Finally got around to checking out the first season of this show. It was really enjoyable. Some hilarious moments, some of them kind of kitschy as you'd expect from a Bill Hader production, but in a really good way for the most part and well-timed. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things the bald-headed Chechen said, though I started to become too aware by the end of the eight episodes that he was slotted into a comic relief role and they kept doing the same kinds of jokes with his character. It was kind of sweet that he turned out to be on Barry's side by the end, but I did role my eyes at his lines in by the seventh or eighth episode.
Another gripe I had was with how Barry ended up with Sally halfway through the eighth episode and seemed to be in a totally idyllic place, even though Sally's character took a major turn halfway through the season. One interpretation is that he was possibly able to come to terms with his flawed and incomplete view of Sally and establish a relationship with her in light of the terms of this new perspective, but the show just didn't address the issue at all. It's a shame too as I was totally duped by Sally's character change. I was hooked that she was a bit naive but joyfully persistent in her optimism and readiness to confront life's challenges ... and then that subtle balance shifted to flightiness and self-absorption. It's all too often that we meet someone and perhaps look at them in a favorable light, seeing only the haloed traits that are maybe so apparent because of our warped views and our personal needs, only to have the rug pulled out from under us and the reality come crashing in. It's how we deal with these things that defines us in some way. I just felt the show jumped ahead way too fast in this respect, even though I can fill in the gaps, I guess.
I'm looking forward to watching season two, although I do side with wilberfan in that I'd prefer more character exploration instead of action.
