TV Binge & Netflix A-Z: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt [Season 2, 2016]

In true TV Binge glory is the next Netflix A-Z selection for U.  You got it! The newly released Season 2 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.  In case you missed it, I was a huge fan of the first season. You can read the review HERE.  I was literally counting down the days to when this would be available on Netflix and I started it up right when I got home from work that Friday night.  I know its already a month or something since its been out but I’ve been working on this new system of having a lot of backlog ready to be written so it gives me time to give whatever I watch a chance to sink in and think about before writing about it.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt [Season 2, 2016]

Creator: Robert Carlock & Tina Fey

Cast: Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski, Carol Kane, Sara Chase, Ki Hong Lee, Mike Carlsen, Tina Fey, Lauren Adams, Amy Sedaris

Its hard to not fall in love with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.  The characters are too lovable in their silly and outrageous way.  Its fantastic to open up the show with the same theme song that caught me in the first season.  It really shows the tone this series is aiming for.  I just absolutely love it from its hilarious characters to Netflix letting us Kimmy-fy the page which makes it all sparkly and awesome.  I’m not a pink person but Kimmy Schmidt and its characters are all just sparkly and infectiously fun! 🙂

In Season 2, we pretty much pick up from where we left off in the first one.  Titus is still dreaming about pursuing his career in singing on Broadway or something along those lines.  Kimmy is adapting to her new life in New York and the modern technology and getting over Dong who married to an older lady to not get deported.  Titus and Kimmy’s landlord, Lillian is still awkward and hilarious and this season, she’s all about saving the change in her neighborhood. While, the ex-Mrs. Voorhees goes back home to live with her parents and embrace her roots but that is a whole new life to her also, while avoiding her divorcee life of having not been split with more money and scared with the reality she will have to face if she returns to New York.  Of course, she eventually does and with Kimmy’s encouragement, tries to be independent instead of a gold digger.  While this is Kimmy growing up from her 15 year old mentality to a grown-up and her adventures, its equally about the people around her and their adventures because in a way, even if they have been living in this reality all their lives, they still each have their own delusions and live in their own fantasy and they are each growing as a person as well.  Each is as naive as Kimmy is and its funny to watch their endeavors.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt always seems to surprise us with some popular cast, just like Tina Fey who is the show creator takes on a much more involved role this season and no one delivers her content quite like she does. I’m a huge fan of Tina Fey so it was a welcome addition to see her as a psychiatrist that helps Kimmy Schmidt but also has her own issues.  At the same time, we have Lisa Kudrow that comes in as Kimmy’s mom that the season trickles with information that its building to her facing her eventually.  At the same time, we have Anna Camp drop in for a few episodes.  If you don’t know who she is, she’s in one of my favorite movies, Pitch Perfect. And there’s Jeff Goldblum who plays a Dr. Phil-esque type of guy.  Funny how he’s gone such a long way from what I remember him in Jurassic Park. Then, there’s David Cross.  While I haven’t seen a whole lot of movies that I remember him profoundly other than maybe Alvin and the Chipmunks, I know I’ve seen in other stuff that has made me laugh.

You know what? I don’t want to ruin Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and let you just have fun! If you haven’t checked it out, you should! Overall, Season 2 was a ton of fun.  The cast is still as fun and charming as always.  The comedy works (for me).  Yet, there’s still a lot of good things that we can learn from this series.  Plus, it has a ton of really great cameo roles.  Maybe some of them will return. Who knows, right? Right now, I just can’t wait for the next season, which is going to feel so long!

Have you seen Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt? 

TV Binge: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt [Season 1]

I love TV series! Its really nice to sit down and binge watch them, especially these Netflix ones. So far, the ones I’ve watched are pretty decent.  Although I still need to get back to Daredevil.  I needed something fun and light and I figured this one was: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Its sitcom episode lengths at around 20+ minutes per episode and there’s like 13 episodes in season 1.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
[Season 1, 2015]

Creators: Robert Carlock & Tina Fey

Cast: Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess,  Jane Krakowski, Carol Kane, Lauren Adams, Sara Chase, Dylan Gelula, Ki Hong Lee

After 15 years trapped underground by a doomsday cult, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) is one of the four women to be rescued.  Knowing that the world hasn’t end, Kimmy Schmidt decides to stay in New York City and face new challenges to kickstart her life again.

