O Viajante Relutante, com Eugene Levy

We know Eugene Levy is comic gold, even though this eight-episode 2023 series felt like a cross between a more jaundiced "Somebody Feed Phil" and Jack Whitehall's "Travels with My Father". His observations are less cynical than Whitehall Sr.'s and more dryly relatable except perhaps for his lifelong aversion to sushi. I think having a diametrically opposite travel companion like his son Daniel, or more ideally, Catherine O'Hara, could've made this series less one-note as we rely solely on Levy for his comments which remain consistent no matter the locale or how many exotic travel experiences he has.

There are some bad reviews here, but I think from those that don't know the background. Also... Eugene Levy is Canadian, not an American. Eugene truly does hate to travel and why he was chosen for this show. He was recently on the Smartless podcast with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes... which is where I heard about this show. He talks about why he almost turned this project down and how truly reluctant he was to do this. He is not any of the things the negative reviews say he is. In his 70's, he is facing his fears and getting uncomfortable and it's such a joy to see Eugene Levy as himself.

Back in 2015, I went nomad for a long time and travelled cheaply, nonstop for a few years.

So, I love travel. But...

Some angry-at-the-world chump below slammed this series as some huge entitlement thing. Whatever. You do you, man.

But here's the thing: Not everyone likes travel. In fact, it's downright terrifying to some folks.

Because if you've got anxiety, travelling is number one with a bullet for triggering that stuff.

And Eugene Levy is a man who's made an entire career out of his anxiety. It's a huge part of his comedy and persona, and it's not a schtick. He doesn't like travelling. He likes to stay home or go to restaurants or play golf.

He's a boring guy because boring works GREAT for anxiety.

This series, however, is one that Apple aggressively pursued him to make. He did so as a realization that he was 75 and staring at ending life with a lot of regrets and questions about whether he could have lived more.

As someone who now sees travel as a part of who I am, I loved seeing this guy starting "getting" what travel is about.

And yes, it's world-class luxury, as a nod to Schitt's Creek, but every time Levy has a potentially lifechanging "aha" travel moment, it's doing stuff that's accessible to every income level - it's meeting the local people without agendas. It's experiencing the simple moments.

If this series shows anyone that there is more to travel than getting off a plane to see the known sites and visit all the popular neighbourhoods, I will be delighted.

As for Levy, he is self-deprecating, charming, droll, open, and even vulnerable as he narrates and hosts the entire show.

I love the series and plan to finish the final three episodes RIGHT NOW.

But if you want a lighthearted, fun, BEAUTIFULLY-shot travel series, despite the posh locales, you won't find any pretensions here. Just curiosity from a guy who's lived an entire life dictated by his fears of everything around him... and, for once, confronting those fears to see what it does for him.

It's a show as much about growth and anxiety as it is about travel, with a lot of good humour along the way.

Spectacular cinematography and really magical locations, I'll give it that. It's like "An Idiot Abroad" but Eugene just isn't as funny as Karl. I get that they're trying to get him out of his comfort zone and I respect him for doing so at 75. He really seems to be experiencing things that he'd rather not, hence the reluctant in the title. I think that element, which is the highlight of the show, is sometimes its weakest one. It gets overly repetitive and annoying at some point that it takes away from the magic of the locations he's in. Hearing someone complain the entire time on a trip is my biggest caveat, so maybe that's why I couldn't fully enjoy this show and Eugene's commentary as it is.

Who doesn't like Eugene Levy? He's funny, witty, and has some great suits (if those are really his). Travelogues have been a film and TV staple since the days of James A. FitzPatrick's "Travel Talks" were shown in theaters (and now on TCM). Having Eugene show us around is as good a way as any to see the world. Better him than me.

There are only two drawbacks that I've seen.

1. The "I don't want to do this" attitude does start to wear on you after so many episodes.

2. This is by far the worst part about the show: The speed ramp editing used often and with no good reason. We get it. It's probably a button on their software that zooms the speed of the video up, compressing time into a split second, then slows it back down, and always accompanied by the same "whoosh" sound effect. Stop it. Just stop it. Just @$&#ing stop it! I doubt if they can go a full minute without using this stupid, annoying, trendy, lazy effect. Seriously, never ever use this in any video.