I’d like to consider myself a die-hard fan of The Office. I’ve rewatched it about a dozen or so times, and Parks and Rec. a few times. So, this Netflix original was surrounded by so much hype, not only by myself but by every single fan of The Office and Parks and Rec.
There is one thing missing about Space Force that this show does not have compared to those shows and that is Michael Schur. Schur was Co-Creator alongside Daniels on both shows. Why am I mentioning this? In full transparency, I think Space Force falls flat on its moon landing.
Unfortunately, Space Force was a big let down. You have a bunch of great comedic actors from Steve Carrell, Ben Schwartz, John Malkovich, and so many others! There wasn’t a problem with the acting, it was mostly the writing. The jokes do not stick their landing and often lead to a cringe-worthy experience. The only stand out for was John Malkovich.
The biggest problem this show suffers from is it is not its own identity. Space Force feels, very, The Office to put lightly. Steve Carrell plays a man who is in a higher authoritative power who is pretty much an idiot who does not understand very much and offends his co-workers with racist remarks. Sound like anybody familiar? exactly. The thing about The Office is it is much more relatable to people because it shows the daily life of the average working American and a big influence on the show is the documentary side of it, showing the viewer real and raw emotions by hiding the camera from the actors so we can see who they truly are. Space Force tries the same recipe, just not as a documentary.
Some of the character arcs seemed pointless, like Erin. She’s in the show just to be there. Nothing against the actress, but there was no reason for her character to be featured as much as she did.
At the end of the day, this is just a hokier version of The Office. If you’re curious about the show or a fan of Greg Daniels, I would say give it a shot. Other than that, this is just a bland and flat Netflix original.