Mindy Kaling’s new sitcom Not Suitable for Work follows five twentysomethings trying to make it in Manhattan, split across two apartments in neighboring buildings. The series borrows heavily from the familiar template of Friends: young adults in big-city apartments, romantic complications, workplace tension, and a rotating set of personal ambitions and insecurities. But while the setup is recognizable, the review argues that the show rarely matches the sharpness or comic spark of the sitcoms it echoes.
The central characters include AJ (Ella Hunt), a first-year analyst at a merchant bank who moves in with her college friend Abby (Avantika) after her boyfriend leaves; Kel (Nicholas Duvernay), a medical student and aspiring actor whose immigrant parents expect him to become a doctor; Davis (Will Angus), a romantic and eager-to-please colleague who falls for the new woman across the hall; and Josh (Jack Martin), a privileged, politically correct aspiring journalist who lands a job at his father’s company, where he crosses paths with intern Elena (Emilia Suarez). The review also reveals a key romantic thread involving AJ and Josh, who once slept together at a party before he disappeared from her life.
According to the critique, the show spends too long establishing these relationships and plotlines. The pilot reportedly runs 46 minutes, much longer than a typical sitcom episode, and even the shorter follow-ups still feel overstuffed. Storylines pile up: Kel quits medical school after fainting during dissection class; AJ faces pressure at work under a demanding boss; Abby is tempted by a client named Austin Blanchett; and Josh tries to persuade Elena that he is a good person, despite his privileged background and self-image as a social progressive. The review suggests that these situations are predictable and lack surprise.
The biggest weakness, in the reviewer’s view, is the writing. Jokes are described as forced rather than witty, and the dialogue rarely lands with the confidence needed for a comedy of this kind. A few examples are offered to show how strained the humour can be. The cast, however, is said to be working hard to elevate the material. The review notes that the actors often seem more lively than the characters they are playing, implying that the performers bring energy that the scripts fail to support.
There are, nevertheless, some strong supporting performances. Michael Benjamin Washington stands out as Antoine, the group’s eccentric landlord, while Greg Germann brings warmth and comic timing as Josh’s father. Jay Ellis, playing AJ’s boss, is also praised for adding a sharper, more grounded tone that cuts through the show’s hectic energy. These characters help prevent the series from becoming too sugary or superficial.
Overall, the review is mixed but not dismissive. It argues that Not Suitable for Work is easy to watch and may improve as the episodes continue, with the humor becoming stronger over time. It concludes that the series could still appeal to viewers who enjoy light, character-driven workplace and romantic comedy, even if it does not fully deliver on its ambitious sitcom ambitions. The show streams on Disney+.
