Netflix
If Steve Carell is on your screen, chances are his presence in what you’re watching was a driving factor in how you decided to spend your time. He’s managed to make a name for himself through his ability to transition in a nearly seamless fashion from dry and crude comedy to family and adult drama. The issue with his latest creative venture, Space Force, is that it tries to be all and none of those things, attempting to bend towards some semblance of a genre and, inevitably, snapping in half.
Created by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation), Space Force follows General Mark R. Naird (Carell) as he navigates his new occupation as head of the newly-formed military branch that the show is named after, surrounded by a cast of characters that both aide and doubt him along the way. These characters include his lead scientist, Dr. Adrian Mallory (The New Pope’s John Malkovich), his Social Media/PR Manager F. Tony Scarapiducci (Parks and Recreation’s Ben Schwartz), his imprisoned wife, Maggie (Friends’ Lisa Kudrow), and their daughter-in-turmoil, Erin (Booksmart’s Diana Silvers). His first mission, as assigned by a non-coincidental, Twitter-hungry, no-name President, is taken on by his team, made up of Tawny Newsome, Jimmy O. Yang, Don Luke, and Alex Sparrow.
The general plot is pretty simple and broad, giving plenty of opportunity for the creators to bring it in any and all directions they’d like. Daniels has previously shown his mastery at this, freely doling out as many tears as he does laughs on The Office, while creating an equally quirky and endearing atmosphere on Parks and Recreation. Unfortunately, in this case, no clear direction is fully developed as Space Force doesn’t completely realize its intention or its audience. Is it poking fun at the antics and ambitions of the administration? Is it all for the new military branch? In spoof or in support, it’s never fully clear.
This is something that could be forgiven if the comedy and drama weren’t continuously battling for the spotlight.
Given the breadth of relevant political content that seems to increase by the minute these days, a new political satire with the humorous brilliance of the team behind it would have been refreshing and needed. In my opinion, to call itself Space Force in 2020 sets up the idea that this is the new wave of bold, biting, real-life satire matching the wits of Mel Brooks or Leslie Nielsen. But that intention takes so much of a detour that the name seems unwarranted and undeserving. Any space-themed pun would do. While the references are there and the punchlines make their appearances, the overall energy never brings the viewer to a final destination worthy of any genre – comedy, drama, or otherwise.
Instead, what’s experienced in Space Force is two separate shows that fail to interlock – one, a witty political satire of mishaps and mayhem that relies less on the slapstick and more on the presence of dry, one-off zingers; the second, a family drama centered around the shifting dynamics brought on by the fortunate and unfortunate circumstances faced by Naird and his family. There are moments where the 30-minute comedy takes the reigns, held firmly by the supporting cast. Then there are longer scenes where the 30-minute drama edges its way to the lead, focusing either solely on the family or examining the power struggles between the somewhat ignorant leader and his by-the-books scientist sidekick. The way that this show attempts to combine the two separate series leads to a 60-minute show in a 30-minute timeslot that still manages to give the sense that filler scenes were needed to meet the timeline requirements.
That being said, the script does have its moments, brought on mainly by some of the non-key players – Kudrow bringing some A-level comedic punches and the late Fred Willard, who died this month at age 86, making a lasting impression in his brief, but fun cameos. There’s also a vast Rolodex of familiar faces that pop up throughout the show. However, in as little time as it takes for them to win you over, they’re taken away just as fast.
This seems to be the nature of the show overall – tease an idea or a plot, then just leave it where it is. The flow from one thing to the next is stagnant and rigid as the creatives take the series episode by episode with only a thin veil of connective storyline to hold it together. And unfortunately, as equally lovable and loathsome as he is, Steve Carell isn’t enough to be the space-grade glue that’s needed to make it work.
What did you think of this season? Sound off in the comments below!
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