“It’s time to put the police work behind me and go balls deep into motherhood.”
Carrying on (and pulling off) a satire for any extended period of time is tough work – Angie Tribeca makes it look easy. What the writers have been able to expertly balance is the absurd humor that keeps laughs coming at a mile-a-minute while also building a cast of characters who are actually engaging and interesting despite the bizarre world that they exist in.
The premiere revolves around a trophy hunter - who created his wealth “inventing an oil that won’t wash off penguins.” - that has been kidnapped as a part of a string of abductions of rich white men. Naturally, it’s of huge importance. The case is full of ridiculously fun false leads and enough silly twists to keep things exciting right up until the obligatory twist ending that, as per the official press release from TBS, ensures that the case will “definitely take nine more episodes to solve.”
It’s particularly nice to see Rashida Jones shine. She’s always been a fantastic addition to any cast she’s been a part of (notably The Office and Parks and Recreation) but often played the straight man for other zany characters. Here she’s front and center, with many of the biggest laughs coming from her titular heroine. Joining the fun in a recurring capacity this year is Chris Pine in what is undoubtedly his most playful – and hilarious – role ever. Pine is an absolute delight to watch, stealing basically every scene he appears in with an outrageously fun take on a Hannibal Lecter character.
If you loved the first two seasons of Angie, you’ll love this – and if you haven’t seen them, what are you waiting for? The writing is as sharp as ever and the cast, including the wildly funny Hayes MacArthur and the always entertaining Jere Burns, is among the best on television. And that's truly saying something, considering that at last count there were about 10 million series airing between broadcast, network, and streaming platforms.
Bottom Line: In an era crowded with comedies that often aim to make you cringe or cry more than they try to make you laugh, Angie Tribeca is a breath of fresh air. Consistently absurd, irreverent, and always hilarious and full of heart, when you need a break from reality, this is where you should turn.
Season 3 of Angie Tribeca premieres tonight at 10:30 EST on TBS. For more on this series & all my other SpoilerTV work, feel free to follow me on Twitter.
