The second season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is more consistently funny than the first season. I suspect that the first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt may be funnier now that The People v. O.J. Simpson has aired to popular acclaim. Titus becomes a fully realized character that you root for. Kimmy gets down to the nitty gritty of resolving some of her issues by realizing that even in a world where she gets the apology or delivers the perfect zinger, it does not change the past. Tina Fey has an enjoyable comedic take on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt explores Gretchen more, but Donna Maria is sadly absent except for flashbacks. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt introduces a new character, Deirdre Robespierre, Jacqueline’s nemesis played by Anna Camp. I have not seen Camp since True Blood. Deirdre is a welcome addition to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and is the comedic counterpoint to Agent Carter’s Whitney Frost. There is some brilliant casting when we finally get to see Kimmy’s mom.
The only unfortunate aspect of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is the third episode of the second season. Comedy is at its best when it is punching up, not punching down. The good news is that it is the worst episode of the entire season so if and when you can get past it, you can breathe a sigh of relief. I get that Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the creators of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, see themselves as the underdogs of the entertainment world, and maybe they are, but they are considerably more successful than the average entertainer. It seems a little sulky and self-indulgent to devote an entire episode to people who criticized the first season’s representation of Asians. Also for those checking the receipts, Fey correctly critiqued her friend and colleague, Tracey Morgan, for homophobic jokes, but when she gets critiqued for Asian American jokes, she is going to opt out from explaining jokes except when she doesn’t and devotes a whole episode to ridiculing those who critique her. Sorry, you’re no longer the underdog.
You’re the man if you can control if, when and how you will dominate the conversation and feel wounded by Tweets that may hurt your feelings, but are not hurting your paycheck. I love Fey and Carlock, but they are becoming what they are supposed to hate. Because they are pro-gay rights and have witnessed homophobia, they can be apologetic when a joke goes wrong, but because they have not witnessed discrimination against Asians or Native Americans, they are not and think that the Asian American critics are overreacting. This ignorance seems to vindicate what the activists complained about-there may be no Asian or Native Americans on the creative team even as consultants. Part of privilege is assuming that something does not exist because you do not see it. In season one, the intent may not have been there, but in season two, the intent to ridicule Asian Americans, is there, and it is not funny. Asian American activists are valiantly trying to fight widespread whitewashing in media, including the casting of Scarlett Johannsson in Ghost in the Shell and Emma Stone in Aloha. Many of us are caught in the middle between trying (and perhaps failing) to be an ally to the Asian and Native American community and someone who has followed and enjoyed Fey and Carlock’s comedy for ages. Unfortunately Fey and Carlock are now firmly on the wrong side and have more in common with right-wingers who complain about outrage and PC culture.
Also I already explained this phenomenon in my review of Concussion, but thanks for using the American gay black male character as your mouthpiece instead of Kimmy or another white character to deflect even more criticism. It was really brave.