Disnechantment has hope – just stick with us (Picture: Netflix)

Conventional wisdom dictates that The Simpsons was a bonafide classic from the moment it aired its premiere episode. According to this dominant narrative, everything we love about Matt Groening’s seminal creation was in place from minute one: including the iconic characters; the ingenious scenarios and of course, the witty humour. In fact, the general consensus seems to deny that there were any teething problems whatsoever.

Yet if you remove those nostalgia goggles, you’ll see that the animated trailblazer wasn’t perfect right out of the gate. On the contrary, some of its output from the 1990s was rather shaky (e.g. Do The Bartman). That’s not to say there isn’t a golden age for the once-revered comedy, because there absolutely is. However, that legendary vintage period is far briefer than you might think, with the show truly peaking somewhere between Series 3 and 9.



Meanwhile, the fact that the first season was comparatively crude and unsophisticated is often overlooked. Frankly, ‘’Rough around the edges’’ doesn’t even begin to describe it, as the cast hadn’t settled into their designated roles yet and the jokes felt too broad, lacking the satirical bite that would l to define the writing. Likewise, all the famous moments that you now associate with The Simpsons are in the future and as a result, nothing from that inaugural year stands out as being particularly memorable.

The Simpsons wasn’t always the success story you remember it to be (Picture: FOX)

The Simpsons wasn’t always the success story you remember it to be (Picture: FOX)

Why then, is everyone being so hard on Disenchantment? Sure, Groening’s latest is no ground-breaking masterpiece and it can’t hold a candle to his other work, but it’s watchable enough in its own right and has the potential to one day evolve into something bolder and more confident. It’s certainly not the lost cause that many are claiming it to be!


But alas, the Netflix original has been met with mostly indifferent reviews and a lukewarm public reception. Among the common complaints, it has been criticised for uninspired writing, hackneyed storylines and a lack of fresh ideas. It also doesn’t help itself by relentlessly inviting comparisons to its predecessors, even going so far as to recycle half of Futurama’s voice cast! Admittedly, some of these grievances are warranted, as the fantasy satire undeniably plays it safe and wallows in its creator’s illustrious past.

Complicating matters further, the comedy is extremely scattershot, especially in the stilted pilot, which is riddled with jokes that are painfully awkward and predictable. If you judged the show on this feeble first impression alone, then no one would blame you for dismissing it as a bit of a let-down.

Why is everyone giving Disenchantment such a hard time? (Picture: Netflix)

On the other hand, if you persevere through those listless opening hours, then you’ll be rewarded with a cartoon that improves exponentially as it progresses. Honestly, it gains significant momentum towards the end, with the protagonists finally coming into their own and the gags landing at a more consistent rate. It even breaks away from the rigid Groening formula after a while, discovering its own unique style.

Specifically, the last couple of episodes capitalise on a serialised structure that is wholly unlike anything in Futurama or The Simpsons. Whilst those shows were both comprised of self-contained outings that could be watched in any order (ideal for sporadic TV viewing), Disenchantment takes advantage of its Netflix distribution to present a bingeable, long-format story, with continuity that carries over between episodes. This initially makes very little difference, as the first six-or-so chapters are basically independent adventures, but before long the creators start to mine this USP and it makes for surprisingly dramatic television.



Believe it or not, there’s a genuinely engaging story here, overflowing with twists, heartfelt emotion and palpable jeopardy. Why on earth they decided to withhold this until the climax is anyone’s guess, but if Season 2 continues down this road, then it’ll be off to a cracking start. After all, when there’s a compelling chain of events like this, then the other shortcomings don’t matter as much.

Here’s why there’s hope for Disenchantment in season 2 (Picture: Netflix)

On that note, the stale writing gradually improves too, adopting a darker tone that gives the sitcom a distinctive flavour. There are unexpected instances of tragedy, gory slapstick deaths, legitimately repulsive gross-outs and healthy doses of gallows humour. As we go on, this murkier material rises in prominence, making Disenchantment fees less like a watered down version of other shows and more like its own thing.

All in all, after the unfortunate preamble is dispensed with, Disenchantment finally kicks into gear. The narrative goes deeper, the writing becomes sharper and you ultimately get a clearer picture of what the creative team were aiming for: an angsty coming-of-age tale blended with Game of Thrones. Which is a terrific idea, one that you can almost see blooming into fruition.

With that in mind, it’s unfair to label this as a complete non-starter, because it has loads of promise. Like many fledging comedies, all it needs is a chance to find its feet.

Disenchantment is available to stream on Netflix now.

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