A disaster from beginning to end
First some disclosure: I am a British man living in Sweden with my girlfriend who is Swedish and I've watched all 10 episodes. I wish I hadn't.When I first heard about the show, I was looking forward to how it would tackle the experiences of the newly-arrived foreigner so I was understandably eager to watch. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. There aren't many words that can come close to describing the unremitting awfulness of this travesty of a sitcom but I will give it a try.
=Writing=
Bland, safe and unfunny are the first words that come to mind. After one episode, it's immediately apparent that Greg Poehler is NOT a seasoned writer nor is he someone who has spent a long enough time performing stand-up to hone his craft. This rapidly becomes clear as the jokes are poor, trite and have no real payoff. The whole thing seems underwritten and that's always a big problem for a first-time writer. The joke-per- minute ratio is too low which has led some US critics to label the show 'subtle', 'amiable' and 'gentle'. These are code words for 'there's not much going on but we're going to be kind'.
=Story=
Another serious problem with the show is the 'barely there' storyline. Not much happens in each episode. Greg misunderstands and complains about something. The end. That's it. Most egregious of all, however, is the lack of logic in most of the situations. As the series progresses, very little makes any sense such as: Why would a top accountant to the stars in the US take a job as a tour guide in Stockholm when he doesn't know the city? Why is he so good at accounting that people demand him back in the US? Surely there are other accountants over there. Why is Amy Poehler in a very conventional office? Why does Aubrey Plaza fly to Sweden to get Greg to return? It gets more and more illogical as it proceeds.
=Acting and characters=
The two leads do not convince and they very clearly have no chemistry. The others are poorly developed including the layabout brother and the parents. Lena Olin and the man who plays the father are head and shoulders above the rest but even they can't do much with such a poor script. The worst character is the America-loving uncle. His cringe- worthy acting and characterization made me leave the room.
=Cameos=
It's not often Will Ferrell isn't funny but here he manages that feat brilliantly and the other cameos are equally pointless. Gene Simmons is particularly bad but I really feel sorry for Aubrey Plaza who usually delivers funny, dry humor in Parks and Recreation. Here she is wasted.
=Conclusion=
I do not want to come over as intentionally nasty but this sitcom is devoid of any redeeming features whatsoever. I cannot fathom why NBC would ever go near this appalling excuse for entertainment and the fact that it's got a second series in Sweden says more about the way things work over here in Sweden than it does about the Swedes having any real love for this horrible program.
score 1/10
britfunkmaster 15 July 2014
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3050633/15111
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