Duncanville

I spend the majority of my “adult tv time” watching cartoons on streaming apps; I can NOT afford cable right now. Ohhhhh, don’t you cry for me! I am currently exploring the app YouTube TV and I have taken interest in a new show called Duncanville. I was originally attracted to the show after I found out that Amy Poehler, the funniest actor from Parks and Rec, btw, is the voice of the main characters Duncan and Annie. So far, I have watched the first five episodes and with some snacks and a journey to being slightly under the influence, this show is a real laugh factory.

Breaking down the background

So, here is a little background about the show. Duncanville is about a teenage boy named Duncan Harris and his middle class American family who live in, what I assume is a town named Oakdale. Although I have seen five episodes, the name of the city has not been stated yet. Soooooo, I used a bunch of context clues. The name of Duncan’s high school is Oakdale, his baby sister’s school is called Oakdale preschool, and the cities prize possession is an old oak tree called “Ol’Oake.” I feel I made a reasonable assumption, but don’t quote me on that.

Catching up with the characters

Now let’s talk about the characters. Duncan’s character is as awkward, naive, and geeky as you could imagine. He is a lanky teen, with disheveled ginger hair and ankle length skinny jeans. After watching the first couple of episodes, I realized Duncan was a walking contradiction. He and his sister really hate it when their parents embarrass them, but Duncan has no trouble embarrassing himself. He is the oldest and has two younger sisters, Kimberly and Jing. Kimberly is 12 and in middle school, and of course they don’t get along. Duncan and Kimberly have the kind of relationship where they show great disdain for one another at all times, but you always know that they still love each other. Jing is their Asian, 5 year old adoptive sister, who is very smart for her age and pretty much lives in her own world. Jing is super impressionable, often picking up on her family’s mannerisms, both good and bad. After meeting the parents, you learn that the kids are definitely who they are for a reason.

Duncan has a typical embarrassing and invasive family. His mom is Annie Harris, a meter maid with aspirations of being a detective. In the first 10 seconds of being introduced to this character, I automatically go back to Amy Poehler as Leslie Knopp. Leslie had this explosive personality and she was definitely born a leader. It also could be the fact that I love Parks and Rec.

Along with Annie’s “in your face” personality, she is also very loud and outspoken. It’s very obvious she has no problem standing out any where she goes. She works as a meter maid and puts forth her “skills” as an aspiring detective to stop citizens who stay parked passed their meter expirations. One of my favorite things about Annie is she takes her job way too seriously which makes her very good at it. Annie is the “brains” of the operation as a parent and she definitely gives me “Nicole Watterson” or “Lois Griffin” vibes, the moms from The Amazing World of Gumball and Family Guy. Check those out as well if you haven’t, superb comedy.

Now, I know I said the mom is the brains, but the dad isn’t a total dud. Jack Harris own a plumbing business and is very active in his kids’ personal life. Based on what I have seen from his character, Jack is very comfortable and happy with his family. Jack can be a bit overwhelming and emotional, but he has good intentions and wants to be the best father to his kids. The thing I enjoy the most about this show is I saw a lot of affection between the parents, and you get a deep look into the adventures of the family together and not just individually. Jack and Annie are a perfect team and the family dynamic is definitely rooted from openness, laughter, and love. This family definitely makes me look forward to having a family so much more.

Aside from having a wonderful family, Duncan has his friends to escape what he calls “overbearing.” Duncan and his friends spend their free time in this abandoned trailer hidden in some trees or what could be the woods. I personally like the hangout because I definitely wanted one as a child. I sometimes live my life vicariously through the cartoons I watch, and I have accepted that this is why I started watching cartoons religiously. It’s not pathetic, I swear.

Duncan’s 3 best friends Bex, Wolf and Yangzi are considerably one of the best friend groups you could have. Whenever I start watching a new show, I always over analyze the main characters group of friends. You know how they say, “you are who you hang with?” Well that holds true. I would assume we all have similar qualities in our friends, which is why we become friends; so, I always pay close attention to the friends to see what qualities they have. I literally pick the characters apart. Bex is a tomboy and definitely not as bright as a highlighter if you catch my drift. She desperately wants to not be the weird self that she is but its kind of inevitable. Wolf is super laid back, almost like a stoner, and doesn’t take too much seriously. He’s way more involved with his friends than I thought he would be, and it’s probably because he has a bad home life. Yangzi, now he reminds me of Tom Haverford from P&R. Yangzi is very smart and always has an idea to help his comrades. Yangzi seems as if he’s one of those kids who is always up on the new and even puts people on to popular trends. He is a brand ambassador, as we would say, for several companies on twitter and is always getting free things in return. He’s tech savvy and has a great sense of style. This is a super diverse bunch of friends and that’s on representation.

But of course, there is romance!! If there is one thing I am a sucker for, it’s a heart warming romantic comedy. Now this show is more so a comedy, but Duncan definitely has a crush and her name is Mia. She is a liberal and an activist who is very upfront and stands for what she believes in 100% of the time. I have to say, I am all about interracial love, so I was very pleased to see the representation. Good job Duncanville creators!

This show has a lot to offer when it comes to entertainment. The city is just as weird and authentic as Townsville, or Springfield. I definitely would suggest checking this show out. The show has been renewed on FOX for a second season!