In “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23,”Dreama Walker takes on the role of June, a naïve Midwestern girl who moves to NYC for her dream job on Wall Street. On her first day of work, she walks in during the government shutdown of the company. With no job and no apartment, on a whim she moves in with con-artist/socialite Kristen Ritter starring as Chloe, who at first only wants to scam June out of her money. When June outsmarts her, however, they form a slight sort of friendship, a friendship that's often tested by Chloe’s manipulative behavior and selfishness.
Chloe’s borderline sociopathic personality resembles the morals of a pirate. From deciding to “help” by fostering a teen to work as her assistant, to another episode where she reveals her tradition of calling every cheating man in her phone contacts. Chloe is the exact definition of the antihero, and the role is played brilliantly. With Ritter’s huge, exasperated eye rolls and fast-paced uppity mannerisms, I think it’s one of the best roles she’s ever had.
“Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23” also features Chloe’s best friend, James Van Der Beek (playing himself.) In this role, James spoofs himself and his acting craft a hilariously egotistical, washed-up persona. As he continues to be adored by fans, he can't get over the idea that they love him for all the wrong reasons. His selfish character is truly depicted when he volunteers to serve food at a most exclusive “Photogenic homeless shelter” and then leaves immediately after having his pictures taken so that everyone can see what a ‘great deed’ he did.
The humor is dark, but the situations seem normal throughout quirky moments of relevant dialogue, which makes for the crazy things that happen in the show more relatable to viewers. I was hooked from the first episode. I couldn’t stop laughing; they're so many standout moments in the show that make you just want to go back and watch it again. Personally, I enjoy the witty humor that drives the chaotic, unpredictable plot. Comedy is supposed to be outside of our expectations, and with this show, I don’t even mind if a joke or two goes over my head because it’s just so genuinely funny. Some people may consider the show to be raunchy at times, which is most likely why it was cancelled during its second season on ABC Family. Despite the low ratings, “Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23” is well-liked by a wide range of critics and viewers and it's 4-star rating on Netflix shows that although the show hasn't released an episode in four years, the humor in it hasn't gone out of touch.
So if you’re looking for a TV show that is both original and hilariously entertaining, I definitely recommend checking out "Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23". It’s now available to stream on Netflix and Amazon.
