Well the first thing we know about Space Force is that it’s coming at the end of May and it looks absolutely hilarious and is likely to be a bit of social commentary on President Trump’s idea to create a new branch that a lot of people think is a waste of money and more to the point is another reason to mock the president mercilessly. Seriously, did people really need another reason? It’s easy to notice as well the appearance of a very recognizable likeness of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez in the trailer which means that the whiny-voiced senator will have some representation in the show even if she’s not being given the same name. Apart from that, let the laughter start ringing out now since it looks like a genuinely good time that won’t be much of anything but a giant, running headache for the general that’s being asked to take on the project, played by Steve Carell. Really, the guy looks absolutely miserable as he’s taking on what amounts to a job that’s likely to turn him into a white-haired senior citizen well before his time since nothing appears to go right and blowing up a rocket, even on accident, that costs as much as four middle schools is enough to make a person wonder just what in the world they’re doing in the government, like always, and how many tax dollars were incinerated on the spot during the failure to launch. Julia Alexander of The Verge has more to say on this topic.
At this point I wouldn’t even compare this to The Office largely because unlike that show Carell’s character really doesn’t want to be where he’s at and he knows that he’s somehow being punished, even if that wasn’t the intent, for something that he either did or didn’t do, and heading up the Space Force is the punishment that he has to bear. Tyler Rogoway of The Drive has more to say about the show. Somehow everything that Michael had to go through in The Office kind of pales next to that considering that he wasn’t in charge of a project that asks for untold sums of money and no questions. It’s also worth noting however that Carell is going to be surrounded by a very talented cast and will likely be able to play off of them and vice versa the whole way through since they’re not exactly top caliber actors but they are very good at what they do and they have been known to be great supporting actors. Just looking at the trailer makes it obvious at this point that Carell is going to be given free license to do what he wants at some points and will also be given great dialogue to work with. It’s also worth noting that there might be a bit more Beach Boys influence in this than we might be seeing since it does appear that this is one of the ways his character calms himself down and to be fair, it’s quaint and kind of funny since a lot of people could probably make that claim that the Beach Boys are a relaxing bunch to listen to.
It’s great to see Carell come back to a comedy-laden show since despite the fact that he does drama well he does kind of fit just a little better into a show or movie that has a great deal of comedy in it. From The 40-Year Old Virgin to The Office to even Evan Almighty he’s always been great when it comes to being funny, but movies such as Foxcatcher and The Way, Way Back are also great examples of when he’s stepped out of the zone that so many people are used to seeing him and into something that appears to be entirely out of his range. The guy is great in a way that defies the way he looks and allows him to actually take on a different attitude when he needs to, which in some cases actually makes him appear a little more imposing and/or creepy since he knows very well how to adapt to one role or another. But seeing him as a funny man that’s bound to have serious and even deadpan moments that he’ll have to master is great since it’s not too goofy and it’s not too stoic, meaning it’s kind of like an emotional teeter totter that he’ll have to manage, which is great since he’s already shown in the past that he can do this and just roll with it. Space Force is bound to be a show that will go about bashing the president in its own light-hearted manner and possibly even throw a few shots at his opposition, hopefully, to be fair and even-handed, but it’s also going to be yet another show that will showcase the fact that Steve Carell and the other cast members are still well in their prime when it comes to comedy. Christine Fisher of Engadget has more to say on this matter.
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