It’s only May, but TV fans are already being treated to great new and returning series. An expressionless face started things off on a high note, making a comeback Colombodetective series from the 1970s and giving them a modern twist thanks to creator Rian Johnson and lead star Natasha Lyonne. The last of us became a pop culture phenomenon, and Netflix scored hits again Night agent and Diplomat. Comedy series have also thrived, from solid middling hits like Unstable and That show from the 90s to excellent social satires like Beef and Happy Hank. Heck, even broadcast comedies weren’t shockingly bad with NBC Bedpan revival and Fox’s Animal control good enough for a lot of charm and a few laughs.
But which one is the best, the one that should make you drop everything and watch immediately? Would you believe me if I told you that the best new comedy series of the year (so far) is a unique reality show/mockumentary hybrid starring mostly unknown actors, centered on a gimmick that’s essentially an old tired joke, with a generic title that evokes bad Pauly Shore movie from the ’90s and currently available to stream on Freevee, Amazon’s ad-supported half-sister to its premium Prime Video? I hardly believe it myself, but it’s true: Jury duty, the under-the-radar comedy that premiered just a month ago, is the best new comedy of 2023. Here are a few reasons why you should check it out.
It has a simple but intriguing concept
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
Jury dutyThe slogan perfectly sums up the concept: “12 jurors. 11 actors.” Ronald Gladden, a 29-year-old SoCal brat and solar contractor from San Diego, is summoned to the jury for a seemingly ordinary civil case: a rich woman is suing one of her poor employees for damages at her T-shirt company. Ronald goes through all the steps a person takes in the process: waiting to be called into the courtroom, being evaluated by the prosecution and defense, selecting a jury, being deprived of liberty, visiting an outside location to examine evidence and, finally, deciding whether the defendant is responsible or not. Filmers are documenting the trial process for an unnamed reality TV show, so Ronald assumes everything is legal.
It’s not. Everyone involved in the trial, from the other jurors who work with Ronaldo to the lawyers who present the case to the judge, are actors. They are all engaged with one specific purpose: to trick Ronald into thinking the case is real. The trick works, and that’s what makes the show so hypnotic to watch. There’s a constant tension between whether or not Ronald will realize it’s all an elaborate set-up, and it’s this tension that creates most of the quirky humor in the series.
The main ‘character’ is a terrible actor (and that’s a good thing)
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
Usually a TV show fails when the lead actor is brash and not that great of an actor. It is reversed with Jury duty since Ronald, who is usually stone-faced during the trial, is not an actor and does not play him or act for the camera for laughs. When something unusual happens, like when a fellow juror asks him to jump up and down on the bed to help him have sex with a girl (don’t ask), he doesn’t recoil in horror or laugh out loud; instead, he politely declines, as if the request were perfectly ordinary and not at all strange and out of place.
Ronaldo’s blankness and his refusal to show how the absurdity of the trial affects him is what helps sell the concept. You believe that he is just an ordinary Joe plucked from the street, and not an actor who “plays” a normal person, which he is not. He provides a good contrast to the other jurors, each of whom has a character trait that he embodies and plays with throughout the series. And speaking of the jury…
The supporting cast is Office-level good
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
Every member of the jury, and even the lawyers and defendants involved in the case, are hilarious, evoking another public favorite mockumentary about the workplace: Office. While that series focused on Michael Scott and, to a lesser extent, Jim, Pam, and Dwight, it benefited from its deep bench of supporting characters like Stanley, Phyllis, Creed, Angela, Oscar, and others. Jury duty it works the same way, supporting Ronaldo with a colorful cast of characters who are both believable and very, very funny. That shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, because Jury dutyCreators Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky also worked on it Office.
There’s also Todd, who is obsessed with making his own DIY cybernetics and creates his own “seats” out of crutches and duct tape that have little functional use in the real world. (His scenes where he tries to sit with his invention, both in the van to the courthouse and in the jury room itself, are the funniest in the series and achieve a kind of absurd perfection.) Thoughtful nerd Noah gradually becomes obsessed with his growing realization that his girlfriend is cheating on him. , while senior citizen Barb drifts off to sleep while the trial is underway (it’s Ronald’s job to keep her awake, which provides a few bits of inspired comedy).
Amazon Freevee
Did I mention Officer Nikki, who’s sick of Todd’s weird behavior and just wants to eat fine dining at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville? Or Jeannie, who wears inappropriately open shirts and likes to spoil nerds? (Noah is, of course, her primary target). There’s Inez, who wants to take on even the smallest tasks like ordering lunch, and Shaun Sanders, an inept defense attorney who keeps screwing up the most basic duties, like bringing the right file to work. While Jury dutyThe high concept initially introduces you, a whole cast of talented character actors who are 100% committed to the part that makes you want to stay and watch.
