'Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens' Season 1 Episode 6 Review: A mild chuckle, but that's all there is
You have to give credit where it's due. The latest episode from Comedy Central's 'Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens' pulled out all the stops to make it an edgy and funny episode. And to be fair, it worked in some parts.
In the sixth episode titled 'Vagarina', the episode begins with Nora Lin trying to clean up her car, with her friend Dug. However, his ex-girlfriend Melanie turns up and the two exchange some angry words in Spanish. Dug hastily retreats while Melanie stays on and decides to tell Nora about her thriving sex life. Nora's aunt drops off her son, a cute and cuddly kid. There's some casual fat-shaming thrown in, as the grandmother calls him fat for humor. Sigh.
Anyway, in a rather strange turn of events during a fit of enthusiasm, he delivers a sharp kick to Nora's private parts. That leads to more bizarre consequences as she cannot stop queefing. This catches the interest of a DJ, who wants to use it for his own purposes.
It's a harmless and fun episode, but there isn't more to it. It's as if the show is trying very, very hard with edgy humor, but not quite succeeding. We're six episodes into the show, and you can't help but wonder, where is the show heading?
Understood, it is meant to be about Nora's zany schemes, her wacky family and her struggling through life. While Awkwafina is the life and soul of the show, the heavy burden of carrying the show forward seems to be falling squarely on her shoulders. The strain is visible, especially when she is not sharing scenes with her grandmother, played by fabulous Lori Tan Chinn, or her father Wally (BD Wong).
The story arcs are wearing too thin and change rather sporadically. The first episode had promised Nora navigating adulthood, but it just seems an endless round of quirks and zany schemes to induce some laughs from the audience. You can enjoy the quirks, maybe smile a little at the goofiness, but that's about it. At present, the show seems to be burning out fast.
'Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens' airs on Comedy Central, Wednesdays at 10:30 pm.