Like a Teenager, DUNCANVILLE Starts Out with Plenty of Potential
The first episode of Duncanville dropped earlier this week and I’m intrigued. I watched the first episode and was left feeling like it could either end up being great in the same vein as Bob’s Burgers or it could just go south rather quick. I’m a little curious if it is going to be a show that has a rocky first season but then finds its footing in season two. All in all, I am excited for the series though.
Duncanville’s animation reminds me of Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, and even Family Guy all at the same time. I personally think this style works really well for this wacky sitcom type show. Meanwhile, the plot is pretty simple. Duncan is a teenage boy, so we’re going to follow his life and the life of his family as well. It offers a lot of room to play with as Duncan has two sisters and both his parents in addition to his friends. His dad is wanting to be a good dad for Duncan and just wants to be there for him no matter the cost, his mom is a parking meter maid who is a bit more involved, and then his sisters are there to annoy him with one of them (I think she may be adopted?) constantly says she’s in love with Duncan and they’ll get married someday.
Then we have Duncan’s friends. Bex is a girl who hangs out with the guys who constantly seem to forget she’s a girl. Yassir is the guy who’s up on all the latest trends and he constantly gets free gear from companies as he promotes them. He kind of reminded me a little of Tom from Parks and Recreation. Wolf is the friend who has a lot of problems at home and is just a very different kid. Then there’s Mia. She’s not directly one of Duncan’s friends, but she is Duncan’s crush who is extremely progressive.
The first episode was a pretty good introduction to the characters at play and I especially enjoyed watching Duncan and his mom interact as both are voiced by series creator Amy Poehler. It’s also great fun when Mia comes into play as she is voiced by Rashida Jones. It’s just fun to hear these two interact again after Parks and Rec. Bex is a little too much for me personally, but I’m hoping that she takes things down a couple notches. I really got a kick out of Duncan’s dad trying to connect with him and then having to find solace in cleaning his records.
Like I said before, this is still a young series and I could see it really being good or tanking. I guess we’ll just have to see where this goes.