Comedies are one of those TV series I’m always a little hesitant to give a shot. For one, I’m really bad at laughing at comedies and their jokes because I like smart and punny jokes, sarcastic humor/dark humor.  That sort of thing really appeals to me.  But life gives us a lot of dumb humor and I just don’t laugh at those things. Its not for me. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt definitely is not in the latter category.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is very fun.  For one, Kimmy Schmidt was a teenager when she was caught so her mentality is still right there in the 90s and learning about all the changes we’ve had from language, slang, technology, etc.  At the same time, she has to learn how to move on, stay happy and essentially be an adult.  Even though the way she chooses to stay positive is exactly the reason we laugh because its so silly and we know she’s hiding something more or just coping with what happened, we can’t help be fall in love with her. Ellie Kemper is fantastic and bringing Kimmy Schmidt to life. Just her cluelessness is adorable 🙂

But no show even if you are the central character is great without fun supporting characters and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has a barrel of them.  Each of them live in their own fantasy. Starting from her roommate Titus (Tituss Burgess) who is an aspiring actor. With every character, they portray oodles of stereotypes in a quirky witty joking way.  With him, he’s a little awkward but also very charming to watch.   Another wonderfully weird but hilarious character is the less frequently showing up (kind of) land lady, Lillian (Carol Kane) who has oddest lines from talking about killing her husband to views on women status.

Right after that is possibly one of the funniest characters in this show, Mrs. Voorhees played by Jane Krakowski. She’s a lady married to a rich man, suspects that her husband is cheating and doesn’t know how to control her stepdaughter.  Her views of the world and hiding her background and fearing to face the future without money or status makes her find the most absurd ways to define happiness.  You don’t know if she’s ignorant or silly or plain ridiculous but there are lots of laughs to be had.

What’s nice is that all the characters have their fair share of back story, conflicts and while its about Kimmy  Schmidt, its not completely centered on her character.  It shows that the creators gave a good thought that all the characters matter.  This helps us to care more about each of them more.

I could go on about Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.  Its all sorts of fun and the humor is really witty and smart, slipping in a lot of sarcastic humor about societal stereotypes (if thats the right way to say it). Regardless, the characters are a hilarious blend and while Ellie Kemper is fantastic as Kimmy  Schmidt, great performances can be found in Jane Krakowski as her employer Mrs. Voorhees and Tituss Burgess as her roommate, Titus Andromedon. Just the opening scene of the show sets the perfect tone for what to expect and that theme song is so awesomely addictive.  And that’s where I’ll leave this write-up!

Have you seen Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt? 

21 Jump Street (2012)

I feel like Channing Tatum is taking over my movie collection. Another one and its 21 Jump Street. I saw this about a week ago and I haven’t really been able to pinpoint how I feel about it.

Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Cast: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube,  Brie Tracey, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, Ellie Kemper, Jake Johnson

Back in high school, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) couldn’t be more different. However,  due to their own reasons they both ended up missing senior prom. Years later, they meet again in police academy and eventually become good friends and partners. When they get chosen to be part of the secret mission team, 21 Jump Street lead by Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) for their young physical appearances, they have to investigate disguised as brothers in high school. Much to their surprise, the high scene has changed a lot from how they remembered it and they each need to overcome their own problems to figure out who leads the drug ring in the high school and how to arrest them to prevent it from spreading out to other schools.

The best part about this movie was the bromance. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill make for a great cop duo. Their interaction made it so funny. I’m not one to fully appreciate certain forms of humor in movies normally but this one had a few funny moments that got me.  Before this movie and just 2012 in general, I always felt that Channing Tatum had this very blank look in this face which works for the roles that he was casted in.  Some thing resembling the army/military background with some parts of him being unable to allow him to emote thoroughly. It worked alright with that character but this one, I felt like he burst out of his shell.  Of course, after that, he did Magic Mike which was totally different also.

I’m not too familiar with Jonah Hill and looking at his filmography, he’s actually voiced some parts for some pretty good animated flicks.  I wasn’t particularly pleased with his humor here by himself.  As a team with Channing Tatum, he was a lot more appealing especially when they fought like children.  The best had to be Ellie Kemper who played Ms. Griggs.  She was hilarious! I really loved Ice Cube doing Captain Dickson also.  They were the highlights of this movie.  One more mention goes out to Jake Johnson in the role of the principal of the school.  All very good supporting cast to make it even more comedic 🙂

This is pretty much an action comedy.  To me, there wasn’t a whole lot of action but the comedy was decent so its average.  It won’t be a waste of time to watch this, mostly because there are parts that prove to be surprisingly quite fun 🙂 The bromance is outstanding and you’ll have fun watching some of the on screeen chemistry go on.  It has some awkward humor here and there but it all works to its favor!

Comedy is appealing or not depending on who watches it so there really is not recommendation or not.  The best way to know is to just watch the trailer and see if that sort of thing appeals to you.  If it does, then go for it.  Its pretty enjoyable 🙂

Did you enjoy 21 Jump Street? What do you think of Channing Tatum and/or Jonah Hill?