Created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the same team behind 30 Rock, Kimmy Schmidt is an absurdist comedy it is unapologetic in his eccentricities. Its fast pace prevents you from lingering on one odd occurrence or joke before heading to the next event in that episode's plot. Choosing not to ease a viewer into the experience can understandably be a con to some but it is one of my favorite aspects of the show. Such little exposition or scenes that lingers allows for greater immersion in the narrative and setting since the audience is in a similar position as our protagonist Kimmy, being into a strange new setting that they must adapt and find their own footing.
Kimmy is also a surprisingly complex character. While she may seem happy-go-lucky and naive on the surface the series does not stray away from exploring the deeper traumas she has. A reoccurring issue Kimmy has is an inversion to physical intimacy due to her years of being abused by her kidnapper, but where this character differs from many victims of traumatic circumstances is that she does not dominated by that past experience. She is determined to persevere and establish her own identity, rejecting being classified as a victim by the world at large. In many ways she is one of the most positive portrayals of a trauma survivor I have seen as she accepts her past strife but has no intention of letting it define who she is.
The various oddities in the world were used to further the commentary and comedy, pushing real-world scenarios ti an extreme that demonstrate the ridiculous nature of real-world entities and events. Kimmy Schmidt takes shots at every prominent viewpoint or perspective, from conservative to liberal and from the sports industry to Broadway. While it is unafraid to tackle and mock issues and social groups it does not do so maliciously, always balancing showcasing one extreme by soon targeting the opposite end of the spectrum.
Season 3's ongoing plot thread about the gentrification of New York's boroughs is a great example of this. On one hand you have Lillian (Carol Kane), who sees the changing of her neighborhood as an attack of its culture with the upscaling of the block leading to a stripping of its personality and driving out of its current residents. Then Artie (Peter Riegert) is introduced as a counterpoint to her cause, a rich philanthropist who sees gentrification as a way to help the less fortunate and prevent children from having the poor upbringing he had. Their relationship manages to have great comedic moments while commenting on real issues effecting New Yorkers like food deserts and rising housing prices.
If you do not find the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt funny then that is fine because comedy is highly subjective, but dismissing the show as being simply sill or stupid is writing off the depth and nuance that exists in the series. With the whole series being available on Netflix I would encourage everyone to hive the show a shoot and see if its clever absurdity entertains you as much as it does me.
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