Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens

Millennials will watch, and you will too because this is the best new comedy of the brand-new decade. ... "Nora" is a[n] unbridled joy.

Ultimately, the show is Awkwafina’s baby all the way, as she brings her own fearless twists to the slacker genre. She has the chops to anchor a series, and the wisdom to let other performers steal scenes.

Nora from Queens has two things that give it its own identity: It's told from an Asian-American point of view, and its hero still lives at home with her father and grandmother.

Given this extremely likable and frequently funny starting point, the only thing that could keep Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens from getting that opportunity [to expand its world] over four or five seasons (or more) is Awkwafina's steady push toward world domination.

While Nora From Queens definitely bears the mark of the quirky Comedy Central anti-heroines who came before her, at its core the show nails two of the most important things for a successful sitcom: a distinct point of view and genuine heart.

An enjoyable episodic comedy series that is perhaps best described as a sibling of Broad City and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Like Awkwafina herself, the show's charm and warm humor smoothly carry it, and its star channels both of those qualities into every moment, whether she's being rowdy, dirty, or introspective. ... All of its episodes are funny, but some are noticeably tighter than others.

The bits can be hit-or-miss, but the show improves as the season progresses.

Despite some funny moments, the show falls into a broad category of TV comedy -- the 20-something slacker, fumbling her way through life in the big city -- that can't help but feel a little stale at this point.

The show is intermittently funny but not consistently hilarious, too often going for the low-hanging fruit of old people saying dirty things.

A patchy but occasionally amusing melange of semi-autobiographical stories about the life of an even more awkward Awkwafina. It’s a glance back over her shoulder, with a nod to what might have been.

Her brash, screeching shamelessness is a good fit with Comedy Central's irreverence, and she makes the most of this gig. [20 Jan - 2 Feb 2020, p.9]

The thinness of the show’s plot thus puts a hefty burden on the shoulders of Awkwafina as the show’s star, and she demonstrates once again to be an energetic, compelling performer, especially when it comes to physical comedy.

Enough works in this season to make it feel like a smart next phase in Awkwafina’s acting career. But when Nora returns for a second season (it’s already been renewed), she and her fellow producers would do well to figure out exactly who this fictional Nora is, and whether she’s best out on her own, or as part of a buddy act.

The show’s presentation of itself from title on as an autobiographical look at a star about whom we’re curious elides so much of what’s pertinent about her story as to feel, episode-to-episode, somewhat monotonous. Nora’s floating approach to life has manifold real charms. It also means that the show doesn’t have any momentum, or anywhere to go. It does have Awkwafina.

Fans of Awkwafina will enjoy a handful of quality quips, and there are enough goofy montages to convey some of her joyful creativity, but even as a pure hit of this winning comedian’s personality, “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens” burns out fast.

That shiny Golden Globe will buy her some time to find her voice but, right now, her show is only fitfully amusing.