REVIEW: Todd Margaret uses subtle humor

Sometimes, the best thing for an overworked college student to do is to take a night off, relax and watch some TV. Yet, some students, like myself, don’t have the luxury of cable and its endless hours of quality programming. Fortunately, there is something much better – and cheaper – than television. It is the internet. So, on those relaxing nights, I turn my attention to Netflix. Recently, one British-American sitcom has piqued my interest, and it is called “The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret.”

David Cross plays the titular character, Todd Margaret. Cross, who has performed standup comedy since the mid-90s, is also known for his role in “Arrested Development” as Tobias Fünke.  The characters he plays in both shows are somewhat similar. Margaret is a hapless American who is sent to London, England to sell an energy drink called “Thunder Muscle, an awesome new energy drink that tastes good.” But he’s a horrible salesman and the show follows him as he makes increasingly poor decisions in order to sell the energy drink to the British populace. He’s not exactly clueless, though.  He knows how to lie to get himself out of tight spots, but doesn’t know when to stop. His web of humorous lies always put him into worse, and more embarrassing, situations.

Will Arnett, a fellow “Arrested Development” costar, plays Todd’s boss Brent Wilts: a selfish, impulsive and narcissistic businessman who loves himself, money and above all – hookers. Sharon Horgan plays Alice Bell: a café owner and primary love interest of Todd Margaret. British actor Blake Harrison plays Dave: Margaret’s only employee in London. Rounding out the primary cast is American film director Spike Jones. He plays Doug Whitney: the character that gets fired from his job and is replaced by Margaret in the beginning of the series.

The first episode begins in Portland, Ore. when part-time office temp Margaret is unexpectedly chosen to lead the launch of “Thunder Muscle” energy drink in the United Kingdom. “Thunder Muscle,” by the way, is a North Korean energy drink of suspicious content. It’s considered radioactive and it can turn anyone into a maniac if they drink too much. After cutting ties with his loved ones – a woman he had a one-night-stand with two weeks prior, and his cat that he leaves with 30 cans of tuna fish and a bucket of water – Todd heads off for the UK.  Immediately after arriving, he falls in love with a coffee shop owner named Alice, an independent woman who has no sexual interest in Margaret whatsoever. Yet, despite all of his pathetic advances, she pities him and helps him out when he needs it most. To make matters worse for Margaret, his luggage gets blown up by British counter-terrorism agents. Margaret does not fit in well in London, to say the least.

While there are only six episodes currently on Netflix, they are all worth a watch for anyone who has a funny bone and an internet connection.