Bupkis

Bupkis' ever-shifting tone sometimes leads to long lulls between the laughs, and the premiere leans too hard on lazy, lewd antics that aren't representative of the show's evident ambitions. But even when Bupkis fails to be funny, it's consistently interesting — sometimes weird and sad, but interesting.

A deft, oddly lovely, eight-episode semi-autobiographical comedy.

Bupkis consistently straddles this line of reality in its (lightly fictionalized) portrayal of Davidson’s life and the whirlwind that surrounds his brand of stardom, with a surprising amount of candor and depth.

Happily, the premiere is the weakest of Bupkis’ eight episodes. As the show, which debuts May 4, progresses, it evolves into something as distinctive and authentic as it is messy. ... Davidson proves to be the most competent narrator of his own story.

On “Bupkis,” the deeper viewers dive into the eight-episode first season, the story becomes less “Entourage”-y and instead turns on Davidson’s demons and whether he can overcome them.

Bupkis in general nails a well-balanced mix of humor, self-awareness, and drama stemming from both reality and fiction, giving us a multi-flavored comedy that goes down easy.

No matter how strange or silly things gets, Bupkis keeps one foot on the ground thanks to its endearing central characters, including Pete’s mom, Amy (Edie Falco), a woman who’s no longer surprised by her son’s behavior, and his grandfather (Joe Pesci).

The show is at its best when Davidson allows it to feel revealing about his insecurities, relationships, and flaws. The first season is a bit rocky in terms of overall quality, but there are enough unexpected comedy beats and moments of truth to make it feel like it could be the first real breakthrough for Davidson the actor, even if he’s also playing Davidson the public figure.

Not all the episodes of “Bupkis” are of equal quality, but none are bad. Episode 1 is a homerun — if you don’t like it, go no further. The weakest is probably Episode 8, which concentrates on Davidson’s effort to get off drugs.

Davidson and showrunner Judah Miller have teamed up for a quasi-autobiographical series that is absolutely absurd, and yet might not be that far off from Pete Davidson’s insanely crowded, messy and endlessly fascinating actual world.

Bupkis has some flaws, and Davidson at times suffers from the generosity he and his co-creators have given to the rest of the cast and guest stars. But it’s still a funny show that takes some surprising early emotional turns that still feel earned.

Bupkis is at times very funny, but when it comes to getting to know more about Pete Davidson, the show’s admirable qualities are more in spite of that than because of it.

It’s not so much good as it is fascinating. ... Not the most original setup. But there is a goofy charm to Davidson.

Get past the first episode — better yet, skip it — and "Bupkis" gets better and better.

I found my opinion in flux, particularly as some episodes are much better than others. At points, the show tries too hard to shock — the first episode, in particular — and I was annoyed. At other points, it was funny and even touching, as our woeful and numbed-out hero tries to work through big issues involving mental health and drug abuse. Underneath the absurdities, at times, there’s an honest tone that appeals.

What follows is wildly uneven and at times downright annoying, but it’s also a lot more ambitious and interesting than I was expecting, to the point where I’m curious which creative direction a second season might lean.

Though we come to know Pete’s scars intimately, his inner workings remain opaque perhaps even to himself. But in its raw, chaotic, occasionally disarming attempts to understand it, Bupkis makes it interesting to imagine all the same.

Throughout eight half-hour episodes, Pete Davidson the persona becomes a bit of a distraction. As the show takes on its own life, it doesn’t need to lean on him and could be about some other guy played by Pete Davidson. ... But for those who have delighted in his various personal highs and lows over the past decade, “Bupkis” captures that chaotic enjoyment while sneakily acquainting viewers with Davidson as an artist.

If Pete Davidson can hone his own recklessness — both personally and comedically — then Bupkis can indeed survive.

The series can come alive in specific details, like a flashback episode set at a family wedding Davidson attended just weeks after his father died responding to the World Trade Center attacks in 2001. For the most part, though, “Bupkis” makes the life of a star look as predictable as the show insists it’s exciting.

The star-studded malaise of “Bupkis” teeter-totters between amusing and boring, and it's too apparent how much the scenarios are pleased with themselves but have little depth.

He's not really stretching here, he's adding to the bank of Pete Davidson characterizations he's already done. It's gotten him this far, sure. But with "Bupkis," the well has run dry.

Bupkis is not necessarily a good time, and a lot of it isn't good, period.