Na new sitcom from Mindy Kaling wey dem call ‘Not Suitable for Work’ don land for Disney Plus, but e no dey spark like di old classic Friends wey people still dey yarn about. Di show wey Kaling write and produce dey follow five young people wey dey live for Manhattan apartments wey too fine to be true, just like Friends. But even though dem try to add diversity with two people of colour for di main cast, di dialogue no dey snap or zing like di original.
Di story wey dem set up for 46-minute pilot dey focus on AJ (Ella Hunt), wey be first year analyst for merchant bank, wey come live with her college pal Abby (Avantika) after her boyfriend move out. AJ be di unrequited love interest of Kel (Nicholas Duvernay), a medical student wey want be actor but im immigrant parents want am to become doctor. Dem also get Davis (Will Angus), a people-pleaser wey fall for new girl across di hall wey turn out to be im junior colleague for work; and Josh (Jack Martin), a super woke child of privilege wey use im father connection to get dream job as investigative TV journalist, instead of di dues-paying intern Elena (Emilia Suarez).
Di plot dey move slow, with Kel wey quit med school after fainting for dissection class, and traditional scenes of am embarrassing himself for auditions and telling im family about im decision. Di friendship between Kel and Abby dey progress by small increments, maybe go turn to something more. AJ get argument with arrogant older man for coffee cart outside her new office, wey later turn out to be her boss Bill Gibson (Jay Ellis). Abby dey struggle with attraction to her client Austin Blanchett, wey be Cate’s nephew. All these obstacles and entanglements no get fresh twist.
Di jokes no dey hit well. For example, when dem talk about AJ’s boss firing someone wey dem call ‘Erika’, AJ respond say, ‘But that’s not even the weirdest way to spell Erica’. Another running joke about Josh’s cardigan wey im friends hate, but im think e give am ‘a quiet sophistication’. Kaling herself dey appear for cameo. Bright spots dey come from peripheral characters like Michael Benjamin Washington as di landlord Antoine, wey bring eccentric energy; Greg Germann as Josh’s father David, wey dey calm; and Jay Ellis as AJ’s boss Bill Gibson, wey dey add astringency to di chaos.
Di show dey improve as episodes go on, with joke hit rate picking up. For those wey dey find am easy watch, e fit grow on dem. But if you no get patience, plenty reruns dey available.
