Moonbase 8 (1×01) Dry Review

Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker and John C. Reilly are a trio ripe for a great comedy. With Space Force in the rearview mirror, cue Moonbase 8, the latest comedy series looking for a better fate but it appears well on its way to have.

Synopsis: Stationed at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator in Winslow, Arizona, three dedicated astronauts (and one football champion) attempt to qualify for their first lunar mission. When the team is faced with a water shortage, an unorthodox solution leads to unintended consequences. (Showtime)

As mentioned the three stars of Moonbase 8, certainly make their mark in the series’ first episode which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone. That being said, the series is sure to cater to fans of those actors therefore won’t be for everyone. Though for the rest of us, the chance to see Armisen, Heidecker and Reilly anywhere and just riffing off of each other is well worth the watch. For the most part, Dry was this, showing signs of what the series could ultimately become but before that, it had to establish its characters and their dynamic. From the start, the great chemistry of Armisen, Heidecker and Reilly is well on display, each creating rootable characters and a believable dynamic that would indeed get tested here.

In order to prepare astronauts to live on the first manned base on the surface of the moon, NASA operates a series of bases on earth for prospective candidates to train to live and work on the surface of the moon. The series takes place on one these bases, Moonbase 8. follows Cap (Reilly), Rook (Heidecker), and Skip (Armisen) and for some strange reason, tight end for the Super Bowl winning Kansas City Chiefs, Travis Kelce (playing an incredibly vain version of himself), living and working as part of a simulated mission for the chance to go to the moon. Unfortunately for them, they would face some adversity right away as a water shortage threatened to cut their mission short.

Perhaps a big fan or just intimidated by Kelce, Cap seemingly let him be bossed around in arguably humiliating fashion (getting smacked by a Super Bowl ring in the process). Meanwhile, their first mission was to plant an apple seed and track its progress. However, they would soon figure out that they were running low on water long before expected. The issue now was trying to figure out what to do until their next water shipment which would not be until well after they’ll run out. The ideas from there were not exactly the smartest to say the least, from oil, to salad dressing, to deurinated water. Ultimately, Kelce’s big idea to dig a well in the desert, which was not well-advised either with the others favoring an environmental impact report first, did not end well for him as he got sucked into the ground and later died.

Being a mere PR stunt for NASA, Cap believed Kelce’s death threatened the chances of the others success, with each of them having their own motivations in pursuing the mission (though none of them knew what NASA stood for), so it was up to them to try to cover it up (though Kelce already signed a waiver not holding NASA liable). When it looked like they were ready to give up, there was still some champagne in the fridge which was a good idea on paper before devolving though it led to the three sharing some fun stories.

As helped arrived, it was determined that their water tank sprank a leak which explained the shortage. Despite the traumatic experience of losing Kelce, the others remained committed to the mission and from there, continued their duties as usual.

Onto the next challenge which will hopefully allow these characters’ relationship to further flourish. While Armisen and Heidecker had some funny lines, this episode was more of a Reilly show. A better balance will only help the series. Nevertheless, this was a solid start.

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.