Punch me in the face with some subtlety.
You have to give the controversial, new Netflix series one thing: it’s not afraid to tackle uncomfortable subjects. The problem is that the Debby Ryan led comedic drama handles it about as well as a Trump TED Talk on fighting cyber-bullying.
Cyber-bulling, coincidentally, is one of the subjects that the show “tackles,” yet never really resolves. Trans-phobia is another touchy subject that comes and goes without any sort of message. The show tries too hard to showcase every social issue trending today that it tends to completely miss the mark on any sort of commentary about these issues. The show feels like it’s jamming in everything it possibly can to one season in case it doesn’t make a return. The one trans character on the show is there to move the plot of an episode along for about a minute and then disappears for good.
Bisexuality fares even worse as a couple of characters argue that it is just a stop on the way to homosexuality. One of the worst lines of the season reads as such: “Father Swartz said demons were real, so maybe bisexuals were, too.” Hmm…the writing is pretty awful at times. There’s another exchange between Nonnie and Patty that goes like this:
Nonnie: “Are you crazy? He’s a child molester!”
Patty: “Which means I might actually have a shot.”
Yikes. (Go to Alex Meyers’ video review for the best reaction to this line.)
Oh and that plot thread even leads to some workplace sexual harassment for good measure! And while we’re at it, there’s also the false pedophilia claim that sets the plot in motion that’s just a bit problematic.
There are some themes that are better dealt with than others. For one, the themes of selfishness and body discomfort actually get enough screen time to fully flesh out through the season. Debby Ryan’s ‘Patty’ is selfish and struggles to come to terms with the idea that being beautiful on the outside doesn’t change who you are on the inside. And that’s why I was so confused to find that petitions had been signed to cancel the show before it’s launch because it fat-shamed people. On the contrary, I thought one of the show’s only redeeming qualities was that Patty still isn’t happy after her weight loss and she has to realize that she has work to do on herself.
Messages aside, the story really hits a point of no return for me around the end of the season when paranormal elements make their way into the convoluted narrative. I won’t go into the specifics in case you want to check out the series, but I think it’s pretty difficult to defend once it hits the point of vampirism. Yeah, you read that right. Then there are the multiple instances of murder/manslaughter, which feel extremely out-of-place in a teen drama (at least for me).
Youtuber Sarah Z points out in her fantastic analysis of the series: the overlapping narration from Patty and Bob (her pageant trainer) often just reads exactly what’s going on, eliminating any sort of suspension or subtlety. There’s no room for interpretation for the audience if you constantly hold their hands and read everything the two main characters are thinking. Sarah Z even shows just how much better the show can be when it omits the over-explaining narration.
Nearly every character proves to be a terrible, selfish person, which could be a success if it didn’t repel me from finishing the season. At a certain point, I just kept watching to see how bad it could get. There are only two decent human beings in the whole show and their screen time gets dropped for long periods of the season. Kimmy Shields’ ‘Nonnie’ is genuine and selfless and probably would have worked better as the underdog main character. Daniel Kang gives a believable, awkward portrayal of a high schooler as ‘Donald Choi.’
There’s already enough wrong with the show, but the ease with which characters profess their love for each other after one conversation or sexual encounter is insulting at points. Yeah, I know they’re teenagers and they’re hormonal and irrational, but it feels like a recurring plot device to jumble up the romances from time to time.
Outside of an amazing cameo at the end of the season, there are few standout comedic moments in this “dramedy.” But, I will give some credit for a poignant, reserved ending to one of last episodes of the season that probably should have been the final moment of the season.
God, I hope we get more of Choi and Nonnie in the next season, or this show could be in for another confused, problematic, and tonal inconsistencies season or outright cancellation.
I give Insatiable! a…
Hold Your Applause 