Netflix’s Space Force is more like Spaceballs than Star Trek. Unfortunately, it won’t be as timeless a classic. Despite having an A-list comedy cast, Space Force relies on ridiculous plots that don’t feel that far off from our present reality. Also, the show just isn’t very funny. In the first three episodes, there was one hilarious moment and one moment that had a cute pun. Everything else…
The main issue is that Space Force is fundamentally torn between the absurdity of a real Starfleet and its own earnestness. Co-creator Steve Carell (re-teaming with The Office creator Greg Daniels), who stars as General Mark Naird, clearly has an affinity for space that sometimes overshadows the fact that his space vision isn’t exactly filled with qualified NASA engineers and astronauts. Space Force does have one qualified scientist in Dr. Adrian Mallory (John Malkovich, Being John Malkovich), but he mainly serves as a foil to General Naird who never listens to him.
As Space Force’s first Chief of Space Operations, General Naird is woefully underqualified. For a man who was second in the Air Force, he’s nothing more than an incompetent idiot who shouldn’t be allowed near a position of power, yet alone be in charge of a brand-new military branch. General Naird doesn’t see the problem with accidentally wasting millions of tax dollars due to his own incompetence.
Instead of dwelling on his billion-dollar accidents, General Naird prefers to focus on his successes, especially those that Dr. Mallory told him would fail. Even when General Naird’s stupid ideas fail, they still get further than they should. In the second episode, a chimp-stronaut goes on a spacewalk to fix a damaged satellite. It’s supposed to be funny. However, willing suspension of disbelief only goes so far. It’s also hard to become immersed in a comedy scene when you’re reminded of Laika and other animals that have died in space five minutes before this plan is implemented against all common sense.
When General Naird isn’t wasting taxpayer money, he’s terrified of Russia and China. The former country gets a little too close for comfort. Since he isn’t around to watch her and his wife Maggie (Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback) is in prison, his daughter Erin (Diana Silvers, Ma) decides to date Yuri “Bobby” Telatovich (Alex Sparrow, Unreal). Everyone around Erin strongly suspects Telatovich is only interested in Erin, who is 10-years-younger than him, because of her proximity to classified information. It’s suggested that even Erin knows her boyfriend’s true intentions but is so unhappy with her social life in Colorado that she’ll take any attention she can get. Erin eventually befriends Captain Angela Ali (Tawny Newsom, Spies in Disguise).
The few peaks we get at other military branch leaders show that maybe General Naird really is the best the United States has to offer. His fellow leaders are just as incompetent. What they lack in competence, they make up for with arrogance and obnoxiousness. They also see the Space Force as redundant and feel it should be part of the Air Force.
Don’t watch Space Force. There aren’t enough laughs to justify its existence as a comedy. It fails to qualify as a drama because no one faces the consequences for their poor decisions. Fans of the American version of The Office may find the show salvageable. Everyone else should pass.
Space Force Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4mY2asIjWk
