If you don’t know Vince Staples yet, his new comedy series is the perfect crash course on the Long Beach rapper’s surreal sense of humor. Staples plays a fictionalized version of himself in this semi-autobiographical Netflix limited series as he navigates life’s absurdities with signature deadpan wit.
Each 20-minute episode throws fictional Vince into an everyday situation that quickly spirals into chaos, from a night in jail to a tense standoff during a bank heist. But he greets these bizarre twists with a nonchalance that’s its own punchline. As co-creator Ian Edelman put it, “The show lives in this space where anything can happen and anything does happen, but Vince is gonna remain Vince.”
That means keeping his cool against all odds, greeting kidnappers like old pals, and finding magic chicken restaurants hidden in theme parks. The only thing predictable about The Vince Staples Show is that things are gonna get weird. But Vince invites us along for the ride with a “come what may” attitude and lyrics like “you expect me to trip, I expect me to float.” So settle in for his weird world and enjoy the trip.
Buckling Up for Vince’s Wild Ride
The Vince Staples Show may only last five episodes, but each one takes viewers on a wild ride into the bizarre situations fictional Vince faces. In the pilot “Pink House,” a simple traffic stop lands Vince behind bars, contending with violent inmates and officers who want concert tickets.
Episode 2 throws Vince into a bank heist led by an old friend from the neighborhood, giving them time to casually catch up amidst terrified hostages. “Brown Family” finds tensions exploding at a family reunion, especially for Vince’s mom Anita who’s desperate to reclaim best mac & cheese status. Even a trip to the grungy local theme park spirals into confrontations with a deranged mascot and an illicit underground magic show in Episode 4 “Red Door.”
No matter the predicament, Vince takes it all in stride. But the off-kilter plots highlight deeper themes about the burden of his past. Vince just wants to live a low-key life with girlfriend Deja, but old grudges, family drama, and his own reputation constantly resurface. He’s respected in the neighborhood as a successful rapper, yet still treated with suspicion by police who confuse him for another man with a warrant.
The show explores the tensions Vince faces in escaping his past, finding fame, and returning home to the same systemic issues. Long Beach itself becomes a threat and refuge by turns. As creator Ian Edelman put it “The way he sees the world has changed, but that doesn’t mean the world sees him differently.” So buckle up as Vince balances that tension with nonstop wry humor through the wildest situations imaginable.
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Vince’s Signature Brand of Weird
Fans of offbeat comedies like Atlanta and Dave will feel right at home with The Vince Staples Show’s surreal humor. Much like Donald Glover and Dave Burd, Vince has his own distinct comedic voice that fully embraces absurdity. He maintains a deadpan composure no matter how bizarre the situation, grounding the show’s weird flights of fancy.
Even during a hostage standoff or family brawl, Vince greets each outlandish twist with a nonchalance that gives otherwise dramatic scenes a hilarious lightness. As creator Ian Edelman said, “We waste no time explaining why something weird is happening – we just let Vince roll with it.”
That blasé reactions makes for plenty of winkingly meta dialogue, like casually asking a bank robber “You do a heist, you’re George Clooney. You rob a bank, you’re Queen Latifah?” Moments later, the thief sincerely asks what project Vince would cast him in.
It’s a brand of sly, unpredictable humor you also see in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bupkis. But the show stands apart with its uniquely Long Beach setting and Vince’s grounded charm amidst the mayhem. Rather than chasing punchlines, the show seeks weird interludes that surprise and amuse in equal measure. So while Vince invites inevitable comparisons, he ultimately hosts a party all his own – where things get plenty weird, but the host keeps it chill.
Shedding Light Not Preaching Truths
While The Vince Staples Show offers no shortage of surreal laughs, it also subtly broaches more serious issues. Police brutality, gun violence, racism and the struggles in Vince’s community simmer below the surface, lightly touched on through the plots.
The show doesn’t preach or offer solutions. But it does pull back the curtain on tensions that shape Vince’s everyday realities, from profiling and incarceration to economic barriers. There’s palpable fatigue when a cop asks Vince “Remember me from last time?” during a traffic stop, along with a glimmer of hope when a black bank manager shows empathy amidst a heist.
These moments speak to universal frustrations more than individual trauma; the show aims for catharsis over shock value. And counterbalancing heavier themes, there’s a defiance that rings through as well – whether blasting NWA’s “F*** Tha Police” in jail or watching Vince’s mom fend off small slights with quick wit all her own.
