The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Hit the reset button
‘Space Force’ is a fun idea, but Netflix series struggles to maintain comedic orbit
Well, it certainly wasn’t a bad idea. During a recent appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” actor Steve Carell said his new Netflix comedy series, “Space Force,” stems from an executive at the streaming platform last year hearing President Donald J. Trump’s announce the country would create a space-warfare branch of the military and thinking that would make for a funny show — “based on nothing but the two words.” Carell was interested in the concept and did what seems like a very sensible thing: He recruited Greg Daniels, creator of the U.S. version of “The Office” — the show most responsible for turning him into a star — to help him craft it. And they then assembled a terrific cast that, led by Carell, also includes John Malkovich and Ben Schwartz, with talented folks including Jimmy O. Yang, Lisa Kudrow, Noah Emmerich, Jane Lynch and Patrick Warburton getting varying amounts of screen time in recurring roles. But, Mission Control, we have a problem. Almost from blastoff, “Space Force” feels as though it’s at war with itself. It clearly wants to skewer the idea of the new military branch, as many have, and it pokes fun of Trump throughout the 10-episode season without ever mentioning him by name. At the same time, however, it’s very earnest. Carell and Daniels obviously want you to become invested in and root for these characters. As a result, “Space Force” dips its toes into some absurd waters but refuses to dive headfirst into what, with other choices, might have been an ocean of biting satire. The result is a show that while certainly funny at regular intervals — the cast is too good for it not to be — is ultimately about as exciting as freeze-dried astronaut food. Carell stars as Mark Naird, who, as the show begins, is a general in the U.S. Air Force being presented with his fourth star — in a ceremony, noted by his teenage daughter, Erin, as possessing far less pomp as the one that saw him become a three-star general. “It’s a different administration,” Mark says. “This one’s … a little more chaotic.” Mark assumes he is being made chief of staff of the Air Force, replacing his rival, General Kick Grabaston (Emmerich, “The Americans”), which is a thought that delights him. He soon learns otherwise, that he instead will lead the Space Force and, as a result, he, wife Maggie (Kudrow) and Erin must relocate from Washington, D.C., to Colorado. (This does not thrill the women.) “POTUS wants complete space dominance — ‘boots on the moon by 2024,’ Secretary of Defense John Blandsmith (Dan Bakkedahl of “VEEP”) tells Mark. (The secretary admits the note from the president said ‘Boobs on the moon’ but that they’re pretty sure it’s a typo.) A year later, Mark is leading the endeavor back to the moon from the Space Force base in Colorado, where he must deal with its top civilian scientist, Dr. Adrian Mallory (Malkovich), who is more cautious than he. In the first episode, they butt heads over whether to stick with the scheduled launch of a $6 billion satellite — as Mark wants, because a congressional delegation is at the base to see it — or delay it one day, when conditions will be better.
As the season progresses, though, Mark and Adrian develop a bond that serves as the show’s backbone even as conflicts between them persist, the actors in the roles making a strangely appealing pair. There is more stress for Mark at home, where Erin remains completely frustrated by the move west. She has not been able to make friends, and her parents are barely available to her. To make matters worse for Mark, she is dating Yuri “Bobby” Telatovich (Alex Sparrow), a Russian working at the base who Mark believes is mainly interested in using her to get secret information. The tension-filled daddy-daughter dynamic that courses throughout the season is illustrative of how just unfunny “Space Force” is willing to be too much of the time. That said, Silvers (“Booksmart”) manages to make Erin likable even as she’s acting out against Dad. Of course, Carell (“The Morning Show”) mines humor from many situations. There is a scene in the penultimate episode of the season where Mark’s awkwardness certainly recalls that of Carell’s synonymous “Office” character, Michael Scott. Carell turns in strong work throughout the season. Malkovich (“Bird Box”), on the other hand, feels alternately bored and very engaged with playing his character. Adrian works better the zanier things are around him, but, again, the show doesn’t lean enough that way. However, Schwartz (“Parks and Recreation,” “Sonic the Hedgehog”) is constantly a fresh breath of comedic air as F. Tony Scarapiducci, Space Force’s clownish social media director, who is a constant irritant to both Mark and Adrian. Schwartz’s performance would fit well within the show “Space Force” should have been. Also a lead in the series, as Space Force helicopter pilot Angela Ali, Tawny Newsome (“Bajillion Dollar Propertie$”) gives an endearing performance. Angela is easy to relate with — she takes her job seriously and isn’t so crazy about using the title “spaceman,” the Space Force’s equivalent to the Air Force’s “airman.” Plus, she helps sell an evolving dynamic between Angela and the brilliant Dr. Chen Kaifang (Yang, “Silicon Valley”), Adrian’s No. 2. With episodes generally running a bit over 30 minutes, “Space Force” feels like too much of an OK thing. Were you to pick one new show from the talented Daniels, make it the more-thoughtfully conceived “Upload” on Amazon’s Prime Video. That show, also, is a bit too earnest for its own good, but it simply works better. We’ll have to wait to see if the future brings more “Space Force.” It needs a bit of a redesign, but it’s an idea worth saving.