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- NBC
- Sep 20, 2021
- NBC
- Sep 20, 2021
Summary The drama series from Matt Reeves shows what Joe Kimbreau's (James Wolk) life would be like if he followed his passion for music, if he married his best friend and if he became a police officer like his father.
Created By: Matt Reeves
- NBC
- Sep 20, 2021
- NBC
- Sep 20, 2021
Summary The drama series from Matt Reeves shows what Joe Kimbreau's (James Wolk) life would be like if he followed his passion for music, if he married his best friend and if he became a police officer like his father.
Created By: Matt Reeves
Where to Watch
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
62
62% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
31% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
8% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
62
62% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
31% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
8% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
An ambitiously sentimental gem. [11 - 24 Oct 2021, p.10]
A pleasant (yet terribly titled) exercise in "What if?" storytelling elevated by a leading man who has yet to disappoint.
"[Sliding] Doors" has a "be careful what you wish for" message embedded in its plot, but "Joe" doesn't appear to be moralizing in any particular way. The show is a thought experiment come to life, and so far it's interesting enough to keep thinking about.
For the time being, the series lands in the sweet spot where it’s just out-there enough to attract curiosity, and yet familiar enough to qualify as comfort viewing. ... It all works well enough for now, in large part because Wolk makes for such an eminently likable lead.
The show lays out the three story lines with sufficient clarity and moves among them fluidly, and there’s the brainteaser pleasure of sorting out the different relationships and courses of events. ... Once you’ve figured out the plots, though, you see that they’re all generic dramedy setups (at this point, anyway), and the triple plotting doesn’t give the actors time to build real characters.
We don’t fault any of the acting on Ordinary Joe for this show’s issues; the actors are doing the best they can, but are stuck in a premise with a limited shelf life and already signs that it might collapse under its own weight or get too clever for its own good.
The concept is clearly drawn from NBC's massive five-season hit This Is Us, in which the story of a single troubled family is traced through constant flashbacks. Unfortunately, NBC's clueless programming execs failed to notice what any viewer could have told them: The success of This Is Us is due not to gimmicky chronology but an outstanding cast and piquant screenwriting, none of which Ordinary Joe has.
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 4 User Ratings
3.0
0% Positive
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
50% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
50% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 4 User Ratings
3.0
0% Positive
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
50% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
50% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
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