outlooks are pretty dramatically different. Whereas 30 Rock was a cynical satire, Kimmy has a much sunnier disposition, replacing Liz Lemon's skepticism with Kimmy Schmidt's relentless optimism. Spending 15 years underground prevented Kimmy from becoming jaded, and her newly minted fish-out-of-water (fish-out-of-bunker?) status means she gets excited by sinks with automatic sensors, doesn't know what a selfie is, thinks Sketchers that light up are still incredibly cool, and relishes the freedom of being able to eat gummi sharks for dinner. She's basically a (29-year-old) kid in a candy store, and thanks to Kemper's energetic performance, she's almost guaranteed to grow on you. In less capable hands, Kimmy's inconsistencies would probably annoy me—she's incredibly naive in one moment only to turn around and show great skill in navigating the world in another—but she makes it work.

Which brings me back to why Kimmy probably would've failed on NBC. The network's long-running Thursday-night comedy block—the home of many of its smartest, most memorable sitcoms—was officially dismantled earlier this year after struggling for a while. And based on NBC's hurried and unceremonious scheduling of Parks and Recreation's excellent final season, it's clear that the network doesn't have time for series that can't promise big ratings, no matter how acclaimed they may be. Kimmy's tone is frequently sunny and sharp, but there are some darker moments throughout, and it doesn't strike me as broad enough to appeal to more casual viewers. Every bit as funny and quotable 30 Rock and every bit as cheerful and heartwarming as Parks and Rec, the show is populated with unconventional but sympathetic personalities that would do either show proud.

In fact, there are times when Kimmy actually feels like a spiritual cousin to Leslie Knope. She doesn't have the same level of ambition as Leslie—right now she's focused on getting her GED and figuring out how to be "an adult who is also a grown-up"—but her zest for life and her kind heart are contagious to everyone around her. Kimmy will never forget what happened to her, but instead of allowing her past to get her down, she channels it into sunshine and rainbows. Plus, it's hard to hate a character who takes down Jacqueline's spoiled 15-year-old stepdaughter by showcasing her expert knowledge of a Baby-Sitter's Club plot.



BREAKING IT DOWN


– My favorite joke from the first six episodes? Titus auditions for a role in the new Spider-Man musical, which is titled Spidermen Too: 2 Many Spidermen.

– Kimmy and Titus's landlord is played by legendary actress Carol Kane, and unsurprisingly, she nails every scene she appears in, whether she's talking about doing the walk of shame, getting punched in the face by an old woman, or helping Titus film a music video in an abandoned chandelier factory.

– Traditional Indiana courtship rituals apparently dictate that men should present women with meat and flowers.

– Fake product I wish was real: Buhbreeze!

– Jacqueline's stepdaughter (played by Chasing Life's Dylan Gelula) is named Xanthippe.

– "I've been Googling you!" "You have? I didn't feel it."

– "This isn't the Chinatown bus! You can't just choke someone who's asleep!"

– "Don't use that kind of language in front a unicorn!"

– "Who among us is a perfect foot slut?"

– For a different take on Kimmy, check out the latest episode of our Totally Tubular podcast.


What's your take on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt? How many episodes have you watched so far?