Bait

Marvelous. .... The series is at once satirical and celebratory; “Bait” feels abundant, both in its presentation of a culture, which has the ring of documentary truth, and as a beautifully realized work of art.

At just six episodes, things move at such a heady pace that you can't help but be impressed at all the charisma, charm and plot development that is crammed into each 25-minute instalment. While many may think this is just a comedy about the churn of the media mill that pokes fun at Bond, Bait is so much more than you may think – and it's a wonderful surprise to watch it all unfold.

Riz Ahmed’s Bait is extraordinary and daring.

A fascinating look at the psychological cost of performing, both on- and off-camera, “Bait” is undeniably one of the funniest and most electrifying shows of the year.

By the end of his illuminating journey, Bait emerges as a vital TV series that also thankfully knows how to have fun.

It begins with a simple premise, but flies quickly off the rails in service of some of the most volatile, self-reflexive comedy-drama you’re likely to stream this year.

As a brown actor auditioning to be the next James Bond, Riz Ahmed makes this so-called sitcom bait for viewers to consider the deeper implications of racial and cultural identity. It’s the freshest and funniest series of the new year.

Ahmed created the series, and he’s clearly having a blast making fun of himself and wringing laughs from the situations he puts his alter ego into, absurd as they often are.

Delivered in brisk, 25-minute episodes, “Bait” emerges as a portrait of a nervous breakdown brought to you by the entertainment-industrial complex, rendered with bustling London street energy and a touch of absurdist wit. The series is bursting with ideas, sometimes more than it knows what to do with. .... But “Bait” never feels derivative; it has a pulsating urban energy and ribald family dynamic all its own.

As a protagonist, Shah is not always likable. But thanks to Ahmed’s visceral performance and compelling script, it’s hard not to empathize with and even root for Shah in his quest to be James Bond.

All those detours, breezily paced in sub-30-minute episodes, ultimately return to the series’ overarching ideas about what it costs — culturally, commercially, personally, domestically, romantically, professionally — to exist as a minority within a majority. Bait is most intriguing when it refuses to answer that question in a tidy way.

It’s not a sitcom then, but it is frequently very funny. Much of the humour comes from the dialogue: a dazzling display of second-gen immigrant linguistic dexterity.

Bait is a mostly-funny show about a guy that finds out what it’s like when he makes himself go viral in order to advance his career, with a funny performance by Riz Ahmed.

It’s more interesting and worthy of admiration than necessarily great, but you can see the greatness on the periphery.

While it would have been nice to see some more interactions with Shah's family, aside from singular moments that define and contribute to his spiral, the ensemble’s chemistry and Ahmed’s deeply unsettled performance keep Bait emotionally grounded. Even when it gets messy, it still knows how to land the hook.

It’s not that “Bait” is dull or even overly wordy about unpacking thorny issues regarding national and racial identity, seeking affirmation in others vs. finding it in yourself, and the pressures felt by a generation who wants to do right by their parents’ sacrifices without betraying what they need to do for themselves; if anything, it doesn’t always dig deep enough.