This season, Broke is the second network comedy to feature formerly rich relatives imposing themselves on family. Unlike Indebted, Broke has the main character’s sister, Elizabeth (Natasha Leggero, AJ and the Queen), and brother-in-law, Javier (Jaime Camil, Jane the Virgin), move in with Jackie (Pauley Perrette, NCIS), a single mother who works two jobs so that she can continue living in the family home. It’s also significantly better than Indebted, which is far from a ringing endorsement for either show.
When Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s weird fake accent, and Javier show up on Jackie’s doorstep, Jackie initially believes she will be able to subtly convince them to give her some money. Jackie and her son, Sammy (Antonio Raul Cobo, Brooklyn 99), live in a house that is falling apart and don’t have enough money to fix little things like their microwave. Unfortunately, the only reason Elizabeth and Javier, who haven’t had much contact with Jackie the last five years, are there is that Javier’s father cut them off from Javier’s trust fund because Javier bought a Mayan pyramid. Understandably, Jackie isn’t pleased that her sister isn’t there because she loves her, but because she’s desperate and Jackie’s house was the only place she could go.
Despite being thoroughly unlikeable characters, Elizabeth and Javier seem to have a positive impact on Sammy, who craves a big, loud, happy family. It helps that Javier can sweet talk almost any American woman and charm them with his accent and a few words in Spanish. Also, underneath his overconfidence and irresponsible spending, Javier knows how to be a supportive friend. His assistant Luis (Izzy Diaz, Snowfall) has a rocky relationship with his family because he is gay. Javier’s response to Luis’s sexuality was to throw him a big coming out party with acrobats dressed as rain and a cloud. As Jackie points out, it was literally raining men. The description of Luis’s coming out party was the highlight of a mediocre show that would be better without two-fifths of its main characters.
Instead of focusing on Elizabeth and Javier, Broke should develop the relationship between Jackie and Luis, as they are the series’ most likable characters. Luis doesn’t stay around because he’s getting paid by Javier’s father. He stays around because he’s intensely loyal. And, yes, he knows Javier is an idiot. As for Jackie, she’s a hardworking, loving mother, and normal person who wants to be able to afford little things without having to work nonstop. Ultimately, this show does have a few bright spots to it, but it has a long way to go before it can garner a recommendation.
Broke airs Thursdays on CBS. Previous episode can be streamed on CBS All Access.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtiO6N3zJ6U
