Review:
On September 23, 2019, a tween comedy show, Team Kaylie premiered on Netflix. Starring Bryana Salaz as Kaylie Konrad, the lead protagonist, the show was all about a young wealthy celebrity sentenced to community service to a school after a brush with the law. At the school, the principal sends her to lead the "Wilderness Club" with members Amber (Alison Fernandez), Jackie (Symera Jackson), Valeria (Eliza Pryor), Ray Ray (Kai Calhoun) and Chewy (Elie Samouhi). While Kaylie was a self-obsessed character at the beginning of the show, with the help of this club, she develops emotionally into a more caring person.
A throwback to the tween Disney shows of the 2000s, Team Kaylie seems to be a direct inspiration from the life of the Kardashians.With their own reality show, the immense addiction to make-up and public images, the wealthy casitas, the show has it all. Perhaps, that is what makes it so special. While the show is about a very rich celebrity that not many kids will relate to, it also shows her dealing with daily life problems on her own. Sure, in the beginning Kaylie comes out as a very stupid character but by the end of it, she also comes out as a proper human being with irrational thoughts and desires. What attracts the readers the most towards the show is Salaz's brilliant acting towards a character that probably has it all.
When I sat down to watch the show, I was surprised at how similar the show came out to the real thing. I'm not saying that all billionaires live like Kit Konrad or act like Kit Konrad or even are as stupid as Kaylie but to some degree, it was there. Or perhaps the show was too stereotypical to be true. I can't really say for sure, not having been a millionaire, let alone a billionaire, in my entire life.
Overall, the show was very enjoyable and funny. I didn't laugh throughout, for sure, but I definitely smiled at more than one jokes. Most of the dialogues were, in fact, pretty funny. As the kind of show I would have loved in my tweens, I would recommend Team Kaylie to all the tweens. Parents don't need to be worried about the show's implication either since, although the characters come across as superficial in the beginning, they become more developed as the story goes forward, even Kaylie's mother, Kit Konrad.
Characters: Kaylie Konrad - Despite the show being about a billionaire, something that has been done a lot many times by now, Bryana Salaz's Kaylie came as a breath of fresh air. I laughed at her and with her. Her development as the show goes forward is spectacular and something that would probably inspire a great many people. Also, is it too much of a coincidence that her name is Kaylie Konrad (hint, hint: Kylie Jenner) and has a picture that now has less likes than a potato? Ray Ray - Let me just say that I didn't like Ray Ray. The character was too self-involved for me to feel any attraction towards him. In "Lights, Camera, Retraction" (Ep. 3), when Ray Ray goes rogue, he just about ends up ruining Kaylie's entire career. And that too for a thing he never did! Agreed that Kaylie was in the wrong in the first place, but it still felt a little annoying to see his self-involved self taking that advantage. Valeria - Well, what can I say about this character except that it was a nice touch to the cast? Eliz Pyror's Valeria was all about being creepy. As a witch, she would try different curses and spells every now and then, making a buttload of jokes throughout the season. Nicely done, Valeria was also a pretty straightforward character that I thoroughly enjoyed. Jackie - Jackie was a combination of everything I hate about Sheldon Cooper, Amy Santiago and Monica Geller-Bing. And I mean it. If there was a character that included all the things one can hate about these three characters then Jackie would be it. Needless to say, the character was too annoying for my taste to even get a smile from. Amber - Like Valeria, Alison Fernandez's Amber was a nice touch as well. If there is one character that I can say was probably the main one apart from Kaylie, then it was Amber. With her anger issues, her heartbroken self and all the other things that made her unique, Amber was a regular kid. Pretty relatable, if I may say so myself. Not only that but she was also the ones with the most brilliant and realistic ideas. Her desire to fulfill her dreams is what made her even more special If I was a kid watching this show, then I would certainly want to be Amber. Chewy - Well, doesn't every show has that one character who is beyond disgusting? Samouhi's Chewy was just that character for us. He would eat anything and everything, including a scab of his own elbow! Kit Konrad - Although Kit only appeared for 15 of the total 20 episodes, this Rosa Blasi played character was remarkable in its own self. At the beginning of the show, she appears to be one of the most condescending characters of them all. Her habit of always criticizing Kaylie despite Kaylie earning her buttloads of money is the joke in many episodes. I felt, however, that she should have been taken in more seriousness for if there is a mother that always criticizes her kids and kids such a thing on-screen, then they just might think it is okay; which really isn't.
Verdict: My final verdict is that the show is worth-watching. If you're looking for a small show to binge-watch to take your mind off other things, then Team Kaylie is the one for you!
Characters: Kaylie Konrad - Despite the show being about a billionaire, something that has been done a lot many times by now, Bryana Salaz's Kaylie came as a breath of fresh air. I laughed at her and with her. Her development as the show goes forward is spectacular and something that would probably inspire a great many people. Also, is it too much of a coincidence that her name is Kaylie Konrad (hint, hint: Kylie Jenner) and has a picture that now has less likes than a potato? Ray Ray - Let me just say that I didn't like Ray Ray. The character was too self-involved for me to feel any attraction towards him. In "Lights, Camera, Retraction" (Ep. 3), when Ray Ray goes rogue, he just about ends up ruining Kaylie's entire career. And that too for a thing he never did! Agreed that Kaylie was in the wrong in the first place, but it still felt a little annoying to see his self-involved self taking that advantage. Valeria - Well, what can I say about this character except that it was a nice touch to the cast? Eliz Pyror's Valeria was all about being creepy. As a witch, she would try different curses and spells every now and then, making a buttload of jokes throughout the season. Nicely done, Valeria was also a pretty straightforward character that I thoroughly enjoyed. Jackie - Jackie was a combination of everything I hate about Sheldon Cooper, Amy Santiago and Monica Geller-Bing. And I mean it. If there was a character that included all the things one can hate about these three characters then Jackie would be it. Needless to say, the character was too annoying for my taste to even get a smile from. Amber - Like Valeria, Alison Fernandez's Amber was a nice touch as well. If there is one character that I can say was probably the main one apart from Kaylie, then it was Amber. With her anger issues, her heartbroken self and all the other things that made her unique, Amber was a regular kid. Pretty relatable, if I may say so myself. Not only that but she was also the ones with the most brilliant and realistic ideas. Her desire to fulfill her dreams is what made her even more special If I was a kid watching this show, then I would certainly want to be Amber. Chewy - Well, doesn't every show has that one character who is beyond disgusting? Samouhi's Chewy was just that character for us. He would eat anything and everything, including a scab of his own elbow! Kit Konrad - Although Kit only appeared for 15 of the total 20 episodes, this Rosa Blasi played character was remarkable in its own self. At the beginning of the show, she appears to be one of the most condescending characters of them all. Her habit of always criticizing Kaylie despite Kaylie earning her buttloads of money is the joke in many episodes. I felt, however, that she should have been taken in more seriousness for if there is a mother that always criticizes her kids and kids such a thing on-screen, then they just might think it is okay; which really isn't.
Verdict: My final verdict is that the show is worth-watching. If you're looking for a small show to binge-watch to take your mind off other things, then Team Kaylie is the one for you!