Flaked

This show start very slow and somehow draws you in. All of the characters are deeply flawed, especially Will Arnett's character but you can't help but full in love with them all. A beautiful, emotional and intelligent show. Keep up the good work. More eolpisodes!

Arnett and Chappell have created a considerable dramedy series. The duo also pen the series first season. Great direction, writing, cinematography, setting, soundtrack and acting. All of the artists involved deliver significant performances. Arnett stands out with his innate ability to deliver comedic dialogue in sometimes serious, sarcastic and subtle ways. There are several guest stars in the series which contribute to the humor. The plot is set in Venice Beach, CA and revolves around Chip. Chip is a man in recovery from an incident that occurred ten years earlier. Through his recovery he lives a stock lifestyle and has surrounded himself with his best friend Dennis, a stoner friend Cooler, his former sponsor who is a cop George and his sometimes love interest Kara. He is also still married to his very successful wife Tilly. Suddenly Chip's routine life is turned upside down upon the arrival of a girl named London. Everyone around Chip views him as a self serving individual who can never quite tell the truth, but at the same time often seek life choices advisement from him. They seem to tolerate him because of his likability and love for his community. Initially it is Dennis that pines over London, but as usual Chip's self serving habit leans his eyes towards her and he always gets his way. Everyone in Venice Beach knows what each other is up to much like a small town. Chip's web of little white lies always catch up with him and little does he know, but London didn't just arrive in Venice Beach by coincidence. While Chip is living his everyday existence his sobriety is constantly being tested by topics such as his wife, the gentrification of Venice Beach and many more events in life. The plot is emotional, clever, witty, crisp and insightful. Both seasons have delivered the goods. This is an indelible series and one of the better in it's genre

I've been a huge fan of both writers work for Arrested Development and The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, so when Flaked turned up at the top of my Netflix homepage I decided to give it a try.

First, this show is definitely a testament to Arnett's acting. His character is moody, complex, and incredibly relateable. I would not categorize Flaked as a comedy at all, although it has its funny moments, the focus of the show is intense drama with several strong characters in a difficult situation.

The acting and the story aren't really what makes this show for me, though. There's something else about it, a certain je ne sais quoi as they say, that's very hard to explain. Flaked is beautiful.

The soundtrack is outstanding, and the cinematography, set dressing, just about every little detail somehow combine to evoke in me every bit of nostalgia that I've ever had for life in a small town. I've fallen in love with Flaked for the experience of watching it, and that's not something that happens to me very often.

This show is certainly flawed in some aspects, but that is also part of its nature. That might be difficult to understand. It can be a bit of a mess, just like the main character and the spirit of the show.

What is however extremely competent, is the way it is shot. It's gorgeous. The cinematography is probably the best i've ever seen in a TV-show. The way it uses Vence as location and the way they capture light is gorgeous; the orange glow of a low sun shot in natural light on location. the locations and vibe of venice. Together with the use of music this makes a framework that gives the show an inherent quality that few other shows have.

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The show is like a mix of The Big Lebowski and Californication, with some added flair of beat literature. You either get those things or not, and sometimes you need time. The show certainly grew on me, and somehow I couldn't stop watching. Enjoy the atmosphere that is beautiful and chill

The show does sometime dip into melodrama a bit too much for my liking, when it should be a bit more comedic than it is. But it is a far more intelligent, mature and artistic show than most. In fact it's probably one of my favourite shows since Treme.

I saw this on Netflix, I decided to give it a chance. So I watched the first episode and I was shocked at how good it really is. This is not slapstick humor nor is it over the top. The lead role is Chip, he is a 40 something guy who runs a stool shop in downtown Venice. He is a troubled individual who simply survives life. He is a recovering alcoholic with a tragic past and yet he chooses to endure even if his existence is not entirely humorous. There is a great deal of emotion with the characters, including his roommate Dennis and his love interest London.

While the shows situations don't always fit into place, it is like watching those people you know in real life as an adult but don't associate with because they don't fit into your lifestyle. This is truly like walking a mile in the shoes of a mans life that is worth watching.

9/10