Emmy Episodes: Kenan

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the sixth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Kenan: Season 1, Episode 4 “Flirting” (C)

I watched the pilot of this show back in February (it seems like a lot longer ago than that) and promptly forgot it, though I do remember finding it somewhat decent with the dramatic incorporation of the loss of Kenan’s wife and his kids’ mother. I didn’t find that charm present in this episode, which serves as the official submission for star Kenan Thompson’s best actor nomination. I think he was able to get into the category in part because it’s a weak year and in part because of his “Saturday Night Live” popularity, but this episode is not a great showcase of his work. He’s rarely enthusiastic, and he’s not quite awkward or terrible enough like a Larry David to make it really funny. The fact that he got tricked into thinking someone was into him didn’t help matters and just made it all much more uncomfortable. I’m more intrigued by Mika and the many past relationships that she’s had which she casually mentions and drops in conversation without any context or acknowledgment that it comes off as pretty sensational. I remember Don Johnson being one of the best parts of a film I saw at Sundance a few years ago, “Cold in July,” and he’s also quite entertaining here, acting way above his material. Having Cori show up on the TV in footage from her show and connecting it to the present moment was a mildly impactful emotional tactic, but it’s not nearly enough to convince me to start watching this show.