Somehow, I must have really sheltered myself from good TV back from 2013-2015. That’s seems to be the only way I can explain why I never watched Hannibal, and I why I missed out on this too short-lived comedy, Enlisted. Since I am a big fan of the movie 4th Man Out, Parker Young recently posted about a reunion the cast is getting together for coming up in the next couple weeks that I found myself eager to attend. Only thing is, I needed to watch the show first!
Truthfully, I have no idea why I haven’t before. Advertised as a “workplace” comedy, this show centers around a group of soldiers in Florida as part of a rear detachment unit. The main characters of the show are three brothers, played by actors I am very familiar with. First up, is obviously Parker Young, as I explained a little bit ago, but then there is Geoff Stults, who I knew mainly from his time on 7th Heaven, then finally there is my favorite Veronica Mars‘ character, Piz, played by Chris Lowell. I mean, talk about strong selling points! Stults plays eldest brother, Pete Hill, who has been demoted to the rear detachment team after punching a superior in Afghanistan. He doesn’t like the idleness of rear-d, and slowly works through some traumas of his time over seas, but he slowly learns to love his new post thanks to his brothers and the rest of his rag-tag team. Lowell plays middle brother, Derrick, who is very sarcastic and really doesn’t want to be in the Army. Finally, there is baby brother Randy, played by Young, who seems rather doofy but is excited to be a soldier and just wants to be with his brothers. Their dynamic is amazing and hilarious.
Aside from the Hill brothers, there is also Staff Sergeant Jill Perez, who is always competing with Pete and razzing him as any “sister” would. She usually plays the straight character along with Pete, which is a nice break, but also adds its own elements of humor. There is also Command Sergeant Major Donald Cody, who both Perez and Hill report to. He lost his foot in war a long time ago, and has immense pride for rear-d, even if they disappoint him sometimes. Cody had some seriously hilarious moments, including a photoshoot that produced some wildly funny shots. Rounding out the cast are a rag-tag group of soldiers who all seem somewhat underqualified for their jobs, but their love and dedication to the team is what really moves Pete. Dobkiss is my personal favorite from this bunch, but they all have their moments.
Given that the premise of the show is a comedy about the military, I wasn’t too sure I was going to like it regardless of who was in it, and also, it’s the first military comedy I’d ever heard of. From what I understand, it just well might have been the first military comedy since 9/11. But the show rose to the occasion and made it clear right from the start that they were laughing with them, not at them. Based on the great reviews for the show, it seems like that sentiment translated well. Above all of that, the show was indeed hilarious! I found myself laughing non-stop, which was a delight. I’m only sad that the low viewership relegated Enlisted to only one season. I digress. Perhaps my favorite scene of the series came from a realization about a fake mustache during the “Prank Wars” episode. Watch for yourself and you won’t be disappointed!