Somehow, Boy Swallows Universe pulls off a pretty dark coming-of-age story without being depressing or hopeless, thanks to some deft writing and fantastic performances by the cast.

There’s a solid downbeat family dramedy nested inside Boy Swallows Universe, meditating on the compromises that come with living at the bottom rung of society. (A scene in which Lyle and an upper-middle-class housewife haggle over the price of a used Atari speaks volumes.) But the show doesn’t seem to realize that; it thinks that we also want a conspiracy thriller, an after-school special, and a Dickensian tale of childhood suffering.

As a piece of social commentary on working-class life in suburban Australia, Boy Swallows Universe is hair-raising and charming in equal measure. As a crime drama, it feels gratuitously melodramatic. The denouement in particular, which liberally employs exaggerated plot devices and stock villains, eschews the light touch of the show’s promising early episodes.

Uneven pacing can oftentimes feel as though the series is slow without meaning to be, still providing engaging dialogue but failing to completely captivate. The drama itself is melodramatic and packed full of moments of inspiration designed to tickle the eyes with tears, but the more cynical viewer will simply enjoy them, not be bowled over.