I've watched 7 episodes of this show. It's not horrible, but like many other reviews claim it needs work. Duncan is a decent protagonist, and is obviously geared to being somewhat relatable to teens. The dad Jack, is the best character due to his lifestyle driving good plot for the show's plot. The youngest sister Jing is somewhat enjoyable, she has a mix of good and weird moments. The middle sibling Kimberly is annoying, focusing way too much on herself before others. The mother Annie, is the overprotective, snarky, and sly character that drives a lot of plot.
If you have any interest in watching this show skip the pilot, it's not worth your time. It drives home Duncan's obvious crush on Mia too much. Instead of trying to build their relationship from the start they fling him and Mia into situations. If you want to write a good romance sub plot it has to be one sided, or it doesn't work. You have to leave the watcher on edge. Mia and Duncan's character traits have been done before. Mia is smart, Duncan is dumb. If you want a good romance sub plot like such, just watch Futurama who has done it way better.
The second episode revolves around a gaming competition. This episode has many flaws. Kimberly ditches being there for her brother in a heartbeat to impress her crush. There's way too many out of date, and millennial jokes. Duncan is extremely unlikable and tries to get revenge for what seems to be no good reason. While the message at the end is decent this one is worth the skip, it's a mess.
The third episode was extremely forgettable on Annie's plot. But Jack's plot is worth the watch. Due to this being one of the better episodes I won't spoil it.
The fourth episode is a mixed bag. Mia is back, with a horrible one line to remind us, 'oh yeah he likes her!' A terrible B plot on the parents end that could have been solved way quicker. An uncalled for "joke" on German sterotypes thats downright offensive. Mia tries to convince people to do the right thing, leading towards a decent ending. The family risks the prize to save their son. I just wish they didn't win the trophy as well, them winning the prive really drags down the good message this episode had. There was a few entertaining jokes here as well.
The fiveth episode was the best one I watched. It had a great message,and an entertaining plot that was done right. While Simpson's has taken a shot at the 'smart house' concept in a treehouse of horror episode, this approach is way different. "Fridgy," as a whole is well put together, Annie being suspicious while the family is in luxury is just what the plot needed. If you're going to watch one episode watch this one, I didn't say much so you could see it for yourself.
Episode six is horrendous. The entire plot is around the complexity of marriage. It's B plot revolves around a literal incest gag about how Jing "marries" Duncan. It's very difficult to watch, and drives home that yes, she's only 5. But even if it was never official it leaves a terrible knot in my stomach. The A plot is fine, Annie and Jack try to rekindle their marriage through an 80's themed club. Despite the good 80's references and A plot, this one is fairly skippable.
Episode 7 was okay, Annie's dilemma was a good one, deciding between humiliating herself and her family or supporting her husband. Yes, Jack's play is terrible, evryone knows it. But despite the great set up and plot this episode seems to drag at points. Before actually getting into Jack's play theres a scene where Duncan shows his friends his outfit for the show, pure filler. The message is decent, some of Annie's decisions are good ones. Worth the watch.
This show needs a lot of work on it's plot and where it wants to take it's characters. While the characters themselves hold up, the stories need work. So many other shows have handled these concepts better. Looking for a cartoon with a good romance side plot? Watch Futurama or Gravity Falls. Want a chili cook off episode? Simpsons. Gaming tournament? Regular Show. Broken Marriage? Again Simpsons. This show needs to try something new with these concepts that don't lead to broken plots or toxic character behaviors. Theres a lot of work that needs to be done here.
Review of Duncanville
