An unexpected cast. An unexpectedly great show. 

Suburgatory originally aired on ABC from 2011 to 2014. Well-known actors like Ana Gasteyer and Cheryl Hines star in this series, and it is a sitcom centered around a community in the suburbs of New York.

There is a wide representation of different families in this show, one being the main characters, Tessa Altman, and her father George, who are the new family members in town. They have moved to the suburbs after being in the city for most of their lives, and they now have to adjust to the changes and differences of living in the suburbs and having suburban neighbors.

One of these neighboring families is the Shays, who have an interesting dynamic that is constantly changing all throughout the four seasons, and they are arguably the funniest family in the show. It is a family of four, with one older brother and a younger sister, who are both very opposite from each other.

This show exaggerates and represents realistic family dynamics. For the Shays, the older brother is very successful in sports and very popular at school, but his sister is not popular at all and more geared towards academics. But, the parents always put her down and always praise her brother.

It also shows the struggle a family has when moving to a new place. Tessa has a hard time making new friends in the beginning of the first season, just like what might happen in real life. Her father, George, also faces challenges, as more is expected of him from his neighbors, including a lunch grill party and even the way he raises his daughter.

This show is filled with judgemental people, which pokes fun at how people in the suburbs are constantly criticizing each other. It assumes they all want the same things, so everyone who isn’t like them in the neighborhood faces harsh judgment.

This show doesn’t leave out the high school “mean girl” and her supportive mother. Dallas Royce, and her daughter Dalia, are two characters who have particular personalities. Dallas is very kind and naive in situations, while Dalia always shows no emotion for others and is very inconsiderate. Even when you think Dalia is starting to show some heart, she immediately says something that reverses your thought process.

The family dynamic of Dallas and Dalia is at first affected by an absent father who is constantly on work trips, but then it switches to a single mother and a daughter of divorced parents. Dalia usually only wants to spend time with her father, to get back at her mother, or when there is something she wants to buy. However, their relationship is overall very complex, even though at first you may not understand the seriousness of it, since it is made to sound very comedic. 

Although this show is funny almost 90% of the time, it represents complex intense emotions between parents, siblings, friends, and even romantic partners. They are a tight-nit community after all, and news spreads fast and the drama is real.

This show ultimately deserves a watch, since it is so real, yet it’s combined with so much humor and a spoonful of 2012-style clothing. You will binge-watch this show once you get started on it, so please be warned.