How Netflix’s Good Times is designed to offend viewers

Modified May 18, 2024 21:30 GMT

Not often do people generally get to see a proper mockery of society through a documentary, series, or movie, but Good Times stands out as an exception. The show from 1974 has been in front of the eyes of critics for quite a while. Netflix chose to revive the animated series but with their own touch to it.

Streamed on the site since April 12, 2024, viewers say that the series has been turning the heads of audiences majorly by offending them. Film critics have been keeping their eyes on this particular show as something finally came up that angers most of the viewers and compels them to turn it off out of sheer offense.

How does Netflix's Good Times revival offend the viewers?

The revival of Good Times by Netflix has sparked considerable controversy, leveraging the nostalgia and goodwill of the original to deliver content many viewers find distasteful. Right from the get-go, the show positions itself controversially with its opening frame, Good Times (Black again), which could be seen as a provocative play on the audience's expectations.

This new animated series, dubbed a "spiritual sequel," steeps deep into a stereotypical portrayal that challenges the progressive story of the 1970s original. It introduces characters and scenarios many find offensive rather than endearing or insightful.

The character of Reggie Evans, a less-than-brilliant cabbie, and his interactions—like the absurd duet with a cockroach—set a tone far from the struggles and aspirations that endeared the original Evans family to its audience. Meanwhile, Beverly Evans, the matriarch, is depicted in scenes that crudely focus on her lactation, a choice that reduces a potentially strong female figure to a source of crude humor.

The couple's son, Dalvin, is characterized as a gun-toting drug dealer, and his sister, Grey, is portrayed in a mockingly tragic light during a hunger strike. These portrayals push the boundaries of dark comedy into realms many perceive as in poor taste.

These character portrayals and plot choices have not gone unnoticed or unchallenged. Critics and audiences have pointed out that these elements seem designed more to shock and provoke than to contribute meaningfully to the dialogue about African American life or societal challenges. Netflix's approach here, filled with exaggerated stereotypes and contentious humor, is seen by some as a cynical attempt to generate buzz through outrage rather than substance.

Adding to the controversy, even the show's more serious moments are juxtaposed with jarring elements like spontaneous gunfights, undermining any attempt at a deeper commentary. This blend of the surreal and the serious leaves viewers offended and confused about the intended message of the series.

The choice to include verbatim dialogue from beloved shows like The Cosby Show in this maelstrom further alienates fans who fondly remember the original Good Times. This might make it feel like a hollow echo of the past rather than a respectful homage or a thoughtful continuation.

Netflix's Good Times revival, therefore, offends with its brash and insensitive humor and its failure to honor the essence of the original series. It turns what could have been a celebration of a groundbreaking show into a divisive and discomforting spectacle. This strategy, while garnering attention, has perhaps cost the series the kind of legacy its namesake so proudly built.

Directors, cast, and characters

The cast members who have agreed to play the characters have nailed their respectable roles. Speaking of the directors, they are known to be the masterminds behind this. Tyree Dillihay leads with direction in ten episodes, Brian Kaufman, AnnMarie Roberts, and Tristram Waples each directed three episodes, and Aaron Brewer directed two episodes.

In the new Good Times, J.B. Smoove plays Reggie Evans, the patriarch of the Evans family. Yvette Nicole Brown voices Beverly Evans, the matriarch whose tough love and quirky traits are central to the family dynamic. Jay Pharoah takes on the role of Junior.

Marsai Martin voices Grey, Gerald 'Slink' Johnson portrays Dalvin, Cree Summer voices Mimi, among other characters, and Rashida Olayiwola plays Lashes by Lisa.

Edited by Ivanna Lalsangzuali