Brown Nation Season 1 Netflix Series Review

Brown Nation (2016-)
Season 1 - 10 episodes (2016)

Brown Nation Season 1

Watch Brown Nation on Netflix
Created by: Abi Varghese, George Kanatt, Matt Grubb
Starring: Rajeev Varma, Shenaz Treasury, Kapil Bawa, Remy Munasifi, Melanie Chandra, Doug E. Doug
Rated: TV-14/PG-13

Plot
In this sitcom, Hasmukh deals with his floundering IT business during the day and his listless wife and overbearing father-in-law at home.

Verdict
This is a sitcom in the vein of Everybody Loves Raymond, that instead focuses on an Indian family. Hasmuhk is the hapless lead who can't say no. He's driven to make his business and marriage succeed and his method is to say yes to everything.
With twenty minute episodes, it's an easy watch. You want Hasmuhk to succeed, but you know he won't despite his exuberance and determination.
Watch it.

Review

Each episode is Hasmuhk (Rajeev Varma) getting into and then out of trouble. This is from lying to his wife about damaging her dog painting, spending money on expensive meals for his sales rep for a contract he likely won't get, or allowing his brother-in-law to rent his office to concoct off brand cologne.

Each episode has a self contained story, but these stories build upon themselves to detail the characters, though Hasmuhk and his wife Dimple (Shenaz Treasury) easily have the most depth.

This comedy centers around what's going wrong for Hasmuhk. Whether it's at home or at work, it's clear he's not in charge despite his assumptions. He will often say, "I don't know if I should do this." before being talked into it. He agrees to everything, unwilling to assert himself. This is all played for laughs as he just can't catch a break, like when his office manager puts in the wrong tape during an important teleconference or he loans out his car and it gets smashed in a music video.

In the first scene this show places Hasmuhk clearly at the bottom of the hierarchy. Even the dog gets more respect.
He takes solace in the fact that his father-in-law is finally leaving, but of course those plans fall through and he'll continue to stay with them.

Dimple and Hasmuhk, with Papaji in the background.

While this could feel stale if it was another white family, focusing on an Indian family makes this fresh, injecting a culture unique to television. While his wife could be a vapid character, she has a lot of depth. She's insecure and wonders why she hasn't achieved the success of others, despite fully realizing she has a great life.

His wife is a former actress that isn't having much luck. She takes up painting before returning to auditions. While she manages a role in a music video, her career doesn't take off like she had hoped when she becomes the constipation girl.

Hyder is running a new cologne business out of Hasmuhk's office.

His brother-in-law Hyder (Remy Munasifi) is always trying to start a get rich quick business. He moves from a taxi service, to a funeral home, a hidden camera taxi confessional, and to even making his own cologne. Somehow Hasmuhk often gets roped into the schemes.

While Hasmuhk tries to propel his business to success, he's pushing outdated software and his employees don't care or are trying to get enough momentum to quit and stair their own business. Hasmuhk's sales rep Matt indulges clients in lavish dinners and even tries to submit his personal bills for reimbursement.

When Hasmuhk finally decides to fire Matt, it doesn't take. In the final episode one of Hasmuhk's relatives visits, trying to convince him to return to the family peanut business and give up I.T. Hasmuhk has to decide whether to take a job that pays the bills or follow his passions.