Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Goes Roller Skating! First Watch

April 15, 2016 9:28 AM - Season 2, Episode 1

Titus' ex-wife sues him for spousal support. Kimmy still has feelings for Dong. Jacqueline's Sioux family gets fed up with her.
posted by Cash4Lead (23 comments total)

ok, so they decided to double-down on the native american angle. bummer.
posted by Pendragon at 10:19 AM on April 15, 2016 [11 favorites]

The Native American stuff was a bit too much for me, but I liked this episode generally. Titus' story line was interesting. I like seeing his flaws and a bit more of his backstory. I sort of wish the redemption-of-sorts scene at the train hadn't happened yet. I like that Ronald is legally dead and now there's just Titus - even though Titus has to answer for Ronald before he can move on with life.

The "How do I know that?!" Kardashian stuff had me laughing every time. I don't even know some of the references, but I often wonder how I know so much about this family that I have made zero effort to know anything about.

This is the only episode of season 2 I've watched so far and I'm happy it's back even though this one was not my favorite.

FRANKIE SAY RELAX
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:43 AM on April 15, 2016 [2 favorites]

I would watch an entire steadicam episode of just Carol Kane wandering through the city going about her daily business. The bit with her at the end was pure magic.

Also the gag about the aunts made me laugh and laugh.
posted by mochapickle at 5:46 PM on April 15, 2016 [9 favorites]

Yes. Carol Kane. In shows as different as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Gotham, and she is a joy to watch in all of them.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 5:57 PM on April 15, 2016

Oh wow the Native American stuff is even worse. I didn't think they'd make it that bad.

Oh god. Sweat lodge. No.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:55 PM on April 15, 2016

The worst part about Jackie's B-plot is that it accomplishes nothing for the character that couldn't be done by her just showing up in NYC with nebulous indications that she didn't fit in with her family. Ugh.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:29 PM on April 15, 2016 [6 favorites]

Wow, this was awful. Like, even aside from the fact that they didn't pull back at all from the weird racist shit from season 1, this was totally full of dull writing, line deliveries that sound like a high school play, and...weird racist shit. Mostly it's just so boring that I can't bring myself to go back and finish the final ten minutes.
posted by threeants at 10:40 PM on April 15, 2016 [4 favorites]

I have a suspicion that they're setting up some long-term gags and callbacks in this episode. I'm having trouble keeping tabs on the things I think are significant.
posted by spreadsheetzu at 11:53 PM on April 15, 2016

I'm going to watch a few more episodes to see if it gets better. I liked most of season 1, except for the racist bits.
I just love the character of Kimmy. If they dropped Jackie from the show I couldn't care less.
posted by Pendragon at 12:59 AM on April 16, 2016 [4 favorites]

I have to admit it. Making Robert Durst Carol Kane's long lost love...I laughed every time he showed up on camera. That was genius.
posted by miss-lapin at 2:51 AM on April 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

Just like the first season, there are so many cringey, lazy jokes that go on far too long. But then the ones that are good are SO good.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 2:35 PM on April 16, 2016

I did the same as the mollusc and... the Native stuff in this episode is awful, just awful, and there isn't enough to redeem it.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:13 PM on April 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

(Which yes represents a privileged view that racism is ever redeemable)
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:18 PM on April 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

It's terrible and distracting and unnecessary and the only redeeming value is that it never really comes up again? But yeah wow, that a bad way to start off.
posted by The Whelk at 7:18 PM on April 16, 2016

Not wanting to get into details about future episodes, but it seems like there was a conscious effort from the writers to be super duper clear that they still think what they did with Jacqueline in the first season is perfectly okay, even if it's not going to come up much for the rest of the show.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:35 PM on April 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yes.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:39 PM on April 16, 2016

Glad I'm not the only one who took issue with the native stuff. Why? I'm so disappointed I felt like they doubled down from last season.

I didn't even watch the whole episode because it made me feel blah and bleh.
posted by Jalliah at 10:16 PM on April 16, 2016 [4 favorites]

Yeah, I'll roll my eyes at the "sweat lodge car" with the rest of you. I give up, whatever.

Other than that...I did enjoy that this episode was about getting Ronald to apologize to his abandoned wife, and then do a dance number with her.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:49 PM on April 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

At least Dong gets to drop the Weird Racist Caricature version of broken English he had going on, and they hung a lampshade on that. So I guess there's at least some percentage less needless racism this season? So far?
posted by DoctorFedora at 5:23 AM on April 18, 2016

Other than that...I did enjoy that this episode was about getting Ronald to apologize to his abandoned wife, and then do a dance number with her.

Although I kept waiting for that bit to pay off the "you kept dropping me!" line and it never did.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 5:57 AM on April 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

I liked the Amtrak joke. It wasn't racist.
posted by Monochrome at 2:18 PM on April 30, 2016 [3 favorites]

Mod note: A couple of comments deleted. Just as a reminder, with first-watch threads, please don't comment about how a posted episode relates to later episodes or the finished season. All past episodes are fine to remark on, but even hints about future stuff should be avoided. Thanks.
posted by taz (staff) at 4:25 AM on May 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

Me: Ugh this show may have fallen off
Titus: Makes a joke that has me literally fall off a couch
Me: I love this show

Repeat x every episode
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:04 AM on May 9, 2016 [3 favorites]