I love Kathy Bates. I should get that out of the way right at the start. She always seems to become the character she is playing, and this is no exception. The series starts a little slowly. The stoned laughter at every corny joke from the studio audience makes the show feel a little dated, and at first, the zany cuts to SNL style commercial parodies and animated weirdness can seem a little... well... disjointed. After a couple of episodes; however, the cast comes into focus, and the live sativa, and Grape Ape interludes seep into your brain and you start laughing. This is creeper weed for sure. By the fourth episode, you are surprised to find these characters have dimensions. The ensemble cast is a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed Gulf War Vet/Security Guard Tone Bell Carter, Guru/Grower Dougie Baldwin, and conflicted Asian Hippie Girl Jessica Lu, but the real center is Bates, who never rings false as a hippie pot seller hen always ready to offer a protective wing to her flock. Stick with this one past the goofy laughter from the studio audience and you'll be hooked by the third or fourth episode.
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bilesbrent26 August 2017
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ajneeago9631 July 2021I usually despise sitcoms, especially with laugh tracks and the such, but when I first started smoking pot, this show was my favorite one for sure. Definitely learned a couple things about pot from watching this, but mostly it was just classic stoner comedy. Kathy Bates is awesome!
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coex2328 August 2017I don't watch a lot of TV, and I certainly don't watch sitcoms. But, this is a fun, stupid, and hilarious show. It aims to be exactly that, and achieves it. It's not going to make you think much, and it's not going to be transcending sitcom boundaries.
The cast is subtle at times and outrageous at other times; a good ensemble here. People whining about Kathy Bates' elderly hippie schtick clearly don't get out much, because she's great here. And people whining about the laugh track? Jeez, I didn't even notice it because I was busy laughing.
Lighten up/light up and enjoy. We don't see "traditional" sitcoms like this anymore without the usual "ironic upgrades" or pretentious attempts to "break boundaries". It's not a ten, but I don't think it's aiming for that; it's exactly what it is, so enjoy it for that. -
Maeve4314 March 2018I love this show and Netflix goes and cancels it! WTF Netflix??
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vokeynick13 May 2021This show was cut TRAGICALLY short! I feel like it was just starting to find it's rhythm and the different character stories were really starting to develop. I binged the entire series when it was first released on Netflix and had a good laugh. Since then, it has become my background noise show and I appreciate it more every time I watch it. It's absolutely brilliant! And for all those whining about the laugh track / live audience, you just don't get it. It's a throwback to the days of simpler television. PLEASE MAKE MORE!
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fkolias3 September 2017The show is well written and creative. The best parts are the commercials and the cut scenes between scenes. There are funny lines and the characters are lovable.
Here are the problems. First, get rid of the canned laughs. Very annoying and just too fake. Second, get rid of the stereotypes. Not all people that smoke marijuana act like stoners. Nor do they smoke constantly while they are working, or at a funeral. The constant smoking in the show is just downright stupid.
I'm not sure what this show is trying to do. Are they pro-marijuana, or just trying to perpetuate stereotypes? Seems like a little of both. If they want to be pro-marijuana, the stereotypes need to stop and focus more on reality. There are many professional and successful people that use marijuana, focus on them because that is the reality. -
bonattimary26 August 2017Why on earth has this show been spoiled by the canned laughter? Netflix if you read these reviews - get rid of it. It completely spoils what could otherwise be an excellent show. Kathy Bates is great, I'm so used to seeing her in American Horror Story that it is nice to see her in a comedy and the two stoners Dabby and Dank are quirky and unusual.
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ms-1458525 August 2017It's 2017. There is a LAUGH TRACK. Who chose that? I can't get past it to tell you if this has any promise. What we have seen is forced and rather hackneyed. Netflix no longer allows streaming customers to rate their shows. So, I've actually gone to the trouble of opening an IMDb account. Does that tell you how awful this show is? We turned it off at 9 minutes, couldn't take anymore.
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armentajewel3 September 2017I am a survivor of decades of domestic violence and abuse. I had a severe case of PTSD. Marijuana is the only medicine that actually brings me relief without disabling side-effects, gives me back my quality of life, and allows me to be a productive and successful person. However, I still have nagging guilt and anxiety from growing up in the Midwest where "good people" don't smoke weed. "Disjointed" has characters and story lines that nearly anyone can relate to in some way. This show educates about, legitimizes, and normalizes marijuana use. The humor ranges from gentle empathy to in-your-face hilarity! I can't count how many different emotions I feel from one moment to the next.
Most of the time the jokes and banter are mundane and realistic, then you are hit with psychedelic animation, and finally, a giant dose of adolescent ridiculousness that smacks you in the head with the characters of Dank and Dabby. At first, I was taken aback by them, but now I can't wait until they show up! They represent the child-like joy and wonder that abuse victims rarely get to experience. I wrote this review to thank the creators of this show for helping me give myself permission to feel happy :) Ruth's Alternative Care (the fictional cannabis shop in the show) has indirectly cared for me for real. -
Firstly, I'm not going to re-write a precis of the series - read the IMDb blurb for that. This review is of the series in a general sense... with few specifics.
