Gąska is a new sitcom about the original bunch of employees working in a modern supermarket somewhere in Poland.
To some extent, Gąska is a misunderstanding. There are some pros and yeses, yet we might be able to count them on the fingers of one hand. Everything, from exaggerated dialogues to lame jokes and even some abstract narrative threads, tells us that the show is trying to be funny, but way too hard.
It is shot in a sitcom/documentary-like style, reminding us of both Superstore and The Office; the show traces its path with a lot of comedic rhythms, more or less interesting ideas and energy, like a modern farce. All of it sounds good on paper, yet in Gąska, satire most often becomes pure cringe, as the screenwriters don’t know for what kind of audience they are writing their jokes. It’s a mix of old-fashioned, cabaret-like humour and some “cryptic” memes belonging to millennials and new generations of viewers; only they would understand a coded message between some gags.
Luckily, Gąska is at least carried by a couple of perfect performances. Tomasz Kot is at least decent (as always, to be fair), yet his Gąska’s manager, Włodek, seems to be a typical plot-filler. Although the premise for his character is attractive (Włodek is fascinated with Elon Musk and American culture), there’s just no idea how to imbue the plot with his quirky motivations. For us, it doesn’t matter he loves the US: we barely know anything about Włodek and his background, so we’re not eager to follow his pseudo-american dream.
The same case might be with Aleksandra Grabowska, who plays Gąska’s protagonist, as we watch this microcosm through her eyes. Her Lena, “Gąska’s” new cashier, joined this purgatory only to pay off some huge debts. Lena’s frustrations are channelled through Grabowska’s faultless acting (her comedic timing is practically flawless), however, it does not correspond with all the gawdy lines writers prepared for her. The final effect mainly becomes “theatrical” and makes Lena a rather unlikable figure. Regardless, it’s not the fault of the actress, yet she becomes a vessel for the audience’s annoyance.
Interestingly, Amazon’s production introduces some new faces. Ukrainian actress, Tetiana Vashniewska, a Kathy Bates lookalike playing Luba, steals each sequence with her unique charm and organic allure. At times, we watch Gąska purely for Tetiana’s soft acting, as Luba’s subplot – an atypical romance with an awkward bodyguard, Kazik (superb Janusz Chabior) – is probably the most endearing out of them all.
There’s heart and passion in Gąska, though it’s not enough to keep us entertained for the entire eight episodes. Hopefully, showrunners will find a way to rewrite some of the show’s characters and make its humour smoother, if only the sitcom will be extended for another season.
Photo: Gąska, Amazon Prime Video
2,5/5 stars
Author: Jan Tracz
