Undone: Season 1, Episode 1 “The Crash” [Series Premiere] – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)
If you can get past the funky art style of Undone, you may want to stick around for its story and characters.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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If you can get past the funky art style of Undone, you may want to stick around for its story and characters.
| Network | ||
| Amazon Prime | ||
| Creator(s) | Kate Purdy, Raphael Bob-Waksberg | |
| Director(s) | Hisko Hulsing | |
| Writer(s) | Kate Purdy, Raphael Bob-Waksberg | |
| Air Date | 9/13/2019 | |
| Genre(s) | Drama, Comedy | |
| Good If You Like |
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| Introduced This Episode | ||
| Alma | Rosa Salazar | |
| Becca | Angelique Cabral | |
| Reed | Kevin Bigley | |
| Sam | Siddharth Dhananjay | |
Plot Overview/ Review
28-year-old Alma isn’t happy with her life. Between her dad dying, her feeling stuck in a routine, her sister, Becca, getting engaged to this guy named Reed, her boyfriend Sam talking about settling down, and then her relationship with her mom, things just aren’t good. Or maybe, to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, she does all she can to make it so life isn’t good – if you believe Becca.
However, after a fight with her sister, and a car accident, Alma now seems to think she sees her father, who died 20 years ago. Thus sending us on an adventure which might change Alma’s perspective on life.
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Highlights
Despite How Alma Is The Type Of Character To Push You Away, She Also Draws You In
Generally, characters like Alma, Debbie Downer types, keep a difficult barrier to get over. The kind which makes it challenging to want to commit to the story and watch this person, more than likely, have their world rocked and changed for the better. However, the way Salazar portrays Alma brings you this real sense of dread. Something beyond fearing she’ll end up like her paternal grandmother and more so the fear of your life losing any sense of stimulation and simply becoming a routine.
Which, as you get financially stable, and start checking off the list of what makes you a grown-up, is terrifying. Hence you coming to understand why Alma isn’t trying to get married, doesn’t like the idea of settling down, and has taken a beat from finishing school. She doesn’t like this conveyor belt she is on and desperately wants off. It’s just, with her 20s fading and 30s about to smack her in the mouth, how can she get off without completely ruining her life?
On The Fence
The Art Style Takes Away More Than It Adds
To me, the art feels very gimmicky. A means to stick out amongst the many 20 something dramas about someone having a quarter-life crisis. And while I get, between cable, network tv, streaming, and more, you have to find a way to stand out, there is something about the animation which takes away from what is being said and done. Not to imply the work isn’t good, but there is just this feeling the filter takes away from being truly connected to Alma and everyone else.
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Not in terms of some artsy way, such as the filter representing how murky of a lens we all have when acting as a voyeur of someone else’s life. More so, it creates a disconnect that draws away from the realness of Alma and her situation, and creates this vibe that the creators didn’t think they had something strong enough to have this show simply be live-action.
First Impression: Mixed (Stick Around)
If it wasn’t for the art style, which makes me nauseous a little bit, I’d binge this probably in a day. However, as much as I love Salazar and the world that is created, the visuals are more of a liability than an asset. Hence the mixed label. Undone seems worth sticking around for, but its major caveat could become the “but” to any and all praise this show receives.
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The Art Style Takes Away More Than It Adds - 70%
Despite How Alma Is The Type Of Character To Push You Away, She Also Draws You In - 89%
80%
If it wasn’t for the art style, which makes me nauseous a little bit, I’d binge this probably in a day. However, as much as I love Salazar and the world that is created, the visuals are more of a liability than an asset. Hence the mixed label. Undone seems worth sticking around for, but its major caveat could become the “but” to any and all praise this show receives.