So while Vince’s world is filled with absurdity, that weirdness reflects real anxieties, hopes and coping mechanisms endemic to his home. The show doesn’t dwell there or offer a class in racial dynamics. But it does invite viewers to open their eyes to Long Beach life, if only for 20 odd minutes at a time.
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Why We Can’t Look Away
What makes The Vince Staples Show irresistible viewing starts with Vince himself. He projects an unassuming magnetism that grounds the show’s surrealism in something authentic and familiar. We buy that this guy could keep his cool whether chatting with violent convicts or long-lost relatives; Vince makes even the strangest scenarios feel grounded.
That rock-solid center lets the show’s writers get as weird as they want around the edges. And they fully embrace that freedom to be random, irreverent and just plain funny without the constraints of rigid plot logic.
One minute Vince is grabbing a snack from a secret underground chicken joint, the next he’s Talking life, dreams and drama with a theme park mascot like an old friend in a furry suit.
The show also stays sharp with highly quotable dialogue that sticks with you when the credits roll. There’s Vince’s mom whispering “That bitch done had it out for me since ’88” at a family reunion, his cellmate sincerely asking to get put on a track during his prison stay, and too many other sly asides to list here.
Some episodes hold together better than others big picture. But moment to moment, the show keeps us invested – thanks to Vince’s appeal, left-field humor, and a knack for highlighting sublime absurdity in everyday indignities. Rather than questioning the weird twists, we’re usually just nodding along in sync with Vince’s seen-there-done-that reactions.
Where The Show Falls Short
As entertaining as Vince’s weird escapades may be, The Vince Staples Show is not without its flaws. The most glaring issue is uneven quality from episode to episode. While the first two entries focus tightly around Vince, later chapters devote more time to supporting characters without developing them enough to maintain interest.
We get fragments of backstories for Vince’s girlfriend Deja, his temperamental mom, and wayward uncle. But there aren’t meaningful arcs for anyone but Vince over five short episodes. These sideplots feel shoehorned in rather than adding new dimensions.
There’s also tension between the show’s anthology-style standalone episodes and glimmers of serialized storytelling that could anchor the show. Is this meant to be five separate tall tales, or the start of a larger narrative? Right now it falls awkwardly between the two.
Most frustrating is a sense that that the show barely taps the potential of its premise and Vince’s talents. Just as the characters show promise for growth, the season ends abruptly after finding its stride.
With more discipline shaping the supporting characters and story structure, The Vince Staples Show could realize its ambition as a distinctly surreal, poignant and hilarious take on fame, systemic struggles and the madness of everyday life. For now it remains a bumpy but vastly entertaining ride best defined by its charismatic star. But there are all the raw materials for something great when it hits full speed.
The Bottom Line: A Confident Comic Voice
For all its uneven moments, The Vince Staples Show represents something daring, distinct and amusingly unconcerned with mass appeal. It celebrates the weird, thrives on surprises and showcases a creative team hitting its confident stride.
While the episodes vary in execution, the show never loses its clever comic voice or Vince’s chill charm balancing the chaos. Ultimately the series leaves us wanting more time in Vince’s unconventional world, with its indelible characters and imagery you just can’t look away from.
If the closing moments showing figures from past episodes hint at an expanding interwoven narrative, subsequent seasons could see The Vince Staples Show realize its full potential. Though it already stands out for embracing surrealism and Black experiences without compromise, abets restraints or explanations.
Much like Donald Glover, Issa Rae and Dave Burd, Vince Staples is defining his own unconventional path in comedy. The Vince Staples Show proudly flaunts that individuality – by turns weird, resonant and hilarious enough to look past any bumps along its singular road. This ride may just be getting started, but it already feels like a seminal trip capturing one creative’s brilliantly bizarre mind and truths.
The Review
The Vince Staples Show
The Vince Staples Show is a wildly unique comedy series that announces the arrival of a creative force unwilling to play by the usual rules. While uneven at points, at its surreal best the show reaches heights of hilarity and resonance that demand your attention. Let's hope this trip into Vince's weird world stretches into a longer stay.
PROS
- Vince Staples' magnetic charisma and deadpan humor
- Absurd, surreal plots that embrace weirdness
- Sharp, unpredictable writing and dialogue
- Lightly tackles resonant themes without preachiness
- Creative vision and influences set it apart
CONS
- Uneven quality between episodes
- Underdeveloped supporting characters
- Unclear anthology structure vs serialization
