Angie Tribeca is stupidity at its finest. It’s not intriguing. It’s not deep. It’s straight-up ridiculous, which is why it’s fantastic.
The new TBS comedy stars Rashida Jones as a married-to-her-work LAPD detective and Hayes MacArthur as Tribeca’s partner Jay Geils who has a thing for her.
The 10-episode first season aired in a 25-hour binge-a-thon on Jan. 17 and 18, featuring interviews with the cast and creators Nancy and Steve Carell in lieu of commercials.
Though unconventional, it was a strategic and frankly necessary way to get people hooked on the series. Unlike most cop shows, the show features almost no mystery or intrigue to keep viewers watching.
The only real reason to stay tuned in to Tribeca is because you don’t want to stop laughing, and this show will have you laugh so hard you can’t breathe.
Almost every element of the show is comical from the names (a medical examiner named Dr. Scholls and a murder victim named Fisher Price) to the locations (Hidden Valley Country Club, which was formerly a ranch) and even the people (a cop who throws up at every crime scene) and one of LAPD’s finest detectives who is actually a dog that can drive squad cars and type up police reports.
Amidst all the absurd comedy, what really makes the show work is the deadpan acting. Tribeca and Co. investigate crimes with the seriousness of Law & Order detectives while performing antics worthy of The Three Stooges like outlining a dead body with whip cream or chasing after a suspect while performing an elaborate and ultimately counterproductive gymnastics routine.
After co-starring as Ann Perkins on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation for six seasons, Jones is no stranger to playing the straight man. Ann was one of the most down-to-earth people within the wonderfully wacky cast of characters, often acting as a foil to Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler).
As Tribeca, Jones does get to have a little more fun. This time around, she is the Leslie Knope, awkward and weird yet lovable while being obsessively dedicated to her work and scrapbooking. But her Ann still shines through in her deadpan deliveries. Geils, while taking part in the antics himself, is the Ann that helps keep Tribeca grounded.
One of the beauties of the show is the simplicity of Tribeca and Geils’ relationship. They develop a friendship with an underlying “will they or won’t they” vibe that is meant to be super obvious but doesn’t overpower the show.
While the interest in many series circles around the development of a budding relationship, causing audiences to skip over other plot points, this is not the case for this show.
The episodes are already short and the scenes are just too funny. You won’t really care that much about who the bad guy ends up being or about some longing glances between Tribeca and Geils.
This show just isn’t that captivating or poignant. It is stupid to the core and better for it. The jokes and antics are nonstop and perfectly delivered. Angie Tribeca is slapstick comedy for a new generation.
TBS is currently re-airing the first season, one episode a week, Mondays at 9 p.m. The show has been picked up for a second season.
