Don tells Timmy that the corporate office has closed and all of the Blockbuster stores have closed. Timmy is taken aback by this news and confides in Eliza about his insecurities. With corporate no longer in the picture, Timmy will have to take care of the entire rent and other expenses like parking. Eliza and Timmy are childhood friends and she tries to comfort him by saying they will figure it out.
Eliza is trying to get the store back on track after her husband cheated on her. She proposes a party to attract people from the town and rediscover their lost taste for human connection. The other employees in the store don’t know about it until Kayla, the most tech-savvy of the bunch, breaks the news. ..
Timmy comes in and tries to motivate his troops with a rousing speech from the film “Independence Day”. Eliza spoils it at the very last moment but they get the message loud and clear. To prepare for the party, Timmy and Eliza go to Percy’s store. Percy is Timmy’s best friend from high school and proposes a preposterous plan for the party. His blueprint is childish and amateur, something Eliza fears will drive the people away. When Timmy accidentally reveals that Eliza has broken up, she gets upset and leaves Timmy to his own devices.
At a bar, Carlos, Timmy, and Percy discuss the party and the former’s relationship with Eliza. Carlos purports that the two might have a thing for each other and Timmy must pursue the same. Percy gives the exact opposite advice, telling him not to “deuce where he eats”. Relationships between co-workers are often tricky and it might be a mistake. The next day, they all set up the store for the party. Percy’s unimpressive taste sees him bring a tall inflatable gorilla thingy, which is inadvertently set on fire after he fires out rocket crackers during the daytime. ..
The party does not seem to be a great success, though, and Eliza only comes later after it is finished. She consoles Timmy when Remington Alexander, a local reporter, comes and asks him about the incident with the “attacking Gorilla”. Carlos had actually edited the video to make the gorilla seem like a mechanical robot and Kayla had uploaded it on social media. Although he is unsure of what to say, Eliza stands behind the camera and prods him to give his rousing speech. He takes the mic in his hands and Timmy appeals to the people of Remington to support the store and sustain small businesses.
The plan actually works and it is also revealed that Percy is Kayla’s father. Timmy gets many new membership requests and thanks, Eliza, for her vote of confidence. They both apologize and before Timmy can tell her how he feels, Aaron walks in to pick up Eliza. She explains that her daughter feels distant so she is giving Aaron another chance. Timmy is unable to say more and she departs.
The Episode Review
The setting of the last Blockbuster store seems like an interesting idea. Episode 1 definitely seems undercooked, but with the right ingredients that can be explosive when well-tamed, it could be something special. ..
Randall Park and Melissa Fumero are both instantly impressive and will most likely hold the fort on the dramatic side of things. It is a typical “will they won’t they” trope in the works here, and we can expect a lot of torture for Timmy before Eliza comes around and realizes her love for him. It will come but we will have to wait.
We’re not sure what to make of the other characters in this sitcom. It’s hard to form an opinion right away, but the common traits we find in sitcom settings are pretty much there. That seems like it will be a disappointment, but we’re hoping for a new twist on the workplace comedy brand that quickly deteriorates into 2000’s territory if not done properly.
