by Alexa Duplisea
Suburgatory
Before I watched the show, I was hesitant to believe what people say about liking it. First off, I do not get the title of the show. What does suburgatory mean? I do not understand the title except for the fact that it is based in the suburbs. What does “suburgatory” mean, and how does it tie to the show? Is it a mix of suburbia and purgatory, a place of suffering and hell in the suburbs? They should explain that, so people like me will understand it. If the title is unclear and not understandable would the show be too? That was a concern of mine.
But that is why people say not to be so quick to judge, and they are right. After watching the show I actually enjoyed it a lot. Even though the show’s idea about living in the suburbs wasn’t too funny, the characters in the show were. Suburgatory was just about regular people’s lives, specifically the main characters Tessa and George, and in their daily lives something new always happens and that’s what each show is about. Besides the fact that someone dies in the show, what is supposed to grab the viewer’s attention? I did not find much to be honest.
While watching, there was not one story going on but two, and it was frustrating to watch at points. This show switched back and forth between Tessa and George Altman’s lives, and throughout the whole episode they never came in contact with each other, which I found strange because they live together. Throughout the show Tessa narrates it even when George’s day is being shown. Maybe she narrates the show because it’s about her view on her life in the suburbs and her family.
There was, however, one part in the show that grabbed my attention. At the beginning of the show George and his friend Noah are at a country club in a sauna with a 90-year-old man named Marty. George gets to know him a little bit; then irony hits. Marty explains that he has never been outside of the suburbs of Chatswin and that he has plans to travel soon. “The best years of my life are ahead of me,” he says. Then he dies in the sauna from a stroke.
Not only is George having a rough day, but so is Tessa. She has recently found out that her boyfriend Ryan has been lying to her about what he has been up to. Wow, how original! A boyfriend lying. After freaking out on Ryan because she thought he was cheating on her, Tessa finds out that colleges are pursuing him. Her mind set instantly changes, and she is no longer mad at him but sad that he has been thinking about a future without her.
Throughout the show Tessa worries about the future she may or may not have with Ryan, but what she doesn’t know is that Ryan is worrying about the same thing. When Ryan confronts her about the situation, he tells Tessa he has a plan to stay with her and not go to college, and Tessa really starts to worry, “Ryan did you do something stupid?” Ryan responds, “I think we both know the answer to that.” The show portrays Ryan as a really dumb, but hot kid, and he thinks that too. Luckily Tessa fixes the issue and tells Ryan to go to college, and they will be fine. Even though Tessa and Ryan are okay, George is still having trouble with the death of Marty, even though he barely knew him.
George decides to go to Marty’s funeral along with eight other people from the club. At the end of the funeral, a country club employee gives George Marty’s ashes. This man tells George, “Of all people that didn’t know Marty, you didn’t know him the least.” It is sad but funny that nobody knew this man, and they gave his ashes to George who just met him. Luckily, George did find out that Marty wanted to travel outside Chatswin and decided to spread his ashes right beyond the border of that town.
My favorite characters in the show were Ryan and George’s friend, Noah. They were the funniest characters in the show, since Ryan is a complete dunce, thinking his hot body is a curse. Also when Noah, George’s best friend, was trying to give a speech at Marty’s funeral, he started describing events at the country club’s pool, and then he abruptly announced, “Speaking of strokes, Marty’s dead.”
This show deserves a three out of five stars. While watching the show I really enjoyed it, but when it ended I wasn’t like “OMG I have to watch this again!” This show will not be going on my regular television schedule.
