I haven’t seen many live comedy sitcoms camouflaged as proper shows on Netflix. The latest Brazilian series, End of the Line, is sort of an icebreaker.
Now available to stream on Netflix, it features seven episodes that run for two and a half hours in total. The show is set in an active audience setting.
I wasn’t much impressed by Reporting for Duty, the previous sitcom from the region. Does this one impress? Here’s my review.
End of the Line Synopsis
A bus terminal is the center of attraction in this quirky sitcom, where Ivan owns a van while his estranged wife, Sandra, drives a bus.
Together with a set of eccentric characters, the duo employs dubious ways to keep things going.
The series is created by Rodrigo Sant’Anna who also plays Ivan. The rest of the cast includes Roberta Rodrigues (Sandra), Nany People (Ale), Polly Marinho (Marta), Faiska Alves (Ivandro), Tuca Andrada (Robson), and others.
What Works for End of the Line?
It is an unconventional show in the modern realm simply because the fictional happenings occur in a live setting.
End of the Line is more of a play or an enhanced TV sitcom, where characters do their thing in front of the audience and then the recorded and edited version is released for the masses.
This used to be the go-to method of comedy in the past.
Nevertheless, the Brazilian creation majorly relies on crude humor and tries to play on jokes that demean one another, although within limits.
Situational comedy forms another crucial dimension of the show. The primary focus is on family, profession, and everyday happenings.
It has a wonderfully nurtured pace that never goes down in the whole of the seven episodes. The laughable humor ensures boredom is kept at bay.
You’ll enjoy the vibrant setup with a sporadic infusion of bloopers and improvisation. The makers glue the screenplay in a manner that the story becomes appealing.
It throws punches, and one-liners that bring a smile to your face. Thankfully, the flow of the storyline never breaks regardless of its consciously segmented nature.
End of the Line maintains happy vibes on a consistent basis. You won’t find yourself tempted to abandon it midway. This can be attributed to the show’s crisp duration.
How are the Performances?
Rodrigo Sant’Anna takes care of the series from the center. Apart from being the creator, he also plays Ivan, the primary character in End of the Line.
His expressions, dialogue delivery, and spontaneous improvisation are the meat of the Brazilian show. He interacts with the audience more as a common man than an actor.
Rodrigo’s comic timing is superb. All his jokes land perfectly on the runway of comedy.
Roberta Rodrigues is Sandra in End of the Line. She creates her own personal dynamic, where sarcasm gets a taste of her spotless screen presence.
Her embodiment is sharply focused on getting the best out of the script and she achieves it quite effortlessly.
Everyone else, including Nany People (Ale), Polly Marinho (Marta), Faiska Alves (Ivandro), and Tuca Andrada (Robson), work in cohesion to make End of the Line a watchable comedy series.
They had their task cut out, which the adept set of actors was able to fulfill comfortably.
What Doesn’t Work for End of the Line?
You will laugh at most of the jokes but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are fresh. In fact, only a few of the dialogues are new or something that we haven’t heard before.
Moreover, End of the Line may continuously keep you happy but the show fails to land extremely funny moments with spontaneity.
Thereby, the laugh-out-loud impact doesn’t satiate as it should have.
Stream or Skip?
For a light-hearted sitcom, End of the Line does the trick. However, it is incapable of delivering hordes of LOL moments.
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