Robbie Fouls Out

My innate admiration of the actors doesn’t outweigh the show’s overall unevenness.

Robbie (Season 1)

Likes: Mary Holland’s performance helps every scene she is in. And I know the other people involved are capable of good comedy.

Dislikes: This story about a doofy slacker doesn’t have enough to differentiate it from all those other ones.

Bottom Line: I am still rooting for this show even if it wasn’t all that good.

2.5 out of 5. ◆◆⬖◇◇

by Jacob Schermerhorn

Stop me if you heard this before.

The titular Robbie (Rory Scovel) is a 30-something slacker stuck in a rut. He loves basketball and is following in his father’s, Robert Walton Sr. (Beau Bridges), coaching footsteps by helming a church-league team. He works a dead-end job at an ice cream store and has recently learned he’s the father of an eleven-year-old son from an ex-girlfriend, Ava (Sasheer Zamata).

Robbie’s also an idiot with an inflated ego who regularly tramples on other people to get what he wants. His schemes often backfire and he ends up looking like a fool instead. But everyone accepts him at the end of the day and tolerates his presence because…

Because the show’s named after him I guess? Throughout the 8 episodes released by Comedy Central on YouTube, I couldn’t tell why the other characters liked him.

Relatable character growth requires a character to have flaws, but usually they come with some strengths. Robbie isn’t intelligent, charming, lovable, empathic, or competent. Centering the entire show around his life takes a defter hand than Robbie is capable of.

Which sucks to write because I really like all of the people involved in this show. A core cast of Rory Scovel, Mary Holland, Sasheer Zamata, and Beau Bridges is a great one on paper. Writing by comedians like Scovel, Anthony King, Sean Clements, and Shaun Diston, is also a plus. And yet the premise of Robbie is trite, especially from the perspective of a 30 something straight white guy.

There are still positives amidst that negativity. Mary Holland as Robbie’s crazy new girlfriend Janie got consistent laughs as Janie already has one foot out of reality and Holland can sell the punchlines. Minor roles by Jordan Scovel, Lennon Parham, and Carl Tart also deserve honorable mentions.

Additionally, the series episodes showed encouraging signs of ramping up near the back half. (Robbie vs. Ava vs. Danielle being my personal favorite with enough stuff for every character to do) If Comedy Central picks it up for a second season, I hope it’s a sign of things to come.

In the end, I am still hoping for the success of this show. The people involved are funny and deserve chances to make things. Just because this one didn’t hit for me doesn’t mean that it won’t later. The game’s not over yet.