It stands to reason that “Reboot” is immediately an entertainment biz turducken of industry lingo and in-jokes. From “Modern Family” creator Steven Levitan, the new Hulu series depicts the reboot —…
) and grown-up child actor Zack — on board due to a lack of anything better to do, both the reboot and “Reboot” can get down to the business of making a perfectly fine show, week in and week out. It would have been easy to turn “Reboot” into a “Modern Family”-style mockumentary given its conceit, but the fact that Levitan and Enbom resisted that urge is honestly refreshing.
All these actors — as well as guest stars Fred Melamed and Rose Abdoo as Gordon’s veteran TV writers — have proved time and again that they’re extremely capable of delivering a line with unique spin, and have often been the best parts of whatever project is lucky enough to have them. The same holds true here, with Greer especially seizing the chance to make her every scene a memorable one.
For all the show’s smart performances, though, the scripts with which they’re working seem less assured of their direction. This clash comes most to the forefront in the relationship dynamic between Gordon and Hannah, who are not just bickering coworkers, but estranged father and daughter. As actors, Bloom and Reiser make for a great comedic pairing; as characters, Hannah and Gordon too often get stuck in a loop that gets old, fast. Hannah in particular becomes more of a service to the plot and a “millennials vs. Boomer” divide in the writers’ room than the person that the pilot promised.
Most frustrating, though, is how each episode alternates between mocking the “sitcommy” humor of shows like “Step Right Up” while indulging its tropes completely. A show that, for instance, tries to make fun of clichés but still makes someone laugh at an oblivious statement before stopping with an “oh, you’re serious?” feels more confused than confident.