{"id":2849,"date":"2015-04-28T15:02:55","date_gmt":"2015-04-28T20:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~reviewing\/?page_id=2849"},"modified":"2015-04-28T15:03:51","modified_gmt":"2015-04-28T20:03:51","slug":"kimmy-schmidt-revisits-old-theme","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=2849","title":{"rendered":"‘Kimmy Schmidt’ revisits old theme"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted April 28, 2015<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By ALEXANDRA KLUMPP<\/p>\n

I watched the first episode of Netflix\u2019s \u201cUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt\u201d because my friends recommended it to me due to my known obsession with New York City and all movies and television dramas that take place there.<\/p>\n

But this isn\u2019t your typical girl-in-the-city (probably a starving artist) like HBO\u2019s \u201cGirls,\u201d though it may seem so superficially.<\/p>\n

This is about Kimmy Schmidt. She was held hostage, along with three other women, by a reverend who told them the world had ended.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s been kept hostage in a bunk since the 8th<\/sup> grade \u2013 yep, similar to that real Cleveland hostage case a few years ago. They find her, fly her to New York City for a talk show (starring Matt Lauer \u2013 yay!) and she decides to stay to create a new life for herself.<\/p>\n

Sounds typical, but Kimmy Schmidt, played by Ellie Kemper, is striving to reinvent herself in New York City \u2013 not as a Broadway star, not as a director, nor an actress, but as a \u201cnormal\u201d human being.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fun. It\u2019s quirky. From the exaggerated characters to the light-hearted music, it\u2019s a feel-good show.<\/p>\n

Kimmy\u2019s smile and giddiness about New York City and starting over is contagious.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s entertaining just to watch Kemper play this role. Kimmy is a loveable character.
\nAnd I have to know what happens to her!<\/p>\n

The quality of the show is great. It\u2019s high-definition and the colors used \u2013 at least for this first episode \u2013 are bright. This is unusual for a series taking place in NYC, but the creators have managed to do it.<\/p>\n

The whole 25-minute show \u2013- from costume to plot to soundtrack to characters\u00a0\u2013 is light-hearted. When the show was over, I was in a good mood. Kind of the way Fox\u2019s \u201cGlee\u201d left me during those first few seasons.<\/p>\n

The plot is over-the-top, with Kimmy\u2019s gay roommate, played by Tituss Burgess, breaking out in song mid-conversation and the raspy-voiced, definitely cigarette-smoking New York landlord, Lillian, played by Carol Kane.<\/p>\n

Sometimes things are funny, but you don\u2019t laugh out loud. I was laughing out loud. And this doesn\u2019t usually happen with the first episode of a series for me.<\/p>\n

The characters make the show and the show is produced by Tina Fey (think \u201c30 Rock\u201d), so you know the humor will play on stereotypes and satire.<\/p>\n

If you can make fun of yourself, you\u2019ll enjoy this series.<\/p>\n

It sure makes fun of me and my girlfriends. Matt Lauer, in response to Kimmy explaining she got trapped in the bunk because the man wanted to show her his bunnies and she \u201cdidn\u2019t want to be rude,\u201d says he\u2019s \u201calways amazed at what women will do to not be rude.\u201d<\/p>\n

This series is most probably a chick flick, though it\u2019s hard to tell from just the first episode. But if I had to guess, it\u2019s a yes.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m excited to continue the series. I heard it gets even kookier as it goes on.<\/p>\n