James Marsden shines as … James Marsden
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
There is one person in the cast that I haven’t mentioned yet because he deserves special attention. James Marsden, actor best known for The X-Men and Sonic the Hedgehog movies, has his best role in years as … James Marsden. It’s a bit of a cliché at this point for actors to play exaggerated versions of themselves (Nicolas Cage did this last year in The unbearable weight of immense talent), but it works here because Marsden isn’t afraid to poke fun at his B-list status. Often referred to as the “X-Man”, Jury dutyMarsden’s version is desperate to prove how important he is by frequently mentioning the current (fake) project he’s involved in, Yellowstone– a type of western drama.
He’s also a horrible person who doesn’t want to be blamed for anything unpleasant that might tarnish his image. This reaches its climax when Marsden asks Ronald if he can use his bathroom to, er, do some work. It ended up clogging the toilet, which required a plumber to come and fix the problem. Marsden begs Ronaldo to take the blame, which he does without protest. What’s funny about this part is how desperate James is in favor of Ronald taking responsibility, and Marsden has done his best to show that it was really Ronald who clogged the toilet, not the actor who played Cyclops and starred in the comedy Sexual drive. It’s silly and crass, but it’s also funny, and shows that Marsden is willing to play down his own image for a well-deserved laugh or two.
It is surprisingly subtle and sweet
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
With a concept that primarily relies on deception and lying, Jury duty is surprisingly benign and, dare I say, subtle? Yes, this is a show that uses poop and masturbation as gags, but it never goes too far with its premise or how it pulls off its elaborate lie. A good example for Jury dutyRonald’s restrained approach is when Ronald has to make sure Barb stays awake during the trial. Just before one session, she admits to swallowing a cookie laced with Dexedrine to stay awake.
A weaker performance would have made Barb hallucinate and trip as a result, but instead, Jury duty he only laughs occasionally as the trial progresses. The comedy here isn’t necessarily how Barb reacts to the drugs in her body; more specifically, Ronald reacts to Barb this way, knowing that she has drugs in her system. It’s a subtle take on a conventional comedy set-up and makes the show better by not doing the obvious.
Jury duty he also shows a sweetness behind his humor, which is mostly because of Ronaldo. When confronted with Barb’s behavior, he doesn’t snitch or belittle her; instead, he congratulates her for staying awake. Todd is initially presented as an oddball, but Ronald takes him under his wing and encourages him to be more open in society. When the judge assigns him to be the ringleader, Ronald becomes heavily involved and manages to bring the group together to reach a consensus on whether or not the accused is responsible. Because Ronald isn’t in on the joke, his reactions to preconceived bits set the tone of the show. Since Ronald is a stand-up guy, the show itself is somewhat of an affirmative portrayal of humanity (at least the part involved in the trial) and the legal system.
It’s even better the second (or third or fourth) time you watch it.
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
I was delighted Jury duty on my first viewing, enjoying the flow of the trial, meeting new characters and marveling at the unique ways the producers are weaving multiple storylines revolving around Ronald’s non-fictional presence. However, my main interest was how and when the elaborate fraud would be revealed. When would Ronald find out? During deliberations? In a hotel where everyone is closed? And how would Ronald react when he finds out that everyone lied to him?
When I re-watched the series a second time, I discovered that Jury duty, like any great comedy, offers plenty of pleasure on repeat viewings. I noticed how well all the actors work together to create a group of strangers who believe they are brought together by their civic duty. Every now and then I caught an actor almost breaking character because the other actor was being too funny with his improvisational skills. (This is most evident when everyone is asked to give their impression of Tim, the injured juror who leaves in episode 2.) Most importantly, I was amazed at how well constructed and directed this show was. Jury duty is a delicate balancing act, one that involves weaving an interesting fictional story while ensuring that the central subject remains oblivious to that story, and it’s great to watch it all come together smoothly episode by episode.
It’s free!
Jury duty | Brand new series | Coming April 7th
You usually have to pay for quality entertainment, especially in this age of streaming, but Jury duty is the rare great comedy that’s also free. All eight episodes of the first season are currently streaming on Amazon’s Freevee service, with the only cost being the occasional 90-second ad here and there.
This isn’t the first Freevee Original show, but it’s certainly the only one I’ve binge-watched in one day – and it seems I’m not the only one. The show has a whopping 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While I don’t usually consider such metrics indicators of quality, u Jury dutycase, it is. It’s the rare modern comedy series that was passed over by critics and is now being sought out again by appreciative audiences. I fell under his spell one afternoon at the end of April and I don’t regret it. Chances are you won’t either.
1st season Jury duty now streaming on Freevee. Want to know more about the show? Then read 8 interesting facts about jury duty.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn