What I’m Watching: The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 1, Episode 4 “Kimmy Goes to the Doctor!” (C+)

I keep hearing from friends that they love this show, and I always forget that others aren’t waiting to watch just one episode per week as I am. While it’s possible that the show’s consistency will improve over the course of the season, I can’t imagine it’s going to change all that much. I like the idea of it, certainly, but sometimes I feel it really does follow far too much in the footsteps of “30 Rock” in presenting a fully ridiculous reality that isn’t nearly as compelling as a slightly exaggerated version of real life would be. Martin Short’s plastic surgeon is a prime example of this problem, a humorous plotline in theory but one that feels far too over-the-top in execution. Kimmy running away from the mistake of getting plastic surgery and delivering what she thought was a flawlessly uttered speech that turned out to be completely slurred and incoherent because of the numbing agents at work throughout her body was one such plot point that wasn’t as funny as it could have been. Jane Krakowski’s Jacqueline continues to be one of the stronger parts of the show, consistent enough in her complete obliviousness to the world around her. Titus auditioning for the new Spider-Man musical was most worthwhile for the competition it permitted him to have with his nemesis whose “Law and Order: SVU” stint still didn’t give him the dream career he wanted. The notion of a third Affleck brother who lives in his car might be funny, but it’s much more assuredly random.