Written by Jennifer Amato
Although the premise of Superior Donuts is keeping an old school, retro, hometown donut shop alive, I have doubts that the show itself will last as long.
There were a lot of one-liners and “ha ha” moments during the new CBS sitcom, but the overall mood was that of a just-developed pilot. I don’t know if it was the obviousness of being on a set in a fake donut shop, or the overkill of giving scenes to each character, but something didn’t seem like it flowed very well.
The concept is very current: a young, black millennial is trying to help an old, white curmudgeon save his family business. He brings in social media, fresh marketing ideas and Yelp reviews to help a father-figure who is giving him a job – and moreso, a chance. There’s a tender scene at the end when Arthur (Judd Hirsch) bails out the young Franco (Jermaine Fowler) after he defaces the new Starbucks across the street that is taking business away from the already failing Superior Donuts. But the chemistry between the two is so-so throughout the whole episode.
Most of the jokes focus on racial stereotypes of black vs. white, “terrorist” foreigner vs. American, cop vs. citizen. Some are funny, some could be taken as offensive. There are also a lot of jabs at millennials, such as their need to drink anything kale/soy-based, or wanting to move into hip, gentrified neighborhoods instead of appreciating history and nostalgia.
However, there is a light message of holding onto your dreams, not being stuck in the past and fighting for what you believe in – “Try until you die,” as Franco says.
I probably would watch Superior Donuts again, if I remember it’s on, but it’s certainly not worth setting the DVR for. Superior Donuts is not so superior.
