Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt recently unveiled the first 6 episodes of its fourth and final season. The hitherto bubbly and gullible heroine could well begin to harden a little…
The dapper Kimmy is back for new adventures! After a first season favorite, the sequel had enough to disappoint, well below what we expected. To the point of even wondering if it was really worth it to release a fourth season. The delirium "Kimmy becomes an Uber driver", "Kimmy at university", "Kimmy divorce", etc., quickly became tiresome. Apart from Titus the Magnificent, we no longer saw the interest of the series. But for this last chapter, Kimmy, so far very stupid or even downright annoying, becomes seriously aware of the world around her. And the least we can say is that she is not a big fan of what she sees.
The same expired recipes
We reassure you, it is always the same young woman much too cheerful, ready to live life to the fullest since her exit from the bunker (which probably explains the fact that she is content with a room of 5m2 without door worthy of the name). The series always plays on the overflowing credulity of the Mole Woman that we end up looking at with a haughty air.
We also find the old gags warmed up by surfing on the fact that the heroine does not know any of the hits of recent years. While clashing the total lack of meaning in the lyrics. You may recognize the chorus of Friday hummed by Kimmy on a tune straight out of her imagination. The writers insist on treating the characters as people totally devoid of intelligence or even common sense. These personalities are supposed to create comical situations. Except that most of the time, we get bored. Worse, we are uncomfortable.
An unexpected turnaround
Then all of a sudden, everything starts to take shape. The season takes a big turn with episode 3, in the form of a parody of documentary a little petted. A completely new form for the series and which has the effect of a big breath of fresh air after the rotten valves that precede.
Go pro in hand, we follow a recognized DJ (and whose 3 neurons that make up his brain fight laboriously in them). The star is looking for an evening ambianceur for his wedding. And who better than the one who inspired him in the first place? Got it? "Durnsville's Worst Wedding DJ", does that ring a bell? Yes, we will go in search of the Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, the guru who kidnapped Kimmy. Before launching himself as a professional kidnapper, the reverend was also a failed DJ in his spare time. An unexpected conversion that nevertheless bore fruit during the first fifteen years.
The Age of Reason
That's when it all makes sense. The documentary completely reverses the truth by discrediting the Mole Women in favor of the reverend, presented as a victim. Kimmy, upon seeing him, becomes aware of how women in general are treated. From bunkers to sexual harassment to princess tales, everything goes. From the first episode until we come across assumed incels (frustrated and misogynistic involuntary bachelors), the entire series takes a completely different turn. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt becomes much more engaged than she seemed at first.
Some critics criticize the series for surfing on the notoriety of the wave #MeToo. It tackles Weinstein,-shaming and others. However, feminism has always been present, and this, since the first minutes of the show. Remember. When the Mole Women are questioned on a television set, Cindy confesses that she followed the Reverend because she did not want to appear "mean", "rude", ". The presenter then makes the following comment:
"I will always be impressed with what you women are able to do just so as not to look rude."
This sentence, as innocuous as it is, denounces the fact that women are more dangerous when they refuse a man's advances than in the opposite case. They are sometimes willing to do things they do not want just so as not to offend their interlocutor and feel insecure.
And then there is the fact that the heroine refuses to talk about the sexual violence she allegedly suffered during her ordeal. This story is reminiscent of the tragic case of Natascha Kampusch. She too, locked underground by a psychopath, did not wish to mention the rapes of her captor for a long time. A right she claims. It's all part of her intimacy.
Later, in season 3, Kimmy also questions the very essence of feminism. Is dressing sexy a more feminist act than dressing the way you want? Mine of nothing, the series is full of subliminal messages of this kind that make the viewer think.
For this commitment alone, the season is worth watching. If a (too) large number of heavy gags fall flat, we still welcome the intelligent and rather rare position in this type of sitcom. The last episodes are coming for 2019. Will Kimmy be ready to rebel with great benevolence and good feelings? In the meantime, only one message counts: Female are strong as hell!