Watching the first 2 episodes of the series was almost painful, the laughter, the camaraderie and in- jokes usually rampant in a small work-place - where everybody knows everything about everybody else - is stilted and where not so, forced.
However, you only have to look at past, successful, series to see that this is almost always so. A good example would be the pilot episode of Start Trek: The Next Generation, where the bonhomie is totally absent, the acting wooden and any attempts at humour fall flatter than the usual cliché - Yet history records that this series went on to enjoy great success.
The 'laughter track' used in Disjointed does nothing to assist in creating any kind of feedback for the actors - it's used far too frequently and, on occasion, inappropriately - this has been mentioned several times in other reviews and I can't help but agree.
The Main Characters -
Ruth (Kathy Bates) the Dispensary owner/manager is portrayed with a kindness and an edge that few can get away with, giving sensible, worldly advice while not give a sh*t!
Carter (Tone Bell) the Security Guard - a veteran suffering from PTSD - is played with an understated depth of emotion - this is an actor to watch.
Peter (Dougie Baldwin) - the Dispensary 'Grow Specialist' - a child of 'commune life' which, perhaps unfairly, hints at subtle types of abuse. His almost effortless portrayal of the stereotypical 'pot-head' belies extreme acting acumen - it's far easier to play a genius then a fool.
Travis (Aaron Moten) - Son of Ruth, maligned for his MBA and thus his 'giving in to the man' is played with a casual but witty style.
As far as I can tell - the series does nothing to enhance or detract from any arguments for or against the legalism of Cannabis - it's just pure entertainment - and one that just seems to be getting better and better. Perhaps a less frequent use of the F-word might be called for - but seeing as this now seems to be used in just about every type of
media - maybe that the prudish side of this sixty-seven year old reviewer.
Please note, that though I do not use and have never used Cannabis - I do not condemn users nor do I condone it's use - there's room in hell for all of us (apparently!). -
dkan-2191826 August 2017Wanted to like it. Unfortunately the characters are extremely two dimensional. Dialoge falls flat while trying too hard to be hip and funny. The laugh track (even if it is coming from a live audience) is overly used and even feels out of place, redundant and desperate. Kathy Bates talent was perhaps wasted in this. Turns out to be a show about marijuana made for a very specific market. The market that is Uber obsessed with Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Grace Under Fire, and people that prefer Orange is the New Black to Wentworth or Oz. Joke's on me; what did I really expect when this particular show shares the same creators as those aforementioned shows (with the exception of Orange is the New Black, Wentworth and Oz)? It comes across a bit out of touch for a premise so dependent on reality and it is distracting. To be clear there is nothing wrong if you like these shows, "different strokes for different folks." Just not my kind of cheese.
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This show needs reviving! Such a shame it got cancelled. Does anyone know why it got cancelled?
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sukmydikbeaotch15 August 2020Disjointed is a unique take on stoner comedy ranging from the stereotypical to the smarter stoners, I think people need to look past the dumber humor and look and what it represents for the stoner comedy community, it's the first of it's kind to be about a dispensary and the cameos are great and the psychedelic animation Is a fun trip too and honestly I hope dank and dabby get a spin off they were hilarious and they grow on you we all know a friend whose that kinda stoner 😆..
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qeinfinity26 August 2017You will know within the first minute or two if you can tolerate this show based on its use of the laugh track at the end of every single thing every person says. I didn't make it far enough into the show to see anything that actually would have warranted laughter. Dear Netflix: stop doing this.
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I attended live recordings of the last two shows (#19/#20) of this series in June (2017) at Warner Studios, Burbank. I can assure you that the laughter you hear is from a live audience. The expense to produce a multi-camera sitcom in front of a live audience is not insignificant. I don't understand how reviewers can be so confident that the laughter is canned.
Watching it on TV is even funnier because I can pause it and give myself time to complete my laugh before moving on. And I can replay it as well.
The show is funny and goofy yet it has a heart and soul too. If you stick with it for a few shows, it will definitely grow on you. It takes some time to understand the individual characters and their relationships. The last taping we saw, which was the 20th and last show of this series, contained some very heart rending moments with beautiful resolutions.
This last recording was also few days from Kathy Bates' birthday. The staff brought out a cake and we all sang happy birthday to her. It was a very nice vibe.
My big question is how does Betsy Sodaro (Dabby) create those crazy expressions? Does she practice in front of a mirror or do they just come naturally? She is sooooo funny. -
pioneer6425 September 2018It's an absolute travesty that this show has been cancelled. It was hilarious, with wonderful characters.
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The writing isn't bad. It's being unfairly criticized because of the effect of the laugh track. It's too late to portray the medical marijuana industry in a joke. It is real and expanding. But that doesn't mean there is no room for laughter. We're talking about pot here!
