Oh... oh man, I'm not sure how to start this one off, ladies and gentlemen. When I saw this new Will Arnett show on Netflix, I immediately thought, "Hey that guy from Arrested Development, and Bojack Horseman and other such titles. I like him! This might be worth a couple laughs." I thought this show would be an easy watch for me to write about for Bingeworthy Review, right? Boy, was I wrong. It gave me the run around time and again. Not to say that that is bad, but… geeze. I don't know how or what to say about this show. It’s difficult to get my head around it. So here it goes I guess..."Flaked" is pretty intense guys, at least for a show that claims to be a 'comedy'.
The show follows Chip (played by Will Arnett), a recovering alcoholic in Venice, California. Ten years ago he made a mistake that ruined his life. Now, he volunteers at an AA clinic to help others, to try and make up for what he did, while trying to balance between helping his friends, keeping up with his failing stool store and doing what he can to maintain the broken pieces of his life. Chip is supported by his fellow recovering alcoholic, and best friend Dennis (David Sullivan), who does what he can to help Chip.
Like I said before, the show doesn't follow the comedy title it claims to be. Don't get me wrong, it’s got some decent chuckles and light-hearted moments, but it is completely overshadowed by the serious drama it provides. The dark tones and intensity of the more serious scenes is only matched by the ironic setting of warm, beautiful Venice. Which, if I think about it, is a statement on society: living in a beautiful place will not make you happy inside. Which, really sets up everything centered on the actions of Chip. Chip is a miserable person trying to seem like he is a good guy. However, he makes all the bad decisions that one would regret. Lying to friends, cheating, and a whole bunch of other things that make his, and his friends lives. kind of terrible. A living hell in some cases. All of this really removes any notion of it being a comedy. Yet, that’s what gives it so much more depth as a show.
There is so much about the show that gives it life. Every scene has this 'color' about it. Things you really have to look for: from the interior of the rooms, to the setting while outside, to the music placement within scenes. The acting, while not award winning, is wonderfully strong in the right moments. Will Arnett’s character just feels like he’s doing a less animated version of ‘Bojack Horseman’ (By the way, if you like this show, but want to see more comedy, Bojack Horseman is definitely worth the watch). His supporting actors do a great job to match the intensity that the show brings.
When I say this show can get intense I mean it can get ‘intense’. Not through flashy events or spectacles, but through reveals and twists. I decided to watch the entire season in one day. In those four hours, I went through so much. There were scenes that made me lose my mind, send chills up my spine, and almost make me cry. And every now and then give me something to chuckle at. (Those scenes usually are the ones before the opening credits). My biggest issue with the show is that it can seem slow or uneventful sometimes, but they are usually the calm before the storm so to speak.
Other than ‘Will Arnett’ fans (which I assume include Will Arnett), I’m not sure whom I would recommend this show to. It’s definitely for a more serious crowd, so don’t put it on as background noise. Watch it if you need craziness that tosses you about like a hot potato at a Limp Biscuit concert (what? Have you not been to a Limp Biscuit concert? Well people throw hot potatoes around like beach balls. Yeah it’s true, don’t even question it to anyone or you’ll look like an idiot.). So give it a watch if you want something to really captivate you and explode your brains with M Night Shyamalan level plot twists. However, while it is a great show, it's not the "comedy" it is marketed to be. The comedy is only worth a couple chuckles, and is overshadowed by the intense drama. So, it's going to have a lower score based on a technicality, but i still recommend this show to anyone who enjoys a little craziness with their shows.
Score: 3.7/5
