The self-proclaimed “dark, twisted comedy,” “Insatiable” (a Netflix Original bum-bum) has attracted criticism like a kid in a candy shop. Or should it be a fat kid in a candy shop, as the entire premise of the show revolves around the once overweight “protagonist” Patty (played by ex-Disney star Debby Ryan) exacting revenge on those who have wronged her.
Even before the full season hit Netflix, the trailer itself sparked outrage. Over 200,000 signatures were collected in order to get Netflix to halt the show’s release, to no avail as Netflix released all 12 episodes on August 10.
The series did not fare any better once released. Critics panned the series, garnering a 11 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. One of the best reviews of the show is from Jen Chaney at Vulture: “Insatiable is an equal-opportunity train wreck. It doesn’t merely traffic in stereotypes about fat people; it does the same thing with regard to the LGBTQ community, southerners, women, Christians, conservatives, African-Americans, and probably some other groups I’ve neglected to mention. It makes jokes about pedophilia and statutory rape that made my skin crawl so severely, it physically slid off of my body, got in my car, and drove straight to the beach so it could take a vacation from this show.”
The show has the feeling that your out-of-touch, Trump supporting, bigoted great uncle wrote the show rather than some unfunny Hollywood writers. Although it’s an equal opportunity free-for-all with stereotypes and jokes, none of them land in a way that’s actually funny or entertaining.
The biggest issue with “Insatiable” is that it tries so hard to be edgy and satirical, it ends up offensive, damaging, and just plain boring. It is trying to join the ranks of teen cult classics such as, “Heathers” and “Cruel Intentions.” Hell, even “Glee” in its later seasons was better, but with each try it just falls shorter and shorter.
One of my favorite ill thought out gags the show repeatedly references is the lovable fat suit. A gross miscalculation (as is the show as a whole), the “fat suit” is basically a chin prosthetic and a pillow stuffed down Ryan’s shirt. And if that sounds like a crude description, well just look it up for yourself and be amazed.
Not only are the fat jokes predictable and boring, so is the entirety of the jokes made throughout the show. If there isn’t a joke revolving around Patty’s weight, you can expect there to be a joke made soon about the sexual misconduct the supporting character, Bob Armstrong, has been accused of.
In case it isn’t glaringly clear to you, both subjects should in no way be lazily satirized by tone-deaf writers. Especially given the modern culture surrounding sexual assault and body positivity, one expects a Netflix Original to be, at the very least, tolerable. But alas, Netflix has once again favored quantity over quality, so much so that season two is now being filmed.
Rating: 1/10 fat suits
If this article has thoroughly depressed your view on Netflix TV Originals, here are some alternatives for your viewing pleasure: “GLOW,” “BoJack Horseman,” “Dear White People,” “On My Block,” “Everything Sucks!,” “Love,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “End of the F***ing World,” “Atypical” and “Big Mouth.”