Created by: Will Arnett, Mark Chappell
Starring: Will Arnett, Ruth Kearney, Lina Esco, David Sullivan
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| Flaked - Nothing to see here. |
This Netflix original series follows Chip, a furniture maker in AA who isn't exactly sober and can't maintain a stable relationship with friends or women while he juggles more than a few lies.
Verdict:
When I see a show starring Will Arnett and produced by Mitch Huritz, I can't help but hope for a successor to Arrested Development featuring Arnett's character from the series Gob. I hope in vain, but I can't help it. I was disappointed with the Arnett-Huritz show Running Wilde, only watching a couple of episodes. So my anticipation for this show is tempered.
It's classified as a comedy, which is the only thing funny about this show as it isn't. I assume Netflix classifies all half hour shows as comedies because this severely lacks humor. I wonder if this is Arnett's bid to break being typecast by playing serious in a drama.
The drama revolves around Chip (Will Arnett) who is an all around terrible person. The other characters exist just so he can mistreat them. If this was funny it would help, but unfortunately it's not. It takes a turn from boring to firmly establishing itself as a drama in the last few episodes, but this is yet again another Netflix show that makes you watch 80% of it until it becomes even somewhat interesting. I liked the last three episodes, but if I wasn't reviewing this I wouldn't have finished the second episode. It's just not worth it. The show fails to establish the concept and story early enough, which should be done in episode one. Also, prepare yourself to be reminded the show is set in Venice. We're told this every few minutes.
Skip it.
Recap
The first five episodes are filler for the real story that begins in episode six that firmly establishes the show as a drama.
The show makes Chip into a bad guy when it isn't necessary. Why not give him a few good traits? Everything he does is selfish and unlikable. It has some interesting side characters that are failed by the main character. For some reason the last episode attempts to redeem Chip from all of his wrongs. Numerous characters tell Chip what a good person he is when they know and we've seen he isn't. We get a big reveal about his accident that is supposed to make us like him more, and he finally does something that doesn't appear to be selfish. I'm guessing somehow it is.
Why doesn't Chip work? How does he make rent or even live? He owns a stool shop, but never actually does any work or sells anything. It's at odds with a show that's trying to be serious.
The show should be called the ten year lie. That would help the show get to the point quicker and provide a question to make the series more interesting.
Episode 1 - Westminster
Going into the first episode assuming this was a comedy had me wondering when the comedy would start. Based on the last few Netflix comedies, it seems like the unspoken rule is that comedies strive to not be funny while presenting an unlikable character.
The premise is that Chip is in AA after an accident the killed someone ten years ago when he was drunk. It's unclear what Chip does. He has a store but the only point of that seems to be an alternate setting. Chip stiffs a coffee shop and flirts with London (Ruth Kearney), a girl two of his friends have told me they have a crush on. Robert Wisdom plays George, a cop that used to be Chip's sponsor.
Sold as a comedy this is not a good first episode. The big reveal at the end is that Chip isn't even sober.
Episode 2 - Horizon
I was still wondering when the show would reveal itself as a comedy. I had yet to see any funny situations or jokes. I wad mad at this show, Arnett, and Netflix for giving him free reign without checking in. In retrospect, I realize this isn't a comedy.
Chip's landlord is selling the store, and Chip begins renting the studio apartment above the store to London, even though they both realize it's a bad idea. For some reason this show has to remind us every five minutes it's set in Venice. Mark Boone Jr. from Sons of Anarchy plays Chip's landlord Jerry. Chip helps his friend Dennis's date with London go well, despite that not being his intention.
Episode 3 - Rose
His ex-wife Tilly (Heather Graham), who he hasn't actually divorced, is a famous TV star. Chip's landlord Jerry is Tilly's father. In the third episode we get an almost funny line.
"So it's a no?"
"I want you to hear it as a yes."
Chip doesn't deliver the cake he promised he would to Cara's meeting for her one year sobriety celebration. He didn't even buy the cake, George bought the cake knowing Chip wouldn't. This episode firmly establishes that we can count on the show and Chip to let us down.
Episode 4 - Palms
Kirstie Alley plays Dennis's mom. Dennis and Chip have an acerbic relationship, mostly due to London. Chip claims he isn't vying for London's attention, though he is. He uses his accident that killed someone to endear himself to London.
The show veers towards comedy with Dennis and his Mom at a spa, with Dennis later trying to dump his mom's husband for her.
The mystery car Chip has been seeing is revealed to the audience as London's. The car reminds him of the accident he had.
Episode 5 - Electric
The show reveals that London's real name is Claire and she ran away from a marriage.
Chip's new sponsor is the rich founder of a startup Topher (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), that wants to give Chip money to save his store. It's convenient timing for Chip, though he denies it.
London and Chip share a kiss while Dennis helps Cara when Chip can't be located. Dennis and Chip have a fight, Dennis citing how selfish Chip is. Chip is so completely self absorbed that it is obnoxious.
Episode 6 - Shell
Dennis and Cara bond over their dislike of Chip. Chip sets Topher up with London, hoping it will help with Topher buying the store. When Topher wants London as part of the deal, Chip refuses and calls it off.
George tells Dennis that the silver Honda Chip kept seeing is London's, and that Chip killed London's brother ten years ago. It's a crazy bomb for the show to drop. She has to know who Chip is, so what is her plan? She claims to just want to know how Chip lived with the accident and if he was a good person. He rejects her and her plan, whatever it may be.
Episode 7- 7th
Chip goes back to Tilly to save her store. London calls her fiance on the day that was supposed to be their wedding. This is an interesting story line, but revealing more earlier and making Chip at least conflicted about being a jerk would have helped this show immensely. The show saved everything interesting for the last few episodes.
We get the tired joke that Chip's wife is now with a woman (Annabeth Gish) who is also head of the development group buying Chip's store. For some reason the group doesn't complete the deal to buy the store.
London just wanted to know the person that killed her brother, wondering if he suffered enough. Chip gives her an out and admits he's not a good person. She doesn't want to leave because she likes him.
Episode 8 - Sunset
Chip is a hero for stopping the development. Dennis discovers the box of empty wine bottles in his cellar, finally coming back to the plot point the show dropped in episode one that Chip is in fact not sober. While Chip saved his story, his landlord Jerry kicks him out for costing him four million dollars.
Chip threatens to reveal the truth that Tilly was the one that killed London's brother, not Chip. Jerry counters that revealing the the truth will upend Chip's current life and standing. Chip is a fake.
Dennis accuses Cara of stealing the wine before it dawns on him that it's Chip. Topher is now going to buy the store and make a hotel. London/Claire's fiance finds her.
Why are all the side characters telling Chip how great he is? They've joked about how he only sponsors women and they know how selfish he is. We know even more than they do.
It's revealed that Chip did know Topher was rich, despite claiming not to. Tilly accidentally reveals to Dennis that she killed London's brother. It's an almost comedic exchange that feels out of place with regard to the seriousness of the reveal.
Chip delivers an impassioned speech welcoming the coming hotel and the revitalization of Venice. He of course uses the accident and AA to win over everyone. The only reason he ever wanted to stop the development was not in an effort to save Venice, but because he didn't want to lose his story.
He admits, unprompted to Dennis that he's been stealing the wine, but won't reveal any details about the accident.
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