Red Oaks

Aside from the sheer enjoyment that comes from watching the delightful and whip-smart comedy, there’s a case to be made for Red Oaks as the most significant nostalgia-infused TV series currently streaming.

The whole story comes nicely full-circle by the end, and all the hijinks and heartbreak are accompanied by a fine soundtrack of '80s tunes that haven't been overplayed in other period movies. It's fun (if only occasionally of the laugh out loud variety).

Iit might sound a bit seen-it-all-before, but it’s what Red Oaks does with this material that makes the series worth watching.

The truth lies somewhere in between, in the ineffable elements that Red Oaks absolutely nails. The show takes place in a world where lives are as planned out as a country club’s summer itinerary, but it’s smart enough to see through that illusion.

Derivative as it is from a distance, Red Oaks often redeems itself in close-ups.

Red Oaks too often gets almost satirical in its broad characterization of ‘80s New Jersey with hair and clothing out of “That ‘80s Show.” But when it focuses on its cast and allows them to breathe within the set-up, it can be surprisingly effective.

Almost every episode trades on our familiarity with the type--the heavy sidekick, the dumb, bullying jock, the knockout who wonders if she should be with the heavy sidekick instead of the dumb, bullying jock--but that familiarity too often comes perilously close to breeding contempt.