Intelligence (2020)

“Intelligence” goes rollicking along, with much to commend it, chiefly its wit and energy—and unexpected little touches, among them the divine Noël Coward singing “There are bad times just around the corner” at the end of each episode. It doesn’t hurt, either, that its brief chapters are a liberating 30 minutes, commercials included.

Intelligence is a sharp, crisp, and fun-as-hell sitcom, a show I have no doubt will keep tightening the screws as it goes on in its run. If you have the patience for its overly slow storytelling and its “ironically progressive regressive politics,” you will find a charming ensemble cast delivering excellent jokes with the utmost professional skill, and you’ll laugh, hard, often.

Dryly funny, rude in a polite way, restrained even when it gets grotesque or slapstick, the show is kept from brittleness by the fretful, the hangdog — the Ross — that Schwimmer’s character hides inside, and his growing dependence on Nick Mohammed’s sweet, slow, hero-worshiping computer analyst.

As TV comebacks go, Intelligence doesn’t have anywhere near the same impact for Schwimmer as American Crime Story did, if only because he’s not really breaking any new ground as an actor. That said, the old ground he’s treading is still pretty damned funny.

Each 22-minute episode delivers a few chuckles — but is almost instantly forgettable.

Schwimmer and Mohammed, who plays a junior analyst often treated like an assistant, bounce off of one another well, finding a lively call-and-response rhythm as one man’s brand of idiocy tangles with the other’s. ... As for Intelligence itself: I’m not eager to watch more of it specifically, but I would be curious to see what else Mohammed—who is a funny and game performer, and gradually proves a limber writer—could do with a series that’s less freighted by unavoidable comparisons to a recent, iconic piece of work.

It’s not unlikeable. The script goes along at a clip, but while Schwimmer’s comic delivery lifts flatter material, the rate of gags is faster than the rate of laughs.

It wasn’t quite as funny as it could have been but the slapstick, pratfalls and culture-clash comedy had a certain irresistible charm. Schwimmer’s comic timing remains pin-sharp and his chemistry with Mohammed was sweet, if not quite at Ross and Rachel levels.

Schwimmer is Michael Scott on steroids in this sitcom that premiered earlier this year in the U.K. Unfortunately the humor is often inconsistent.

Schwimmer is what he is: calculatedly awkward and not all that funny when Jerry is blustering and oddly disarming when Jerry is vulnerable, which isn’t often. “Intelligence” is mild tea overall, but it’s an easy binge at just over two hours for its six episodes.

There are laughs here and there through all six episodes, mostly courtesy of the show’s creator, but it’s overall too familiar and too bland to stand out in the increasingly crowded streaming world.

The quirky assortment of characters has a very sitcom feel to it (just the slightly dry British kind), even if the language is saltier than any U.S. broadcaster would allow. Schwimmer provides some fun as the swaggering bull in this china shop -- "No way, I was expecting a guy," he says upon meeting the female director -- but can't make "Intelligence" feel any less disposable.

Stop me when you’ve heard this one before: a baseline functional workplace full of well-meaning misfits gets a jolt from a hotheaded new guy, hijinks ensue, lather, rinse, repeat.

For Schwimmer’s fans, “Intelligence” will suffice as a forgettable treat, filled with just enough clever moments to remind us of his strong timing and expressive visage, while lacking the substance needed to make it must-see TV. Approached from any other vantage point and it’s mainly a mess.

The cast of workers (including Mohammed) manages some LOLs, but Schwimmer struggles to balance a character who is just a little too mean (and too dumb) to be funny.

Schwimmer, it must be said, tears into his Intelligence role without ever pandering for audience sympathy; he's the reason to watch the series, though it's probably an insufficient reason. ... It's not there yet. It's not there because none of the other supporting characters are funny, nor are the ways they're introduced.

Give this show the “Space Force” medal for unfunny comedy. And as bad as “Space Force” was, Netflix’s Steve Carell disappointment was still better than this dud.

Intelligence, on the other hand, is a conventional, single-location sitcom that doesn’t have funny bones, because it doesn’t have bones at all. There are only five main characters, but three are far too faintly drawn. ... Schwimmer’s talents are wasted.