This Show Gave Me Whiplash

This was the first series I've watched with these actors so I viewed it without the bias of being a fan of any of them.

Things this show did well:
Casting - Everyone really brought their characters to life and did well with what they were given. The leads had great chemistry. Grandma's actress really tied the whole show together with her charm and acceptance. Toi Ting's actress was cute without being annoying. The actors playing the friends were quirky and interesting even if the characters they portrayed didn't have much growth. I do have to call out the surgeon with shaky hands, though.

Acting: There were really great performances. It wasn't always great across the board, but I'd say on the whole that it was acted well.

Settings, Costuming, and Makeup: I thought the settings and costuming really added to the show. Not just Joke's costumes but also the costumes for the other characters. I felt like each character really would wear what they wore in their various scenes. I also liked that the actors weren't caked in makeup and looked more natural, unless it made sense for the character to be wearing makeup. Jack's home was really inviting and warm and contrasted well with the more posh locations.

Heart: The time, energy, effort, and heart that went into making this show really does come through. It's obvious that everyone gave it their all to bring this story to life. This isn't a show with more simple production like one with a uni/school/office setting. It is ambitious with many complicated scenes.

Things that didn't work for me:
Logic/Reason - It pretty much doesn't exist. Why did this thing happen? How did that thing happen? Where did the resources come from for that thing? How does the timeline line up properly? Don't worry about it and just believe that it did. Joke got hired as a makeup artist for a wealthy client who then happily showed this stranger daddy's secret treasure room? Believe. Characters ended up relocated out of town with little time or resources to get them there? Totally happened. These guys had the resources to make cool stuff when it's established everyone is poor and in debt? Believe. The whole scene in the bank? Just trust. Joke totally just got lucky enough to find the camera that Tattoo threw on the ground without his knowledge while he was hiding in the cooler? Sure thing buddy. It continues through the entire series. Shows with elaborate schemes and heists are so much more enjoyable when they make somewhat logical sense.

Lack of editing - Ever read a really long fan fiction and start feeling like the author needs an editor to reign them in and tighten up the story? That's what this show began to feel like after a while. There were episodes that were movie length and could have definitely used some editing. The entire show is nearly 15 hours long and could have been trimmed to make it more concise and impactful. I'd start by trimming the fight scenes. There were way too many, they went on for too long, and they were so unrealistic you'd think the characters had super powers with the kinds of beatings they took and just kept going.

Identity - This show couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Comedy? Action? Heist show with a clever mastermind? Romance? Social commentary? Heartwarming family drama? It tried to be all the things, and as another reviewer said, all the tone shifts didn't work. Yes of course, shows can blend multiple genres together, but there wasn't good blending. There were some pretty brutal and dark scenes in this show that came without warning. The comedy was also not the kind of comedy I find funny.

Continuity - My brain gets hung up on continuity errors and won't let go, so the scene where Jack is cleaning the Joker Thief symbol off the garage wall really stuck with me. There were other places where continuity was lacking, but that one was the most egregious.

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