Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a show that we both have heard a lot about, and said we should watch but have never done so-until now! This show is different from the ones you normally watch, but I think you will find it cute. The first episode laid out the background of Kimmy’s life and after watching a few more episodes, the first is not my favorite, but still relevant for discussion.

“Escaping is not the same as making it” is a quote that doesn’t arise until the end of the first episode, however it sums up the entire episode and what I want to relate to. Even though Kimmy has physically aged, she in many ways is stuck in her adolescence, for good reason. After she leaves the Today Show (did you catch the part about ambush makeovers, that reminded me of you), we see her decide not to return to Indiana. She realizes she cannot grow in that environment, and will be forever labeled if she returns home. She will have to take a big step outside her comfort zone.

Kimmy does not automatically go out searching for a job or housing, like an adult would expect to do once arriving to a new place. This is probably due to the fact she was secluded for fifteen years and finally has the freedom to live a little. But with this point, I’m honestly surprised at the lack of spontaneity she possesses in her first adventures in New York City. She goes into Saks Fifth Avenue and only comes out with a gaudy pair of shoes. Of all of the candy in the candy shop, she only buys a half of a bag of candy. The biggest thing she does is let that horse run free, the root cause probably stemming from her own captivity. While my kneejerk reaction is that I feel I would do much more than both of those things, perhaps that is because I am allowed to have a little bit of everything, and if I were to do something crazy, it would be to get things in excess. However, Kimmy lived a majority of her life with very few things and very few choices, so for her, the shoes and the amount of candy she got were a luxury. Where we see the adult in Kimmy come out occurs in taking Buckley home after she finds him stealing candy again. She confronts Jacqueline about needing help, however once in the house, becomes overwhelmed like a child, and only thinks of the money that she will obtain. While she is desperate for a job, she doesn’t ask questions about her responsibilities or consider her success in that position.

Going back to luxuries, we see her indulging in is the automatic faucet and hand dryer in a bathroom. She has never seen this technology, while it is something that we take in stride every day. You probably remember about the first time you used an automatic faucet/dryer, because it was a technological advance. For me, the evolution of technology like that has been a common thing, and I don’t recall milestones like that.

Escaping is not the same as making it. After watching all of this episode, this brings it back to the beginning. Although Kimmy escaped, that does not equate with her success. However due to her background, we can see that she definitely has the will to overcome her obstacles and make it. In watching the second episode she does just that with a birthday party she plans;when it doesn’t go satisfactorily, she goes back to square one and makes it right. That caring and determination is learned, not innate.