12/26

Remake of El Agente Topo (2020)

Charles, a retired man, gets a new lease on life when he answers an ad for a private investigator and becomes a mole in a secret investigation at a nursing home. Based on the Chilean documentary "El Agente Topo". Writing a review for this show requires familiarity with the setting and content.

Having three parents dealing with the challenges of assisted living made this more enjoyable and poignant

Ted Danson stars as an octogenarian widower (Charles) who is struggling to establish a new routine after the passing of his wife due to dementia-related health issues. In a series of classic sitcom plotlines, Charles gets a job as an undercover detective at an assisted living facility (what used to be referred to as a « nursing home ») to solve a jewelry robbery. Her boss, Lilah Richcreek Estrada as Julie, is a black-and-white, anything-goes-to-solve-the-case sarcastic foil to Danson’s kind-hearted, square Charles.

Also fun are the jokes and commentary about assisted living and the things that happen there

The two quickly find themselves at odds with the facility’s director (well-played by Stephanie Beatriz as Didi), Charles’ daughter Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), and the various residents and their many silly problems. There are several ill-conceived stunts centered on horny older women that don’t fit with the rest of the stories, and the outrageously disrespectful (and interchangeable) three teenage sons of Charles’ daughter are distracting and disposable. The best parts are Charles’ slow immersion into his new community with some social connections with other residents, especially Caleb, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson.

The awkward banter between Charles and boss Julie is amusing

And while daughter Emily’s home life isn’t all that interesting, it does set up a couple of great scenes between her and Charles in the later episodes. The wrap-up isn’t too hard to understand (who stole what, and what will happen to Charles), but the sentimental parts of Charles’ awakening and coming to terms with his wife’s death are very worthwhile. There are a few small roles played by older stars (Sally Struthers, Veronica Cartwright) that might make older viewers smile, but they’re mostly wasted on pointless jokes about old people and sex.

Overall, I recommend it, especially to viewers in their mid-40s and older

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