Sunnyside Review: Dr. Potato (Season 1 Episode 3)

By the end of Sunnyside Season 1 Episode 3, “Dr. Potato,” NBC’s young immigrant comedy is in a precarious position: it wants to be both Community and Superstore at the same time, but it is proving fundamentally unable to imitate the formula of either, in any sort of effective manner.

Quite frankly, “Dr. Potato” is middling; it leans into the worst aspects of its main characters for laughs, but just feels painfully unfunny.

Whether Garrett’s references to an alfredo-related mishap, or Griselda becoming a baby sitter to the siblings while at Drazen’s detention center, the formula of Sunnyside‘s third episode that feels off.

It stems from how random its arranged pieces feel; characters like Hakim and Brady have entire plot lines expressed solely through their dialogue, referencing conflicts and running comedic jokes that nobody else on the cast recognizes.

Hell, the episode is named after a couple of throwaway jokes Hakim makes about a potato-flavored soda; they have no bearing on the actual episode, and are punchlines often uttered without anyone else in the room acknowledging their presence.

That doesn’t bode well for a series trying to build the foundation of its ensemble.

It amounts to “Dr. Potato” feeling like all its characters are speaking directly to the audience — a tactic that doesn’t play very well, as it becomes increasingly clear “Dr. Potato” has nothing to say about the strange, twisted government proceeding that is Drazen’s bond hearing.

In fact, it leans into it as comedy; her denying bond is played as a punch line to the moment in the episode where Garrett does something half-useful (but openly selfish).

Instead of taking notes from Superstore, and realizing the very weight of the situation they’re exploring, it is given a superficial sheen that betrays the very serious connotations of its conclusion.

It’s not worse than say, Mr. Belvedere‘s AIDS episode back in the day, but it’s not good, funny, or productive in any discernible way.

Sure, Sunnyside is supposed to be a comedy first; but when it is not very funny — Hakim and Garrett are nothing but floating index cards of random punch lines — and its sociopolitical components are under cooked, the entire affair falls flat on its face.

As I mentioned in my review of Sunnyside Season 1 Episode 2, “The Ethiopian Executioner,” a few tweaks could go a long way.

But “Dr. Potato” seems like a comedy getting comfortable in its own established rhythms, where Griselda is the only character that makes any sense, and the struggles of characters like Brady and Drazen are undercut by a complete lack of tension in their struggles.

Admittedly, what Sunnyside is aiming to balance is difficult: but when Superstore is right there, doing the exact same story (but 1000x more intelligently), it is just hard to compete.

That’s probably the biggest flaw of Sunnyside through three episodes; it can’t seem to distinguish what it can do differently than other comedies, instead embracing a path of little resistance while it figures itself out, where randomness supersedes logic, or even normal plot construction or character development.

It makes for an absolutely baffling half hour of television; one that is deeply unsatisfying at best, and cringe worthy when its at its worst. 

Even attempts to widen its scope fall flat; there’s a sub plot with Drazen’s mother cleaning up Mallory’s apartment with disdain, that has some actual moments of satisfying humor in it.

But those moments are too far and few in between, ending up as nothing more than brief respites from the spinning wheel of punchlines that is the script of “Dr. Robot.”

Same goes for Brady’s fear of being inside an immigration facility; beyond mentioning the hazy gray area DACA recipients are currently in, Sunnyside just has nothing to say. Just nothing; it plainly states a fact, Garrett shrugs, and the episode strangely just carries on. 

I still contend there’s a good show within Sunnyside; but it has only briefly figured out a configuration for this series that seems to work, one where it can mix the the degrading immigrant experience in modern America with the inherent flaws of its main characters, for something both amusing and cathartic.

“Dr. Potato” just isn’t it, a massive misfire of unfunny jokes and an under cooked central story that not only sells its main characters short, but also feels underdeveloped, intentionally shying away from the real emotional weight of its central stories. 

It may not matter, given that Sunnyside is all but destined to be canceled, given its status as the fall’s lowest rated network comedy — but it’s still disappointing to see the young comedy flailing to figure itself out, a painful process “Dr. Potato” never finds a remedy for.

What did you think of this episode of Sunnyside? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Sunnyside airs Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c on NBC.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Superstore: 15 Things We Learned from the Cast at San Diego Comic-Con