The Last O.G.

What stands out is the letter-perfect ensemble casting, Morgan’s ability to perform as more than a caricature and the comfy fit of Tray’s adventures and misadventures.

Very good yet not yet great, the rest of the series gets a lot right early on without making a move to the top tier of television. That may nag at some who come in with ultra-high expectations, but Haddish and Morgan are marvelous, and The Last O.G. could easily coast for six seasons on their charm alone.

There are rough spots here and there in The Last O.G., but they are easily smoothed over, especially by the show’s excellent core cast. You’ll find yourself hoping the O.G. lasts.

The Last O.G. can’t help being a little sad because Morgan is a little sad, and it can’t help being a little funny because Morgan is Morgan. He so much as breathes and you laugh.

While it isn’t as culturally significant as, say, Mr. Peele’s “Get Out,” “The Last O.G.” is genuinely funny and transfers Mr. Morgan’s skills from co-star to lead far more successfully than his short-lived NBC 2003-04 sitcom, “The Tracy Morgan Show,” ever did.

The Last O.G. brims with such thoughtful notes, even if it takes a few episodes to settle into its soul and embrace what it aspires to be. It looks like a straightforward comedy, and the fact that is it not as broad and more restrained than what viewers may have been expecting, could work against it. But if nothing else, it’s a sanguine look at all the ways life changes us and the world around us.

The best moments in The Last O.G. are when Morgan and Haddish hold a scene together and let their characters’ frustrations and passions fly. They have great chemistry, and you believe instantly that they have a shared history of getting into all kinds of messes.

Each of the six episodes available for review was balanced effectively between humor and honest emotion, with Morgan a more mature presence than you might expect.

For all of its broad fish-out-of-Brooklyn slapstick, this is awfully sweet. ... Morgan is a joy. Welcome back! [2 Apr - 15 Apr 2018, p.11]

Even when the show is disappointing, it somehow remains likable. It could be better; it isn't bad. As the story of an indomitable person coming back to a changed world, it has some of the attitude, and the sunniness, of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Lines may fall flat, but there is enough chemistry among the players — the stars, the guests and the regulars, notably including Allen Maldonado ("black-ish") as Tray's intensely cheerful young cousin Bobby--to keep The Last O.G decent, indecent company.

As far as it goes, The Last O.G. is a mildly enjoyable half-hour. Its first six episodes are packed too heavily with plot and too easily move past the real attraction, which is watching Tray wander around Brooklyn in a state of cultural bewilderment.

There seem to be two different shows competing for space in the six episodes provided for review. One is a laid-back, affecting comedy about second chances; the other is a clunky mishmash of broad gags. You can see this in the pilot. It’s rough, but it contains the makings of better things.

Showcasing Morgan in a leading role might be the most promotable aspect of this series. And while fans will surely be cheered to see him looking so fully recuperated, his character as presented is, alas, the weakest link in The Last O.G.

One moment, it seems eager to address the culture shock of a fish returned to changed waters; the next, it shies away from trafficking in the clichés that a critique of twenty-first-century Kings County may necessitate. Plots with the potential to flower into journeys instead wither into mere capers; intriguing possibilities open doors that are simply left ajar.

Watching O.G. involves waiting for something more. Even six episodes in, the series feels as shallow as the hipster coffee joint where Tray finally gets a job.

The Last O.G. struggles to reconcile its inherent tragedy with slightly crass comedy. In any given scene, it’s a toss-up as to which side will win out. ... Still, when the show is good, it’s so good.