The first episode of FUBAR starts out pretty predictably. While “Sympathy For the Devil” plays over the scene (really?), a grizzled Arnold Schwarzenegger as Luke Brunner throws a lit cigar into a dumpster, which promptly bursts into flames. Yeesh. But then we get to hear him speak German, so that’s cool.
Luke’s all set to retire from his CIA job and settle down to a somewhat normal existence, but then he finds himself back out in the field again. He also finds his daughter, Emma, kicking butt in a boxing ring in Guyana. She’s a CIA agent, too.
Sigh. Hollywood really has a thing right now for pairing older people with young upstarts, presumably so the youngster can show the clueless oldster a thing or two. But when the youngster is the oldster’s offspring, that puts a new spin on things, right?
Heh. Not really.
Naturally, Luke and Emma are mad that the other lied to them and they scrap in one way or another until they adjust to their new dynamic. Luke isn’t happy when he finds out the shoulder Emma says she hurt roller skating was actually from a boxing injury she got in Guyana, and Emma is mad because her dad isn’t really the powerhouse fitness empire owner she thought he was. And that her godfather, Barry, is also a CIA agent.
In between the different stages of their mission, Luke and Emma are constantly having to keep up the charade to Emma’s mother about what they’re really doing. Their personal lives are hanging by a thread. And they find the marital problems Luke had are multi-generational, which Emma is forced to acknowledge in her relationship with her boyfriend, Carter.
The chemistry between Arnold and Monica Barbaro is immensely effective. These two match each other cocked eyebrow for cocked eyebrow, and they’re definitely believable as father and daughter. They seem to genuinely care about each other and the ways in which they show it baffle even the people who see them on a day-to-day basis and know what kind of double lives they lead.
FUBAR is pretty fun, with one-liners galore. Arnold hasn’t lost his touch. Other than that, it’s not exactly groundbreaking, although there’s a scene on a high-speed train involving magnetic vests and fatherly concern that’s pretty cool. No, I’m not going to ruin it. It just has to be seen. Put it this way: Ethan Hunt would be proud.
The only problem is that the title seems to be overstating things, as “FUBAR” stands for “F***ed Up Beyond All Recovery/Repair,” or a scenario that can’t be anything but very, very bad with no way out. If Luke and Emma were in a Turkish prison kind of situation with all communication cut off, an execution date imminent and limited opportunities to bask face to face in the knowledge of their respective dualities, FUBAR might have some merit.
While there is a Turkish prison in the series, it’s mostly a plot device and used very briefly with a fairly light touch.
As it is, FUBAR is less than FUBAR. It’s more like mild annoyances, family difficulties and long-held baggage punctuated by espionage, intrigue, torture and the occasional life-threatening situation. However, the season does end with a not-too-shabby cliffhanger, so maybe the FUBAR thing is on a time-release basis.
FUBAR is currently streaming on Netflix. Rated TV-MA.
My grade: B+
Principal Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Monica Barbaro, Milan Carter, Gabriel Luna, Fortune Feimster, Travis Van Winkle, Fabiana Udenio, Jay Baruchel, Barbara Eve Harris, Aparna Brielle, Scott Thompson, David Chinchilla, Stephanie Sy, Rachel Lynch, Andy Buckley, Devin Bostick, Patrick Garrow, Jesse Comacho
Directed by Phil Abraham, Steven A. Adelson, Holly Dale, and Stephen Surjik.
Created by Nick Santora.