Unstable

The first season was great. Unique, funny and all the characters worked well together. The dads quirkiness and the sons desire to not live under his shadow was a great 2 character dynamic. The researchers all trying to accomplish their goal on a stressful deadline with external forces trying to steal the company away made for good comedic tension. And the therapist (Fred Armisen) living in the basement is quirky and hilarious.

Sadly the second season introduces Georgia (Iris Apatow) who leeches the life out of every scene she is in. Her presence is awkward, bland, and not funny at all. You almost begin to dread seeing her on screen because of the energy it robs from every episode. Her character is shoehorned into the series (possibly as a way to engage millennial viewers?) but other then half-shirts and selfies adds nothing to the dynamic between characters.

I didn't expect much from this, as Netflix don't really have a great comedy record.

From the start it's a quirky, fun watch. From the creator of Better Off Ted it's full of interesting weirdos and a generous amount of very funny lines and situations.

Rob Lowe is great as always, with a character not a million miles from his Parks And Rec one, and his son really does a good job as, well, his son as well as showing some serious writing chops.

Not at all high brow despite the science tech firm setting, this is absolutely worth watching.

Funny, silly and charming. Yes, I know that describes Tob Lowe as well...

I didn't at first like the frenetic energy of the fast talking dialog and the handheld camera work that seemed like it was flying off chaotically, but it does grow on you and the story and cast chemistry settles in. The shows humor, look and feel, as well as the sound effects reminds me a lot of Avenue 5, and that's a good thing.

At first, Rob Lowe seemed to be reprising his Grinder role, but it's the schtick that he is good at. And the quirky cast are hilarious and very likable. And unlike Will Smith's untalented son who didn't deserve to be in show business, Rob Lowe's son is fantastic and delivers his lines perfectly. And the twins! Funny! Parody of the Winklevoss twins, maybe?

This is a good comedy fix.

I really wanted to like this and hoped as they got into second season (which frankly surprised me) there is something missing from this show. Heart? Soul? Or maybe good writing, characters that you can like and root for. For a work place comedy with scientist watch Better off Ted. I mean the whole premise is good, The acting from the Lowes is pretty good. But it meanders and while only trying to fill 30 minutes seems to never get going at all. I really thought by second season they would find a rhythm but they really didn't and episodes tend to lag and have flat spots and story lines are dropped out of nowhere.

I'm quite surprised by Unstable. I starts as an umpteenth Rob Lowe comedy, with its fair share of cheesy lines and cringy acting but then it grows into something rather good, and turns flaws into qualities. There is something around episode 2 that somehow perfectly tune everything into place, and jokes that would miss on others occasions somehow hit the mark. There is something that clicks, and it's like someone turned on the humor translator.

The pace is really great, it doesn't drag on when the events are unfolding and you crave for more, yet it allows space for some slower situations that requires a bit of breathing.

I really like the consistency between episodes and scenes, : they don't start off the next episode coming back on something for the sake of stalling, and you don't get lost in a maze of conversation fillers that adds nothing to the show. Actions have consequences and the characters display a refreshing normalcy in their behavior, apart from their emphasized personalities. Their goals are understandable, the stakes are clear, and the obstacles are challengeable. The main storyline is fluid, all the detours the shows takes from it are worth the trip and it only adds extra flavors. Also, it's clear someone on set paid attention to details : the position of the mug, the outfits, the direction of the walk... It just wraps everything with an additional layer of likeability. Every character has its own little subplots, which give them some thickness and texture and everything is perfectly calibrated and connected.

This said, there are some things that itches the rational part of my brain but the show keeps me interested and focused so that I don't ruminate on these issues. Unstable has a low rewatchability value, but it managed to make me hit that Next Episode button like I rarely do.