REVIEW: ‘Central Park’ Season 1

The first two episodes of Apple TV+’s newest show, Central Park, aired on Friday. This musical animated sitcom was created by Loren Bouchard, the creator of Bob’s Burgers, Josh Gad, and Nora Smith. The series follows a family of caretakers who live and work in Central Park. “Episode One” introduces viewers to the park ranger, Owen (Leslie Odom Jr.), and the rest of his family. His wife. Paige (Kathryn Hahn), works at a struggling indie newspaper. Molly (Kristen Bell) and Cole (Tituss Burgess), their children, attempt to deal with regular teenage issues. In “Episode One,” Cole tries to hide Bitsy’s (Stanley Tucci) dog since he’s always wanted a dog. Bitsy offers a reward to whoever finds it, which brings chaos to Central Park. In episode two, “Skater’s Circle,” Owen tries to make a deal with some skaters in the park while Cole is reeling from returning Bitsy’s dog.

With Bouchard being attached to the project, I’m not surprised that Central Park shares an animation style similar to Bob’s Burgers and Home Movies. It’s simple enough to follow while also distinguishing itself from other animated series. Some scenes change the animation style, especially when Molly draws her comic book stories. That variation adds to the notion of Central Park setting itself apart from other shows. Each character’s design fits perfectly with their respective personalities, giving audiences a better picture of who they are within the first few minutes of the first episode. I’m eager to see if any new animation styles are introduced or if the ones already established add something new to the show. One of the few key components of Central Park that surprised me the most was the incredible voice cast.

The other key component that surprised me while watching the first two episodes of Central Park was the multiple musical numbers. There’s an opening musical number in the pilot episode, which I quickly mistook for the theme song. I would’ve let this minute detail carry more weight on my overall experience of watching the show, but the song was quite catchy.

It also helped that Josh Gad was the one singing the song. He brought an equal blend of comedy and musical talent that made the song enjoyable. Several other cast members get their own musical numbers, which were fantastic. The song at the end of the pilot episode, which Cole and Owen sing, solidified my love for the fact that musical numbers will be heavily featured. I hope that the songs are released online because I will definitely add them to my playlist.

As far as the comedy in Central Park, it might be the one definitive thing that may get people to either watch or not watch the show. While it is an animated show, it still falls under the sitcom genre. A lot of the humor comes from either the situations that characters find themselves in or the dialogue. There are jokes that are more for adults, but they don’t necessarily cross any lines in terms of being too offensive or crude. The musical numbers also offer comedic moments, which I quite enjoyed. I had no real problem with the humor, but there were times that felt a bit bland. It felt like there were moments where comedy was needed but wasn’t included, and vice versa. It disrupted the flow of the episodes, which was disappointing to see.

Central Park Season 1’s animation style sets a tone for the show, especially after watching other shows created by Bouchard. The show’s talented voice cast surprised me with their portrayals of characters, especially since it’s an animated show. Adding musical numbers to the episodes brought a unique feeling to the show as a whole that I rarely see in other animated shows.

The first two episodes of Central Park are available to watch now, exclusively on Apple TV+.