Netflix’s charm is mind-blowing for a show that claims the importance of being yourself Frustrating irony) is that it doesn’t seem to know what it really wants to be.
It’s a workplace comedy that doesn’t understand how work works, a rom-com that fails to generate any convincing spark, a Gen Z coming-of-age saga with Cultural references for older millennials. The occasional glimmer of potential is buried under lackluster writing and absurd plot twists. In terms that people in the beauty world might understand: It’s the TV equivalent of buying a discounted eyeshadow palette stuffed with two dozen shades, only to discover that maybe three of them will actually work for you. Charming
Bottom line
A superficial show about beauty, identity and empowerment.
2010 Broadcast date: Thursday, June (Netflix) Cast: Miss Benny, Kim Cattrall , Zane Phillips, Jed Peyton, Michael Hsu Rosen, Aisha Harris, Grae Tom Parkhurst 2010 Creator: Jordan Nadino
It stars Marco (Miss Benny), a young queer man who aspires to be a beauty influencer — and despite his triple-figure following, he’s in a New Jersey department store. The company’s Glamorous by Madolin cosmetics counter job does pay off. . His fortunes suddenly change when Madeleine herself (Kim Cattrall) happens to pay a visit. A flattering speech followed (“It’s not just paint or glitter. It’s therapy in a tube. Magic in a jar. Because it doesn’t just touch your body”. Face, it touches you ,” he gushes), who has already secured an offer to be her assistant. Mardolin hopes that Marco is just what her luxury brand needs to pull itself out of its predicament.
It’s a perfect premise, but from the start, the execution just doesn’t feel right. Starring Miss Benny, creator Jordan Nardino ( Jordon Nardino’s Marco is less a fully realized individual than a collection of soundtrack clips and catchphrases fit for TikTok. (“You’re beautiful. Say it again,” is what he conjures up online and in real life. Closing words that people are tired of.) What might be cute in the confines of a two-minute makeup tutorial becomes less cute when stretched beyond ten hours. Expected 2010 year-old romantic and career mistakes, but showed little invaluable interest in delving deeper into the more complex aspects of his psyche aspect, or sort out the little mess he left behind.
Madolin fared slightly better, as Cattrall’s naturally oversized presence made it easy to see her as Untouchable charm portrayed for other characters. But strangely, Charming seems reluctant to portray Madoline in any negative or teasing way, despite the Occasional sarcasm at The Office. Like The Devil Wears Prada is about Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway actually being super cool , deserving of endless gratitude and admiration from each of their colleagues. In other respects, this show conjures up images of less acerbic Glee or less bubbly Paris Emily or not so seriously Love You Victor – that is, the show It doesn’t feel unique at all. At the same time, its visuals are terrible: director Todd Strauss-Schulsen’s love of lens flares doesn’t match that of mid-term J.J. Abrams On par.
Still, there are hints scattered throughout the Glamorous series that it has the potential to be a more Sharper, bolder series. It can be interesting when the series explores self-absorbed figures in the beauty industry, such as a social media expert named Alyssa Says, who, unsurprisingly, makes most of her sentences Both start with “Alyssa Says.” It’s at its most thoughtful when it critiques the corporate league’s cynicism—although the supposedly more meaningful Pride event that the glamorous staff eventually puts up doesn’t seem to improve much, despite I’ve been distracted by logistical headaches. the whole project. ( Does it make sense for companies to still be brainstorming pride ideas in mid-June? Could A really good Pride campaign single-handedly turn around a struggling company trajectory? yes really no luxury cosmetics brand ever tweeted so much about pride? Who knew? I don’t!)
Some supporting characters transcend flimsy, talkative dialogue through their power of energy. Britt and Ben, played by Ayesha Harris and Michael Hsu Rosen, have an instantly endearing chemistry, and the two product Design buddies spend most of their time at work teasing each other about their office romances. Diana Maria Riva plays Marco’s pragmatic mother, Julia, in stark contrast to the overwrought drama of the charming team. The cutest was Chad, Madolin’s son and the company’s Sales Director. Zane Phillips plays him like a golden retriever raised by Cruella De Vil—sly and eager to please, with a surprisingly lovable center in the middle.
Too bad they have so many undercooked options around. Like the tedious love triangle that emerges between Marco (an obviously lousy financial brother (Graham Parkhurst)) and the hopelessly lovelorn Ben. Or the endless stream of semi-dated pop culture references; in this No one on the show fails for being “more of a failure than a Katy Perry single.” Or thinks that loyalty to work is such an unconditional good that another of Madolin’s assistants (Jed Peyton) was even considered selfish for considering an interview at another firm. “When things go bad, you bail,” scolded a date she dated.
For all the charming ‘ flaws, it’s hard to blame the series for wanting to bring the same suspicion to the queer brown protagonist as the straight white protagonist Benefits. Marcos have spoken more than once about the importance of representation, and of course it’s worth acknowledging that there should be room for Marcos in the world to screw up too – date the wrong guy, break the wrong heart, fail at work , fall. Fell and then got up, vowing to do better next time. But one also wants something richer, deeper, and more complex about the process than charm description, it talks about a big game of bravery and ambition, but defaults to safe and predictable choices in nearly every scene. Turn. Ultimately, its shallowness is doomed to be charming dropped one thing Marco was looking for this season: authentic self-awareness.
