Ah nepotism. Defined by Merriam Webster as “favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship,” nepotism and online discussion of “nepo-babies” (children of celebrities) has certainly increased as of late. Personally, I lost my mind when I found out Gracie Abrams is JJ Abrams’s daughter. And I guess our obsession with nepotism has finally reached Netflix as they released a new office-comedy “Unstable” starring real-life father and nepo-baby son, Rob Lowe (“The Outsiders”) and John Owen Lowe (“Holiday in the Wild”), as fictional father and nepo-baby son Ellis and Jackson Dragon, respectively.
Ellis Dragon is an eccentric biotech genius and CEO who has gone off the rails since the death of his wife and is facing threats of removal from his company’s board. To put him back on the right track, the company’s CFO (and arguably the best character), Anna (Sian Clifford, “Fleabag”), wrangles Jackson from New York to come back and help his father while also repairing their relationship. Jackson constantly feels that his father is trying to make him in his image and doesn’t feel supported in who he is, while Ellis just wants to help his son be the best that he can be.
For all “Unstable” tries to be witty and heartwarming, it comes up just short at both. Now, comedy is subjective, and some kinds of humor just don’t land for everybody. Many fans have taken to Twitter to express their love for this show and would go as far as saying it was hilarious. I chuckled at times, but it certainly was no “Modern Family” or “New Girl.” “Unstable” did have many unique bits (my favorite was easily the whole invisibility cloak schtick), the plot took some funny turns, most notably a kidnapping-turned-friendship, and the dialogue was also quick and had witty banter at times, but it wasn’t anything special. The jokes felt overused, especially an ongoing bit about two twins on the company’s board whose “humor” was just them being incredibly annoying and, frankly, dumb in the least charming way.
However, where “Unstable” really fell short was in its failure to deliver on the father-son relationship. More than anything, the basis of Ellis and Jackson’s problems felt like simple miscommunication, and the whole “estranged relationship” part of the plot was pretty much resolved by the end of the second episode. I was hoping to see some family therapy and a real discussion of how the death impacted Ellis and Jackson, but the most emotional scene we get is when Jackson breaks down in tears over the last jar of peanut butter that his mom made. She almost isn’t even referenced beyond that point, even though there is still so much baggage left to be unpacked. Both Ellis and Jackson reference how she helped serve as a bridge between them, so some flashbacks or recalls of conversations or advice she had for them would’ve given both characters so much more depth and would’ve added a powerful dimension to the show. After repairing the father-son relationship so quickly, the series shifts focus to the new dynamics of Jackson working at his father’s company and the relationships between different characters in the office. This isn’t necessarily bad — in fact, a lot of these relationships were well-developed and enjoyable to watch — but by comparison, it diminished the emphasis on Ellis and Jackson’s relationship.
While Ellis and Jackson weren’t bad or single-dimensional characters (they certainly did have stable characterization and were consistently themselves), the side characters were still the stars of the show. Anna maintained a solid character with a strong and standoffish, yet loving demeanor and an impeccably dry sense of humor. Her banter with Ellis, Jackson and many of the other employees at the company made up most of my favorite scenes. I also appreciated the relationship between Ellis and Anna and how it was never made into a remotely romantic one. It’s nice to see sheer platonic love and just that.
Ultimately, “Unstable” tried and failed to balance humor with depth. At times, the show felt like it was created just for Rob Lowe and his son to act together, but at least they were father and nepo-baby son in the show too, and I can appreciate the humor in that. “Unstable” is a good show for some decently okay humor, and the bizarre plot lines and relationships developed between characters are enjoyable to watch. Keep your standards low and your appreciation for nepotism high, and you might just like it.
Daily Arts Writer Jenna Jaehnig can be reached at jjaehnig@umich.edu.