Flaked

This show start very slow and somehow draws you in. All of the characters are deeply flawed, especially Will Arnett's character but you can't help but full in love with them all. A beautiful, emotional and intelligent show. Keep up the good work. More eolpisodes!

I started watching this a year or two ago and found it boring. My friend recommended it to me recently when we were talking about Blades of Glory (Will Arnett was a supporting cast member with his then-wife Amy Poehler). I gave it another try. I love this show. Like others have said, it is understated. You get to like the characters, especially Chip, in spite of his gross imperfections. Kudos to Will Arnett. He is a great actor. He is also a talented writer.

Unlike the other comments here, I totally identify with the younger women who gravitate to Chip. He is handsome and sexy, not to mention his voice. Remember these are women with tons of baggage and probably a daddy complex.

Will Arnett stars in this beautiful comedy/drama Netflix Original. The whole show is about change: Chip (Arnett) refuses to change anything about his life. He rides a bike, does not have a cellphone, sells the same stool since 2008. When his friends, entourage and town try to move on from the way things are, he will do whatever is in his power to prevent that. Also, the past is literally chasing Chip.

Great writing, great acting and directed in such a comfortable manner that really illustrates how the characters perceive their life in this city that is stuck on hold. The soundtrack is amazing and fits perfectly with the tone and the colours of the show.

I strongly feel that it is the most underrated show on Netflix.

Set in Venice CA the show centers around a recovering alcoholic named Chip and his friends. Since Chip is played by Will Arnett I imagined the show would have a lot more comedy, one liners, etc. I took a shot at it on Netflix even though I was afraid it might lack enough substance to hold my attention. Sometimes comedies rely far too much on witty lines and predictable gags. But FLAKED is not just a vehicle for snappy lines and comebacks. Most of the characters have enough depth to keep me interested. There are a few which are kind of one dimensional like Cooler, a stoner type. He is shallow and not too bright and not too with it and sometimes irritating because of it. But he adds comic relief.

I like the show more than I thought I was going to like it. There is one thing I don't like about the show, and about most shows of this type. Writers make characters do and say stupid things in order to develop conflict in the story line. Viewers watching this are hit with a feeling that the plot is just too phony, too unbelievable. If it were a pure comedy it would not matter. But this show is a mix of ostensibly real life drama with comedy. It is hard to buy into the real life bit when people say things or fail to say things which real people obviously would bring up in real life. They allow their lives to crash and burn in the show by failing to simply tell someone a simple set of facts as anyone in real life would obviously do. This makes it easier for writers to develop conflict, and I suppose the writers also feel that viewers will feel anxiety when they see the characters they identify with making such really bad decisions, omissions, or foolish statements.

This is obviously a pet peeve of mine, right up there with the grade B camera work seen in some action and horror films, i.e. shaky cameras, rapidly changing camera positions and angles, and rapidly changing depth of shots. I don't know why modern film uses these cheap techniques. Many people hate that kind of camera work. In the same way we hate to see seemingly ordinary and intelligent characters behaving stupidly and ruining their lives by doing so. It is extremely common in film and television and very annoying also.

I've been a fan of Will Arnett for years. But this is the first time we're seeing the true range of his acting. Chip is dark and complex in a way that is not appealing except for the fact that Will Arnett somehow manages to make a very unlikable person desirable. There are moments when watching Will Arnett as Chip that makes you completely forget that you're looking at what is usually a very funny man.

Given that this was a first time writing an entire show from start to finish for Arnett, I went in with lowered expectations. While the show struggles with knowing what it wants to be in spots, the characters are deep, the inter-relationships toxic and intriguing to watch.

While the plot sometimes got lost in character in fighting, I'm interested to see what will happen with a second season. This wasn't a perfect attempt but there's a great deal of heart here and that's worth it. I want more.