I binge watched Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt while high on Vicodin. Let me explain. Over spring break, I got my wisdom teeth out and decided that my slightly drug–fueled days were best spent discovering yet another Netflix original series.
Once I finished the thirteen–episode stint, I realized that it was not in fact the Vicodin that gave Kimmy Schmidt its unmistakable loopiness and goofiness—it was Tina Fey’s brainchild coming to full fruition. (Ed. note: The drugs probably didn't hurt, though.)
UKS is filled with diverse, crazy characters. The show centers around Kimmy Schmidt—a “mole woman” who was recently freed from an underground cult—and her attempt to find herself in New York City. Every character has something unique (or outright crazy) about them. UKS doesn’t attempt to convince you once again that a totally relatable TV plotline involves six hot best friends with great jobs and cool apartments. Its characters are diverse in age, race and lifestyle, making for a much more realistic and interesting show.
Also important to the show is the strong female cast. After saying goodbye to Parks and Rec's hilariously neurotic Leslie Knope, Kimmy is warmly welcomed as another strong, confident female lead. Jane Krakowski and Carol Kane’s supporting roles as a rich Manhattan housewife and a money–grubbing landlord only add to the show’s diverse portrayal of female characters.
UKS uses its humor to create comedic edge. The show addresses topics like sex and virginity, drugs and peer pressure. Its characters have undergone abduction, sexual assault, discrimination and racism. Yet all of these storylines are delivered with confident, unapologetic humor. When Titus, a black, gay character, fears he’s getting old, he laments, “Black, gay and old? I won't even know what box to check on the hate crime form!” Simililarly, Kimmy addresses her abduction in a bunker by saying: “I survived, because that’s what women do. We eat a bag of dirt, pass it in a kiddie pool, and move on!” (What? She needed the iron.)
The characters on this show confront their demons in a meaningful way without sacrificing humor. And that sincerity makes the show so refreshing, even after the drug comedown.
UKS Quotes for the Daily Quaker
Mole women and their NYC friends are just like us! Kinda.
When your professor tries to have a test the day after Fling:
“If this is your idea of a joke, then you belong in a Woody Allen film cause I’m not laughing.” —Xanthippe’s birth mom
When people won’t stop shoving their philanthropy event flyers at you:
“I’m not running a charity here, except the one where I donate my old towels to poor people with the same initials as me.” —Jacqueline
When it’s raining on your date night, and you need to persevere:
“I’m pretty but tough, like a diamond. Or beef jerky in a ball gown.” —Titus
