by Landry Harlan
Originally Published at tthoroughfare.com
I struggle to explain the basic premise of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to friends. “Yeah, so it’s about this girl who escapes from an apocalypse cult and struggles to adjust back into society.” Seriously, it sounds like the next gritty HBO drama. ButKimmy Schmidt is far from it. This is perhaps the most joyous and hilarious show on TV (I’m just going to call Netflix “TV” now--it’s easier). The jokes and gags fly so fast that it is almost frustrating that your laughs can’t keep up with them. The machine gun nature of this comedy can easily be traced to creator Tina Fey’s notoriously sharp writing and the best actress-title character matchup in recent history with Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt.
Most audiences will recognize Kemper from her stint on The Office as the simple but sweet receptionist Erin. She also stole a few scenes as a supporting player in Bridesmaids and 21 Jump Street, but it’s about time she was the star. Few actresses could pull off the incessant sincerity, genuinely excited, and overall adorable Kimmy Schmidt without coming off as annoying. I mean, in the first episode she’s wearing a Jansport backpack to a club and exclaims “Dancing is about butts now!” Even though she seems like a kid at a candy store in her first days outside the bunker, Kimmy is still as tough as nails. Check out this truth bomb she drops early on in the series:
Most audiences will recognize Kemper from her stint on The Office as the simple but sweet receptionist Erin. She also stole a few scenes as a supporting player in Bridesmaids and 21 Jump Street, but it’s about time she was the star. Few actresses could pull off the incessant sincerity, genuinely excited, and overall adorable Kimmy Schmidt without coming off as annoying. I mean, in the first episode she’s wearing a Jansport backpack to a club and exclaims “Dancing is about butts now!” Even though she seems like a kid at a candy store in her first days outside the bunker, Kimmy is still as tough as nails. Check out this truth bomb she drops early on in the series:
The show is primarily light and breezy, but it isn’t afraid to delve into dark places every now and then. Kimmy’s history is still messed up. A few flashbacks to the bunker give us a keen sense of the horror she went through, of course wrapped in trademark Tina Fey dark comedy. But her backstory is important, revealing how Kimmy became “unbreakable.” She stands up to their captor Reverend Wayne Gary Wayne (I won’t spoil the delightful cameo, but hang in till the end of the series for the Rev’s trial--it’s worth it) several times and never resigns herself to her situation. In the first episode she gets fired from her job on her first day and her roommate Titus (I’ll get to him in a second) is stuck dressing as a superhero for a living. What does she do? She starts singing, of course, before racing to her old job to demand a second chance from her boss (Jane Krakowski)! And then she makes a plan to help her new friend. Undoubtedly feminine but with an unflinching resilience, Kimmy Schmidt is one of the most unique females on TV today.
Speaking of unique characters, let’s just get to Titus Andromedon already, the other star of the show. Titus is played by Tituss Burgess, whom you may remember from his stint on Tina Fey’s last show, 30 Rock (you wouldn’t be incorrect to draw lots of parallels from Fey’s masterpiece to “Kimmy Schmidt”). Titus is not afraid to express himself. As a gay black actor trying to make it in NYC, Titus has to resort to any means necessary to get his face out there. At different points he hands out flyers donning an Iron Man costume, tries out for an extremely dangerous Spiderman musical, and even plays a werewolf at a “Dining Experience” restaurant. However, it’s when he undergoes his own creative endeavors that his talent truly shines:
Speaking of unique characters, let’s just get to Titus Andromedon already, the other star of the show. Titus is played by Tituss Burgess, whom you may remember from his stint on Tina Fey’s last show, 30 Rock (you wouldn’t be incorrect to draw lots of parallels from Fey’s masterpiece to “Kimmy Schmidt”). Titus is not afraid to express himself. As a gay black actor trying to make it in NYC, Titus has to resort to any means necessary to get his face out there. At different points he hands out flyers donning an Iron Man costume, tries out for an extremely dangerous Spiderman musical, and even plays a werewolf at a “Dining Experience” restaurant. However, it’s when he undergoes his own creative endeavors that his talent truly shines:
This character could easily become a stereotype of the quintessential “gay best friend,” but Burgess only rarely allows Titus to fall into the cliche. Give credit to Fey’s writing that allows Titus an intriguing backstory of growing up in a rural Mississippi public school. Only a few snippets are revealed in the first season (a marriage??), but these glimpses allow us to see why Titus struggles. He is still an outsider. Thank goodness Kimmy finds him. With her enthusiasm Titus experiences his own renaissance. Kimmy inspires Titus, as well as herself, to not give up. I couldn’t say it any better than Kimmy says herself:
“...stand up and say, ‘We’re different. We’re the strong ones, and you can’t break us.’ We are going to pay the rent, I’m going to get my job back, and I’m going to kiss a boy!”
“...stand up and say, ‘We’re different. We’re the strong ones, and you can’t break us.’ We are going to pay the rent, I’m going to get my job back, and I’m going to kiss a boy!”
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has already been renewed for another 13-episode season, and it’s easy to see why. Need any more reasons to watch? How about amazing guest stars? You know Tina can’t keep herself from, as 30 Rock’s Jenna would call it, the “cam-ehr-ah.” How about the music? It’s just as bright and bouncy as Kimmy. I mean, have you even heard the infectious theme song yet? Seriously, it will be in your head all week, and you will eventually curse those who dare to sing, “Ooooooooh, dammit!” Now what are you waiting for? Get binging already!
