Blockbuster Season One Review

The irony of a series set in a Blockbuster on a streaming service that very well contributed to its eventual downfall goes without saying. A place many would consider a relic of a simpler time, the series feels like a throwback to network sitcoms of a few decades ago but thankfully minus the laugh track. While the subject matter and presentation is a little antiquated, the series dresses it up through a modern lens which will pull some viewers in. However, it is still very much a sitcom for better or worse and not an overly original one. The writing is generic and the humor is mediocre for the most part with the exception of a handful of funny moments.

That being said, where Blockbuster truly shines is its cast, led by Randall Park and Melissa Fumero, who elevate the material thanks to their stellar chemistry. They are simply a blast to watch together perhaps more so than individually as the characters themselves aren’t overly deep or interesting. As the writers navigate through the season, the key is ultimately to have the characters and their quirks and personalities play off of each other in a series of derivative story beats so basically almost any workplace sitcom. In spite of this, the series lives or dies on whether or not the characters are endearing enough to make up for that.

Blockbuster is centered around Timmy Yoon (Randall Park) is an old soul who has devoted his adult life to his one true love of movies. As a result, that passion has carried him through his one and only job of manager at his hometown Blockbuster in suburban Michigan. Little did he know, that job would become much more difficult to navigate upon the news that his store would be the last location operating in America. Wanting to keep his staff and friends employed, Timmy had no choice but to keep the store running though doing so would require some creativity and imagination. However, their new situation was also an opportunity to give back to their local community and remind them of the way life used to be, a society that valued the power of human connection that somehow got lost because of technology that had shifted much of the modern world away from that.

Suffice it to say that achieving Timmy’s goal wasn’t a straightforward process. However, he wasn’t alone as he found himself reunited with his long-time crush Eliza (Fumero), who’s had come back to work for him. She was his trusty number two for whom he confided in but there were some mutual feelings that may or may not develop into something more in what was a will they or won’t they of sorts. While most viewers could more or less see the situations that ensued from there from a mile away, it allowed the personalities of Timmy, Eliza, and the other employees to shine through. Above all else, they were a family. They fought at times, teased each other at times, and argued amongst each other a few times. In the end, that love was clear to see.

Besides Eliza, Connie (Olga Merediz) was the mother figure for the employees but her different perspective and outlook led to some hilarious moments, Carlos (Tyler Alvarez) is a first-generation son of immigrants conflicted between a path set by his parents and his love of movies, Hannah (Madeline Arthur) is a unicorn whose naivety was one of many fun quirks, Kayla (Kamaia Fairburn) is a sneakily smart teen that is sometimes scary, and Percy (JB Smoove) is Kayla’s father, the owner of a party store and the strip mall for which the Blockbuster is part of, and Timmy’s best friend for whom he often took advantage of.

Over the course of the season, the characters saw some development through a series of very sitcom-y subplots spanning episodes or the whole season. While not original by any means, the strength of the cast more than made up for it as they were at least fun to watch. The episodes were building towards a potential event of apocalyptic proportion that would test the resolve of the Blockbuster employees and the local community for better or worse. Ending with a cliffhanger, whether or not the Blockbuster survives remains to be seen but considering the characters, there is plenty of reason for hope.

The best part of Blockbuster is its aforementioned cast and their stellar chemistry with Park leading the way as Timmy. The heart of the series, his effortless charm and charisma make for a likeable lead who is essentially a kind-hearted yet flawed everyman who simply wanted to do right for his employees. He didn’t always go about things the right way but one cannot argue that he didn’t care. His chemistry with Fumero as Eliza was another highlight. However, the real scene-stealer was Merediz as Connie. Her energy and line delivery were a delight to watch. Alvarez, Arthur, Fairburn, and Smoove all contributed nicely. However, the energy of the latter has historically been an acquired taste and that is still the case here though he is more restrained here.

At the end of the day, Blockbuster may not bring anything new to the table in terms of sitcoms but it nonetheless delivers a fun watch propelled by a stellar ensemble.

 still courtesy of Netflix

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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.