In today’s world of truly unique TV shows and movies: each one exploring new plots, breaking barriers of comedy, showing the world new horror or taking a modern take on old ones, it’s rare to find something just so average. 

“Blockbuster” is a comedy show (or at least it was intended to be) created by “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” writer Vanessa Ramos that takes place in the last Blockbuster Video store and the small backwater town in which the store is located. The show is centered around the main characters, Eliza (Melissa Fumero) and Timmy (Randall Park), and their relationship which slowly develops throughout the season.

Now, I love watching TV. It is one of my favorite activities as it perfectly combines my love of being entertained whilst allowing me to stay sufficiently lazy. Prior to watching “Blockbuster,” I thought that there were essentially three types of shows (disregarding genres): enthralling shows, shows to watch while doing homework and shows which make being skinned seem like a pleasurable alternative. However, “Blockbuster” opened my eyes to an entirely new type of show: a show which makes you just feel numb. 

Never before has a show just caused me to have a lack of feeling, where I blink and five episodes have passed without any change in the plot or the actions of the characters. They’ve done something which, in all my years of watching television, I have never been able to feel: time standing still. A force that has been there since, well before the beginning of time, stopped by an average Netflix show. 

“Blockbuster” attempts, this being the key word here, to replicate the formula which made “The Office” such a legendary sitcom. The first part of the method is making it set in a place of work with the main plot focus being on the workings of the company. “The Office” was able to employ humorous methods of doing this, such as Jim’s pranks, Michael’s meetings, etc. While “Blockbuster” was able to do all of these things, where they failed was the writing. The show just seemed uninspired. I could find more interesting dialogue and more entertaining jokes by watching an episode of “60 Minutes.”

The second part of the method where this show failed was character development. As I mentioned before, the cast was mediocre overall, however, there were some gems. Fumero, more notably known as Amy Santiago/Peralta in the acclaimed NBC comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” played a poorly written role of a divorcé giving a second chance to a husband who cheated on her. Also notable would be J.B. Smoove, who plays Percy Scott, an affable friend and a father trying to become part of his daughter’s life once again.  Many might know him as Leon Black from the renowned HBO Comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” as well as his “Saturday Night Live” career. While these archetypes are usually good, the lack of development or anything original being incorporated into these characters makes them a bland and disappointing aspect of the show. 

The final part of a successful office sitcom, or sitcom in general, is the flow. The show should make sense, and while parts of the show change from episode to episode, the main elements should remain the same to retain a sense of familiarity. “Blockbuster” maintained a seamless flow, but at some point it became disorienting. The flow was so incredibly seamless that I didn’t notice when one episode ended and the next began. It was a constant flow of bland television. 

Some might describe this show as forgettable, but it’s difficult to forget such an experience. It’s similar to when you black out. You forget everything that happened during that time period, but you don’t forget the experience of you blacking out. The feeling of the time lost and the time forgotten is an unforgettable experience. I would say “Blockbuster” is a must-watch show for those who want to feel what it is truly like to lose all sense of time and as if you are lost in a sea of bland mediocrity.