On Becoming a God in Central Florida isn’t a fantasy that a retiree has, it’s actually a television series. It takes place in the year 1992, in a small town near Orlando, Florida. It’s a comedy that leans heavily on the dark side and features Kirsten Dunst in the lead role as a park worker who makes minimum wage and breaks all the rules to gain rank and status in a pyramid scheme called Founders American Merchandise. She’s in too deep to get out and it’s wreaking havoc in the lives of her friends and family. In case you haven’t caught the show yet, it’s an entertaining comedy that most find appealing. To you have a better idea before you tune in, here are 10 things about Becoming a God in Central Florida that you probably didn’t know.
1. Our favorite sweetheart is going to be transformed
The first thing that caught our attention is the promise that Kirsten Dunst with her angelic face and sweet personality is going to be taking on a radical transformation. Her character is going to be more on the brash side and a little trashy to boot. We’re not used to this but we’re willing to give it a try. It’s a chance for Dunst to show just how versatile she is in her acting abilities.
2. The show is going to be intense
Even though On Becoming a God in Central Florida is supposed to be a dark comedy, it’s predicted that each episode is going to be intense on an emotional level. From what we’ve read about the plot, each character is going to experience moments of wild emotions that turn them inside out with hopelessness, hope and periods of time when all that they can do is stare at one another. There is a promise from the producers that certain scenes in the show are going to be jarring, so get ready.
3. The series was hard to place
When On Becoming a God in Central Florida was first conceived, it was decided that it would make its debut on the AMC channel. This idea was abandoned and it was moved to YouTube Premium, but there were changes taking place with YouTube that caused it to be dropped from the lineup. It was not until June of 2019 when Showtime decided that it would pick up the series, so in essence, the show was homeless until just recently.
4. You can check out all of the 10 episodes yourself
Even though the new series has not officially aired yet, all ten of the season one episodes are available for review. This is your chance to get in on the ground floor of a new series, watch all of the trailers and give your honest opinion of the plot and the characters. Being a reviewer helps other people in deciding if tuning in is worth their time. It’s also a way to solicit other points of view and discussions which might lead to some interesting conclusions about the social commentaries being made by the show.
5. Dunst busts directly into a stereotype
What we loved about the new show is that Kirsten Dunst is playing the role of Krystal Stubbs, who is married to an insurance salesman, she works for minimum wage at a water park, her attire and attitude put her directly into a category that is considered to be on the trashy side. Small details conspire together to build the persona of Krystal who wears too much purple eyeshadow, shows too much cleavage and is right at home in denim on denim. She doesn’t care what people think and it’s a totally new character type for Dunst, which makes it all the more intriguing.
6. On Becoming a God in Central Florida examines the American Dream
We’ve all heard so much about The American Dream, but for many, it’s an elusive concept that never really materializes in their lives. Although we all have our own slightly different definitions of what that is, it mostly centers around financial stability and keeping up with the neighbors with regards to assets and creature comforts. Perhaps this show will have an influence on our attitudes about the dream, which for some of the characters becomes more of a nightmare.
7. The show is about difficult situations in important relationships
Dunst’s character is married to a man, played by Alexander Skarsgard, who has bought into the FAM scam hook, line, and sinker. This complicates matters for her because she has set the goal of exposing the company for their lies and deception, but she must do so while trying to maintain her relationship. From what we can gather about the show, it’s going to be filled with situations which are hard to navigate, and the characters will gain victories as well as make serious errors. Although it’s a dark comedy, there are so many things about it that relate to the real world when living in America that we think it’s a social commentary about relationships and dealing with hard circumstances.
8. This could be the performance of Kirsten Dunst’s life
The reviews about Ms. Dunst’s performance have been nothing short of uplifting. We’re used to seeing her play the role of a sweet and angelic character but in this series, she’s fighting for her life. She’s a master at the snarl and it’s at first a bit amusing to see her turn into the fighter that is deep within her. When she realizes that she’s into a bad deal and in too deep, she struggles to get out, but she realizes that she’s in for a monumental battle. Kirsten is fighting back and she means business.
9. The show shines a spotlight on MLM scams
One of the greatest travesties that we see happen in this country is when MLM scams fill desperate people with hope, only to steal their money. Sure, some people do get rich as they take advantage of those in the tiers below them in these schemes, but there are always scores of victims who waste their time, efforts and money trying to get ahead in them. On Becoming a God in Central Florida gives us a hard look at the impact that these schemes can have on families, especially when one member buys in and then pesters the life out of everyone on their contact list to get involved. There are parts of the show that are intensely funny but it’s also a social commentary that exposes MLMs for what they really are, predatory organizations that leave behind a trail of victims.
10. You can stream it instantly if you miss it.
On Becoming a God in Central Florida airs on Sundays at 10:00 PM eastern and pacific time on Showtime. The first episode aired on Sunday, August 25th, 2019 and this is the very first season and the first episode. It’s a brand new show and if you’re looking for a comedy that will make you laugh while you’re waiting for the next seasons of your old favorites to start again, this is one that we definitely recommend. It’s also available on Demand for instant streaming if you miss the first episode.
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