Critic Reviews

Bupkis is as zany and wacky as can be and, regardless of personal verdict, it's hard to deny the ambition both in front of and behind the camera. From its excellent ensemble to its strong direction, Bupkis is one of the best new shows of the year.

Bupkis' ever-shifting tone sometimes leads to long lulls between the laughs, and the premiere leans too hard on lazy, lewd antics that aren't representative of the show's evident ambitions. But even when Bupkis fails to be funny, it's consistently interesting — sometimes weird and sad, but interesting.

Happily, the premiere is the weakest of Bupkis’ eight episodes. As the show, which debuts May 4, progresses, it evolves into something as distinctive and authentic as it is messy. ... Davidson proves to be the most competent narrator of his own story.

Bupkis consistently straddles this line of reality in its (lightly fictionalized) portrayal of Davidson’s life and the whirlwind that surrounds his brand of stardom, with a surprising amount of candor and depth.

A deft, oddly lovely, eight-episode semi-autobiographical comedy.

Davidson and showrunner Judah Miller have teamed up for a quasi-autobiographical series that is absolutely absurd, and yet might not be that far off from Pete Davidson’s insanely crowded, messy and endlessly fascinating actual world.

The show is at its best when Davidson allows it to feel revealing about his insecurities, relationships, and flaws. The first season is a bit rocky in terms of overall quality, but there are enough unexpected comedy beats and moments of truth to make it feel like it could be the first real breakthrough for Davidson the actor, even if he’s also playing Davidson the public figure.

Not all the episodes of “Bupkis” are of equal quality, but none are bad. Episode 1 is a homerun — if you don’t like it, go no further. The weakest is probably Episode 8, which concentrates on Davidson’s effort to get off drugs.

No matter how strange or silly things gets, Bupkis keeps one foot on the ground thanks to its endearing central characters, including Pete’s mom, Amy (Edie Falco), a woman who’s no longer surprised by her son’s behavior, and his grandfather (Joe Pesci).

Bupkis in general nails a well-balanced mix of humor, self-awareness, and drama stemming from both reality and fiction, giving us a multi-flavored comedy that goes down easy.