Hello Tomorrow! Season 1 Episode 5 Review: From the Desk of Stanley Jenkins
Hello Tomorrow! Season 1 Episode 5, “From the Desk of Stanley Jenkins,” is a big ole snoozefest.
It’s amazing how a concept with so much appeal winds up being this basic period drama but with robots. Honestly, if I wasn’t reviewing the series, I would stop watching after this episode.
The only thing I really find interesting is Alison Pill’s character, Myrtle; who, funnily enough, I consider to be a bit of an unlikable character.
What remaining interest I had left for the other storylines has evaporated upon watching Hello Tomorrow! Season 1 Episode 5, “From the Desk of Stanley Jenkins.”
Jack keeps digging himself deeper and deeper into his lies even as truths are revealed. It’s somewhat stressful to watch, and makes me downright angry when he lies straight to Shirley’s face.
Shirley is the most likable character, unlike Myrtle, but her storyline is such a downer. She’s got a no-good, gambling boyfriend, a boss that deceives her, and a job and a future that she’s just beginning to see is all one big lie. I’m not sure how things can turn out well for her, and that’s depressing.
Joey is so bland and milquetoast-y. I actually had to look up the character’s name while writing this review because I’ve forgotten it. This is the fifth episode.
His cluelessness during his detainment grows tiresome really quickly, and he seems irrationally offended by the little white lie of not being able to do business operations for that one day. Just wait until he hears about some of Jack’s real doozies.
It seems to be prepping us for that with this, but it’s executed poorly.
Joey’s romantic storyline is just as bland as the character. I do not find this a couple worth investing in, let alone rooting for. I’d just as soon root for Shirley and Eddie.
Herb’s time on the episode is spent with his wife who appeared at the end of Hello Tomorrow! Season 1 Episode 4, “Forms, Appropriately Filled and Filed.” And she seems to be filled with secrets as well.
I don’t understand the purpose of this side plot. It’s not clear, at least not yet, that this adds any substance to the overall story of the workers at Brightside. It creates a weird peripheral dynamic that doesn’t hit like I think it’s meant to.
It’s a drag talking about the many negatives so let me switch to what I did like—which is one scene in particular.
Myrtle has reached her limit, and I don’t blame her.
Her ranting tirade in the grocery store is exactly the kind of thing I’ve been wanting to see. It is an excellent representation of false advertising and how maddening it is.
Myrtle: My whole life, I bought it all. All the bullshit, everything I didn’t need. For my house, my hair, my waste of a marriage. And you know what? The truth is it’s all fucking lies!
Burn it all to the ground, Myrtle!
What did you think of this episode of Hello Tomorrow!? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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New episodes of Hello Tomorrow! stream Fridays on Apple TV+.
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Erin Allen
Erin is a former script supervisor for film and television. She's an avid fan of middle aged actresses, dark dramas, and irreverent comedies. She loves to read actual books and X-Files fan fiction. Her other passions include pointing out feminist issues, shipping Mulder and Scully, and collecting pop culture mugs.