Given Portlandia’s flippant depiction of youth, the plots involving middle-aged characters feel considerably more resonant and sincere, and as such more funny.
The insights into modern existence never seem as profound as those on Louie, but it continues to brandish a view of gender that’s casually radical.
It’s effectively a multi-faceted comedy art project, the unfolding of which is both exciting and hysterical to watch.
Portlandia’s willingness to expand the scope of its satire has ultimately led to something more sustainable, if a little less local.
Portlandia is best served in 23-minute portions.
At the heart of every character that Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein portray is a weird, committed, and almost unsettlingly earnest love.
Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein satirize their subjects, but there’s always an undertone of sympathy in their portrayals.