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edtw-5227730 August 2017The whole concept needs to be incorporated into more shows. The more bud you see on TV, the more it should help the legalization process. Lets see more people vaping weed, and no more nicotine. The show itself is no better or worse than any other sitcom, but the subject matter and swearing make it better.
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roslyn-1129725 August 2017Disjointed really pushes to get laughs and forces the one liners and jokes. It is doing a disservice to the medical marijuana industry and the benefits of Cannabis. The writing is fair and dispensaries do not have their own grow houses. While I adore Kathy Bates who is an amazing actress, I think she is miscast in this role and as a hippie.....she could do this role with class. Cannabis users are no longer just hippies from the 1970's.
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shoguncrosse25 August 2017I have no clue how this has such a relatively low rating...Hope gets better rated in time. This comedy is actually pretty funny and I really love how they went more rated pg-13/R instead of a pg like Big Bang or other 30 minute comedies. At first (For first few minutes) I admit, I was disappointed that this was one of those comedies where you can hear the audience laughing and such (Dont know proper term for that kind), BUT, after first episode it laid my doubts to rest and its a great comedy show to watch, with Kathy Bates playing her character wonderfully. If you like 30 min comedies that would air on channels such as HBO, or Showtime (not really for kids) and if you enjoy Big Bang Theory and comedies like that, this will tickle your funny bone and you should really enjoy it. Just watch through first episode, give it a chance, and I really doubt you'll be disappointed. Only had to write a review when I came to rate it and saw it was in the 5.0s...That shocked me enough to want to give it a review after rating myself a 9.
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dickiepena28 October 2018This Netflix series definitely had potential. It's sad for viewers it won't get a second season.
If you never enjoyed marijuana, some of the jokes and mannerisms may not make sense.
If you live in a state where it's legal, this is a show for you.
Kathy Bates portrays the central character, Ruth White Feather Feldman. She's a lovable marijuana enthusiast and along with her son, she owns a dispensary that serves as the primary location for the stories told.
The supporting cast of characters include Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galáctica) as Taekwan Doug, a martial arts instructor in the same strip mall as Ruth's dispensery. I rather enjoyed his comedic timing. Despite fulfilling the role of ongoing antagonist for Ruth, Doug establishes a friendship with Pete, Ruth's master grower.
Doug also serves as a primary example of an uptight individual who could really benefit from sparking up some kind bud. I'm sure it would have eventually happened had more seasons been ordered.
Break out characters are Dank and Dabby, portrayed by Chris Redd and Betsy Sodaro. While introduced as stereotypical stoners, their chemistry and comedic timing made them stand out, and the true way to savor their scenes is with a spark of your own.
Dank and Dabby make such an impression, they have a real presence on YouTube.
While enjoyable, the series did have room for improvement. Some episodes seem uneven, and some appear to have been a struggle for writers to write.
Early in the series, Ruth's son, Travis, has a near romantic interlude with one of the bud tenders. The arc was dropped after the first few episodes.
In general, the show is just fun. It never took itself too seriously, which makes it good for laughs. -
The show looks to be pretty funny. I got through the 1st episode and I liked the show itself but the constant audience laughter makes it unwatchable. Netflix ruined The Ranch the same way. I didn't even get through half of the first episode before I had to turn that off. Why would Netflix do that? They take what appears to be good shows and make them unwatchable by adding all the constant fake laughter, it's so distracting I can't hear the show.
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jack-115-8535994 October 2021Well I LUV Kathy Bates in ANYTHING so there you have it! Lots of weed jokes and quirky but all lovable characters. But I MUST shout out Dank & Danny!!! I could barely watch these two!! TWISTED AND WOOOOONDERFUL!;
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julianchalmers-3826110 October 2017It took me a few episodes to get into this sitcom. The acting and possibly the cast could be better, but I still enjoyed it. You could imagine the cast from Trailer Park Boys, who really seem to live the lifestyle, where this cast is less convincing. Dank & Dabby, Tae Kwon Doug, Pete, Carter, Maria and Ruth are carrying the rest of them. Needs to be a little more edgy with a few more crazy characters. I would have paired Doug with a serious grower stoner on the level of Tommy Chong. Dank & Dabby would have been perfect as the growers. There is not enough zany interaction between the characters. I know it is a dispensary, but it still feels too clinical, at times.
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cannon-collins26 August 2017A poor script leaves little room for redemption in this ill conceived and naive piece of TV glop. Attracted by the leading role and the potential that is out there to make something funny, subversive and irreverent I gave it a go. Who is this aimed at? The 50/60 year old's that paved the way for the legitimisation of so much would appreciate a whole lot more integrity from the script than it could ever possibly deliver and the mass audience of sub 25 year old's are surely embarrassed by this sad sad showing. Cheap laughs all round and that comes from the forced studio audience