Copyright Screen Rant
CBS' newest workplace comedy, DMV, has the potential to be the next The Office, but it has to lose one unnecessary element in order to be truly great. DMV takes place at the East Hollywood, California office of the infamous Department of Motor Vehicles. It features Harriet Dyer, Tony Cavalero, and Tim Meadows as driving examiners Colette, Vic, and Gregg; Alex Tarrant as Noa, a new hire at the DMV; Gigi Zumbado as Ceci, a DMV photographer; and Molly Kearney as Barb, the recently promoted branch manager. In its first four episodes, DMV has taken a hilarious look at many of the issues faced by employees of the institution, including workplace politics, budget cuts, and burnout. Like classic network workplace comedies such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, Abbott Elementary, 30 Rock, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it has a colorful cast of characters who highlight the specific quirks, benefits, and pitfalls of working in a specific place. Similar to The Office, DMV began with the threat of the branch being shut down. DMV Has The Potential To Be The Next Great Workplace Comedy DMV has the potential to replace The Office as one of the best network TV workplace comedies. It has every ingredient that makes workplace sitcoms great, including a potential romance between Colette and Noa; two over-the-top characters, Vic and Ceci, who are always causing chaos; an idealistic boss, Barb, whose whole life is the DMV, and the older, wiser character, Gregg, who imparts his wisdom for surviving the harsh work environment. With an eclectic bunch of DMV customers who challenge the main characters' patience every week with their demands, DMV introduces very funny situations that make each episode unique. While the DMV employees seem miserable in their jobs, they care about each other, and their friendships are what get them through the day. DMV is hilarious, but it also has heart, which is the exact formula for a successful workplace comedy. DMV Relies Too Heavily On Gross-Out Comedy Although DMV has possibilities, it relies too heavily on gross-out comedy for laughs. Unlike The Office, which had a blend of ironic and witty humor, DMV often leans toward low-brow comedy, which cheapens it. In the pilot episode, Colette was repeatedly humiliated when she tried to flirt with Noa. From menstrual pads being stuck to her skirt to Barb telling everyone that Colette had diarrhea, Colette was bombarded with gross-out humor straight out of middle school. Episode 3, "Easy Pass," started with Barb making a speech about how her probationary period was over, which began with the group thinking that she was talking about her menstrual period in a string of groan-worthy double-meaning jokes. It also had a storyline about Vic's attempt at water maxxing, which had far too many mentions of urination. Episode 4, "Don't Kill the Job," included a scene in which a dog got sick, and the actual vomit was shown on the floor. These jokes are meant to be funny, but they come off as disgusting. DMV is better than that. How DMV Can Fix Its Brand Of Humor If DMV wants to take its place among the best workplace comedies, it has to rely less on gross-out humor and more of what made those classic shows great. It can easily fix its problems by losing the gross-out comedy, and focusing more on the relationships between the characters. In DMV episode 4, Gregg and Noa's interaction was the stuff of workplace comedy dreams. Watching the idealistic Noa get schooled by the cynical Gregg on how to beat the system by not working through breaks, among other tips, was hilarious. It was also intriguing when the show delved into Noa's past, revealing that he grew up very wealthy, but didn't speak to his family anymore because he didn't want to be a part of the unethical practices of their massive oil conglomerate. Therefore, Noa joined the DMV to help people. DMV should also focus more on Colette and Noa's potential romance. Like The Office's Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer), Colette and Noa's relationship is beginning as a friendship, but it's clear that they might be more than that in the future. Their relationship is sweet and cute, but it's often overshadowed by the ridiculous antics going on around them. Barb, Ceci, and Vic are the perfect quirky characters for a workplace sitcom, but giving them more heart would make the show more appealing. In episode 4, when Vic pretended to be Colette's husband to help her dupe an old classmate into thinking that she didn't work at the DMV, he showed a different side to himself that proved that he could be a great friend. In addition, Barb could be the next Michael Scott (Steve Carell) from The Office, and the World's Best Boss, but the writers have to make her less like a cartoon in order to achieve that. DMV could follow in The Office's footsteps as the next great workplace comedy. It's clear that the characters are a dysfunctional family, but the show has to lean more into that dynamic in order to be successful. If DMV loses the gross-out humor and focuses more on the characters' relationships and the quirks of working at the DMV, then it could replace The Office as the next great workplace sitcom.
