Underemployed

This in first look may seem to be a cliché show about young friends trying to put together a life in Chicago... but once you start following subsequent episodes, believe me.. it's kinda fun. It reminds us in our mundane lives, that how friendships and true bondings are important to support one another and go through good and not so good times and circumstances.It's a youthful and enthusiastic show, which gives us a surprisingly refreshing view and a positive outlook towards, people, friendships, relations and lives all together, with keeping the background quiet realistic in today's modern American big city life. A good show indeed... of course for those who get the hang of it...!

This show is pretty bad. The story lines seem pretty flimsy, the humour is mostly cringe worthy, and all the characters are irrational and unrealistic. It is a shame, because most of the actors are hot (with the exception of Lou) and the acting itself isn't terrible.

This could be a decent show, but as it stands it just seems like yet another desperate attempt by MTV to appeal to us 20-somethings feeling sorry for ourselves because 'lifes so hard'. It certainly falls short of that for me, but I can see it being a hit with kids who are fresh out of high school and expecting life to be all 'friends forever' and are gullible enough to believe that two adults and a baby can afford a 2 bedroom loft apartment on 1 salary.

I'm really surprised this crap came from the same person who produced Six Feet Under, because comparatively, this is a load of (not totally unwatchable, but still stinky) garbage.

From the fourth episode onwards, 'UnderEmployed' just works. It finds the right tone, the characters become real, and the story arc becomes addictive.

The most important thing you need to understand about 'UnderEmployed' is that it is essentially a "teen" genre show. Given the seriousness of the title & age of the characters, many will likely expect the dark/cynical realism of HBO's "Girls" & "Hung". Instead, a better comparison would be shows like 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Jane By Design', or 'Vampire Diaries'.

If you have watched and enjoyed those teen shows, you will have noticed that most have rough starts. That is usually because the writers struggle with just how "obvious" to make things for a younger audience. The characters are introduced as annoying caricatures…they are either too perky, too morose, or too evil. The stories seem to be going nowhere interesting…there is no compelling arc that makes you excited for the next episode. This was a problem for all the teen shows I previously mentioned...and it is definitely a problem with the first three episodes of 'UnderEmployed'.

Thankfully (like a lot of successfully executed teen shows) 'UnderEmployed' finds itself by the fourth episode. As of this review, episodes 4/5/6/7 have aired. The characters have become comfortable in their own skin, so you begin to admire them as real human-beings. The dialogue has become more subtle & clever, which increases the emotional punch & LOL! factor of the scenes. Most importantly, you notice that each character MATTERS as an individual…despite their friendship, each is on a unique and compelling journey with no guarantee of success. All this leaves you wanting MORE after each episode.

One additional note about "characters"...'Vampire Diaries' viewers will know that the secret of the shows success is that the supporting characters are treated with as much care & respect as the main characters. They don't merely exist as "challenges" to the main characters…they have humanity of their own. I have noticed a similar thing with 'UnderEmployed'. From the fourth episode onwards, Lou & Daphne's bosses get "shades of grey"...and this makes the workplace scenes way more funny & interesting. More importantly, we are introduced to the compelling supporting characters of Jamel & Bekah. They are such unique & developed individuals, you will come to think of them as main cast members.

One note of praise about the acting & writing in recent episodes...there are a series of beautiful scenes between the new character Jamel & a regular character in the series (name withheld to avoid spoilers). The writers could have easily bombarded those scenes with snappy dialogue and raw physicality…but instead, they allowed the actors to employ silence & express awkwardness. As a result, we get scenes of great emotional poignancy & incredible tension. I hope 'UnderEmployed' continues to take creative risks like this.

To think...a few weeks ago, I was about to post a harsh review of this show. Now I am praising it and craving more!.

I watched the show just to pass my time and sleepy with no interest of liking it.. But I'm loving it!! Well now I'm in a trace of realizing what life may take me.. And its so true that what we want or dream of or expect never happens.. This is one show that shows, things may not happen the way we always wanted, still have something that makes a difference and something to look for. And loved all the "FIVE" characters.. Sofia : confused and waiting for that special time Miles : dreamer Daphne : aggressive and i freaking love her Lou : expect the unexpected Raviva : now a mother.. Screw what some people may or may not agree with spoiler's.. Guys and gals (20 - 30 ) ages you will love it Enjoy...

I've watched the whole season of Underemployed and I Loved it! Rarely do you like all the characters in a series but in Underemployed they are all really likable but also flawed like in real people. It's a bit like a modern day 'Friends' but better - it's funny and cool but with real story lines that actually touch upon subjects that affect real people today - money worries, employment worries, sexuality etc. There are some great actors in it too. I was really surprised by how good and how addictive Underemployed was, as MTV usually only has really bad reality shows on it, so I am really hoping they see sense and this show gets a second season!