Blockbuster – Season 1 Episode 1 “Pilot” Recap & Review

Pilot

Jeff is a customer of Iron Creek’s Blockbuster retail store at the beginning of Blockbuster episode 1. Timmy, the manager of the store, questions Jeff about his tastes and wants to see more. Timmy, who has worked in the same shop since seventh grade, knows all the intricacies of the movie-watching industry. Jeff recently went through a divorce and needs something to help him get over it. Eliza, Hanna, and Carlos as well as Kayla, Kayla, Connie, Connie, Connie, and Connie all weigh in on the matter. Timmy advises Jeff to rent Under the Tuscan Sun. He says his intervention is better that any algorithm on Netflix or Amazon.

Don calls him from corporate. He calls to inform him that seven of eight Blockbuster franchises are closed. The corporate office has also been closed. Timmy’s store remains the last of the franchise giants. Timmy is shocked by the news and confides his fears to Eliza. Corporate is no longer involved, so Timmy will be responsible for the rent and any other costs like parking. Eliza and Timmy have been childhood friends. She tries to console him by telling him that they will get it right.

She recently broke up with Aaron, her husband. He cheated on her. Timmy is also divorcing and Timmy tells Timmy to keep the news secret. Eliza suggests a party to get the store on its feet. This could be a great event to attract people from the area and rekindle their love for human connection. Kayla, who is the most tech-savvy among the group, breaks the news to the other employees.

[Timmy] comes in with a powerful speech (from “Independence Day”) and tries to motivate his troops. Eliza marries the party, but they still get the message. Timmy and Eliza visit Percy to prepare for the party. Percy, Timmy’s high school best friend, proposes an absurd plan for the party. Percy’s plan is childish and amateur. Eliza fears that it will drive people away. Timmy accidentally tells Eliza that Eliza is broken up and she becomes upset. Timmy then leaves to his own devices.

Percy, Carlos and Timmy have a drink and discuss Eliza’s relationship. Carlos suggests that they might have a thing for one another and that Timmy should do the same. Percy tells him to not “deuce where it eats.” It is possible to make a mistake when relationships between coworkers can be complicated. They all set up the store the next day. Percy brings a large inflatable gorilla thingy to the party, but it is not a very impressive taste. He also fires up rocket crackers in the afternoon.

However, the party doesn’t seem to have been a huge success and Eliza arrives only after the event is over. Timmy is consoled by Eliza when Remington Alexander, an aspiring local reporter, visits and asks about the incident with “attacking Gorilla”. Carlos had made the video look like a robot, and Kayla had posted it on social media. Eliza prods him into a passionate speech, even though he’s unsure what to say. Timmy takes the microphone in his hands, and he appeals to Remington residents to support the store.

It works, and it’s also revealed that Percy is Kayla’s father. Timmy receives many membership requests. Eliza thanks him for his vote of confidence. Both apologies and Aaron arrives to pick Eliza up before Timmy can express his feelings. She says that her daughter is feeling distant and she wants to give Aaron another chance. Timmy can’t speak more so she leaves.

Episode Review

It seems like a great idea to set up Blockbuster’s last retail store. Episode 1 is definitely undercooked, but the right ingredients can make it explosive if they are properly tamed.

Randall Park, Melissa Fumero, and other dramatic actors are immediately impressive. This is the classic “will they will they?” trope. We can expect plenty of torture for Timmy before Eliza realizes her love. We will have to wait for it, but it will come.

We don’t know much about the characters. Although it is hard to form an opinion so quickly, the common nagging characteristics we see in sitcom settings are there. This seems disappointing, but we are hoping for a new twist to the workplace comedy brand. If not done correctly, it could quickly degenerate into 2000 territory.