‘Unstable’ Review: A Lighthearted Comedy About Science and Family

We are living in the era of the famous multi-billionaire. There was a time when these figures were all working from behind the scenes, creating and influencing the world around them. However, with the introduction of figures such as Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk, these figures are now becoming just as famous as any other proper celebrity. Musicians, movie stars, and athletes have nothing on them. Unstable is a new Netflix comedy series that follows one of these weird figures and tries to make us laugh about it.

Rob Lowe and Victor Fresco develop the series. Lowe himself stars on the show as Ellis Dragon, a famous tech industrialist looking for new technologies that can save the planet from pollution and other environmental issues. The series also stars Lowe’s own son, John Owen Lowe, alongside Sian Clifford, Aaron Branch, Rachel Marsh, Emma Ferreira, and Fred Armisen. The series tells the story of Ellis and his son Jackson, who are trying to fix their strained relationship and develop new tech breakthroughs to help save the world.

Unstable feels and looks very much like thousands of other Netflix shows. The production values on this series aren’t precisely the best you will come across, but they are good enough to make the show easy on the eyes. Because we are also dealing with a tech company, sometimes the visual effects department needs to come up with something cool to show us, but those moments are very few and far between. The result is a TV series that can be watched and enjoyed, but it is better if you don’t expect much from something like this.

The series has no pretensions of being something it isn’t, which is one of its strongest points. We often see movies and TV shows trying to sound and look important when their content is anything but. Lowe’s own brand has been this for the past decade. He knows he isn’t the best actor but has enough charm and skills to become a loveable individual on screen. He is someone you can root for, and you want to see him succeed, even when he isn’t precisely doing or behaving properly.

However, this lack of ambition to become something that could be just amazing also ends up delivering a TV show that you can watch anytime. Unstable doesn’t feel like a must-watch, and that is a problem. Some people might even just consider skipping it, and for some others, it won’t even register on their radar, which is a shame because the show is quite enjoyable. The fact that the episodes are only about 30 minutes in length alleviates the time commitment that could be required for a show like this.

Lowe is a great anchor for the series. As we said before, the actor has enough charm to make you watch him as Ellis be a pleasant experience. He is playing a variation on Elon Musk’s planet-conscious scientist, but without all the baggage that Elon Musk has in real life. You could get into a political interpretation of the character or wonder if Lowe and his team of creators are trying to validate the presence of people like Musk in real life, but that doesn’t matter. If you’re in for a story about a millionaire with ambitions of saving the world, you already know it.

Lowe’s own son fairs a bit worse than his father. Not only does he lack his father’s charisma, but he is not believable in his role either. Let’s not say that John Owen is a bad actor, but he has absolutely no presence on screen, and when he needs to interact with his father, it is more than noticeable. The cast is filled with actors like Clifford, Branch, and Marsh, who feel like real characters and people you want to see doing their thing. Meanwhile, John Owen Lowe feels like he is there just because he is Rob Lowe’s son.

It is a perfect example of nepotism, for sure. However, something more than that makes John Owen such an empty presence. You would love it if, instead of Lowe’s son, the focus for that side of the show would have fallen on someone like Marsh, who seems more than capable of being a co-lead. Ferreira also shows signs of being a great leader, but their characters are written in that quirky, shallow way that marks them as eternal supporting characters. The show’s core is based on the relationship between a father and son, but if there is another season, the show should expand its horizons.

Regarding comedy, we all know that this aspect can be highly subjective. What I find funny, another person might find annoying or even offensive. Unstable is funny but not hilarious. All the jokes and funny moments feel very restrained. Maybe they are trying to be everything to everyone, this eliminates any edge the show might have, but at least this will be a show that will not make any community angry. It is quite a slippery slope out there, so you never know what might happen. I would guess Unstable will be just fine.

The end of the season leaves things open for a second season. Lowe and the rest of the cast want to go back for another round, but after you see the entire season and the ending, you might wonder if the show is strong enough to warrant another season. As of right now, the answer is no from me. While charming at times, it doesn’t feel like a series that will become huge with any audience, as it lacks any solid personality.

Ultimately, Unstable is a fun little comedy show that is perfect for killing time or having something in the background while working or doing something else. The cast is great, but Lowe’s own son makes the entire thing feel a bit lower in quality. The visuals present the now infamous overlit Netflix signature lighting as well as framing that makes the show look very cheap. It is a pleasant show, and for those who want something light that might make them chuckle occasionally, this is the perfect show for them.

SCORE: 6/10