Florida Man Season 1 Review: Chaotic But Surprisingly Entertaining

Florida Man Season 1 is a dark, chaotic, absurd, and occasionally funny ride, but its overstuffed and uneven nature shows the downfalls of trying to morph meme culture into a TV series.

The show follows Mike Valentine, an ex-cop and gambling addict who is forced to go to his home state of Florida and retrieve his mob boss’s girlfriend, Delly, who he’s also having an affair with. However, one does not simply walk into Florida and come out unscathed.

Valentine quickly gets sucked into a wild mystery involving hidden treasure and takes everyone with him, including his estranged family and ex-wife, Iris, who happens to be a cop.

While Florida Man is very entertaining, its biggest downfall is that it doesn’t know what it wants to be. It’s almost as difficult to define or explain as the very memes it is based on.

Sometimes it’s a dark comedy about a dysfunctional family, sometimes it’s a mystery, sometimes it’s a treasure hunt adventure, and sometimes it’s just an ode to memes with clever references and Easter eggs.

However, it never focuses on one aspect long enough to fully develop it. As a result, numerous storylines are brought up throughout the seven episodes that don’t always satisfactorily contribute to the overall narrative.

Meanwhile, some of these storylines are very heavy, touching on topics of grief, suicide, addiction, and divorce. When they are randomly brought up amid alligator attacks and exploding porta potties, it’s always a jarring tonal switch, no matter how touchingly the show may try to frame the more serious topics.

The overstuffed nature also means that some strong actors, such as Clark Gregg’s Sheriff Deputy Ketcher, don’t get to thrive.

Gregg’s character is easily the funniest one on the show, and his acting is top-notch. However, he contributes absolutely nothing to the storyline. His arc could’ve been cut entirely without consequences.

It’s a shame that Gregg isn’t given more to work with from the storyline, but at least he receives a full story arc.

The same can’t be said for compelling characters like motel owners Benny and Clara, news anchor Kaitlin Fox, and Officer Andy, whose storylines just sort of taper off with no real conclusion.

Another issue with Florida Man is that it’s often insensitive. Most of the characters have an obsession with guns and talk nonchalantly about illegal gun ownership, crime, and corrupt cops.

It depicts nearly everyone in Florida as gun-toting criminals, with even visitors deteriorating into similar caricatures just from merely crossing state lines to visit Disney World. Hence, the show’s depiction of Florida and its residents is far too exaggerated and potentially offensive.

Also, given the current conversation surrounding gun control and law enforcement in the United States, Florida Man‘s usage of such topics for cheap laughs isn’t likely to sit well with everyone.

There’s always a feeling that the show might take some stance or provide some commentary on the topics, but it ultimately never delves deep enough to do so.

Despite being overstuffed and imbalanced with questionable storylines, Florida Man is actually more entertaining than one might think a show based on memes would be.

One major reason for this is the cast. Édgar Ramirez’s Mike and Emory Cohen’s Moss Yankov especially stand out in Florida Man.

Ramirez works very well with what the script gives him, which isn’t a lot. Even though Florida Man tries very hard to make Mike unlikable with little growth, Ramirez’s charm and charisma still shine through.

His comedic timing is on-point, his deadpan is hilarious, and he’s a strong enough actor to pull off the emotional scenes. Ramirez’s ability to seamlessly transition between drama and comedy helps make the tonal shifts a little smoother.

Meanwhile, Cohen is hysterical as the wannabe mob boss, Moss. Despite also being very unlikable, he’s so helpless, dimwitted, and in over his head that we can’t help but feel sorry for him.

He also cleverly unveils his character’s true nature over time. While he starts as a seemingly vicious mob boss, he slowly and smoothly introduces us to the true clueless manbaby Moss is underneath his mob boss facade.

Florida Man also refrains from ever being boring.

It is overstuffed and imbalanced, but its chaotic premise means that it is completely unpredictable. Every episode is filled with fun twists and surprises. Every character has secrets and you never know who’s playing who.

Viewers are always on the watch for what events in the show echo the “Florida Man” memes, adding another layer of fun to it.

Florida Man isn’t a particularly well-crafted series, but its stellar cast, comedic elements, and unexpected twists make it fairly enjoyable entertainment for those who don’t take it too seriously.

What did you think of this season of Florida Man? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Florida Man is streaming now on Netflix.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

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

Never Have I Ever Season 4 Teaser Trailer and Premiere Date Released by Netflix