Episodes 4-6 of our favourite Antipodean comedy set in a Supermarket Lunch Room stay true to the form of its predecessors.
The anarchy is still there in the bustling comings and goings of our cast, the relationships are all still tentative and there is no shortage of clever snarking and pointed barbs at the dullness of working in a supermarket, the desolation of young lives with no ambition and the sheer exasperation at tedious health and safety bureaucracy.
Episode 4: Sign in Sign Out
The title, which is a clever play on the wax on wax off motif from The Karate Kid is not the only smart-alec reference in these next 3 episodes. This time some of the girls take centre stage with episode 4 being led by Sorchia (a lovely performance from actor Sorchia Daley). Sorchia is an extremely friendly individual who is liked by all of the staff. The fingerprint scanner is broken and she has been tasked with making sure each member of the workforce signs in and out. This situation leads to many incidents, accidents and excuses for not having to sign in or out. It also gives us a really sweet scene in which we discover that one of the boys has a crush on Sorchia.
Episode 5: Cirque Electriq
This episode is, in my opinion, the best one so far. This was mainly down to the performances of its actors; all of which were hugely entertaining throughout the 9-minute runtime. This time it is Lawrence’s turn to be the focus of Cirque Electriq and he is easily one of the most memorable characters in Lunch Room. It’s not just his size or his distinctive look; it’s his whole personality. He is brought vividly to life by actor Lawrence Ola who reminded me of the Kiwi comedic genius Jemaine Clement. Ola’s deep baritone and straightforward delivery are magnetic and you can’t take your eyes off him for the entire episode. He has managed to blag his way to a promotion and he begins to take his job a little more seriously.
Episode 6: Politics
The sixth episode is very much a re-run of chapter 3. This time the potential boyfriend/girlfriend material is Sky and Dennis, who hold opposing views on the African political system. As people of colour, they spend the majority of this episode discussing and arguing about the merits and faults of Robert Mugabe, their African roots and heritage, as well as flat earthers. They do, however, manage to find agreement about the way the west interprets African countries in the media. A talking heads episode, ‘Politics’ makes some bold points but lacks the energy of its opening scene, which is one of the funniest exchanges of the show so far. Dennis contacts Sky via a dating app and shows her to Brad who suffers from the type of awkward, foot in mouth scenarios that Ricky Gervais has made his stock and trade.
Another set of enjoyable episodes from an enthusiastic cast and crew that allows them to make fun of the hierarchy of modern life, and find new and amusing ways to break the rules and regulations of the environment they work in.
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