Going Dutch is a new comedy on Fox starring Denis Leary about a military unit that is operating out of an army base in the Netherlands. The series explores the challenges of a unique army posting.
The Plot of "Going Dutch"
The series stars Denis Leary who plays Colonel Patrick Quinn. He is a military man that had hopes for a command position at a combat base in Germany. That changes abruptly when his mouth got him in trouble for bad mouthing superiors which has him taking on a base where soldiers do not train for combat rather focus on activities such as making cheese, cleaning clothes and playing in the bowling alley.
A Look at Col. Patrick Quinn
Quinn is described as someone inspired by a combination of a comical figure of vanity with high self regard as he finds himself reassigned from what he calls important military positions to working at the USAG Stroopsdorf in the Netherlands which was noted as the "Least Important US Army Base In The World" His reactions to this are seen through the episodes as he navigates with a lack of importance and an inflated ego.
The Dynamic Between Col. Quinn and Capt. Maggie Quinn
As a part of his punishment Col. Quinn finds out the person he is to take orders from is his daughter . The relationship they had been avoiding has become his main challenge throughout the series while having little to no chemistry with each other. Both characters navigate the family dynamic with conflict and confusion while learning about themselves and one another.
The Daughter's Personality and Approach
Maggie is someone who tries her best to run the base with what seems like a very hands on gentle approach by engaging activities such as disco parties. While she hopes for a political career it does not fully showcase why making her motivations unclear throughout many areas of her life. Maggie tries to challenge her father who she calls a "narcissist" by giving counterpoints which he does not respect due to how different she operates.
Characters Within "Going Dutch"
Besides Col. and Capt. Quinn the story highlights Major Abraham Shah the XO who is competent yet socially awkward. Another highlight includes the out-of-regulation IT wiz Hal Cumpston as a character of fun. Also Laci Mosley, the de facto fixer creates memorable interactions throughout different moments of the show .
Character Growth and Relationships
There are areas that can become explored with deeper plot lines along with possible development between main characters. Viewers hope they begin to show true development in the main roles as well as those that they play along side with such as XO Major Abraham Shah and supply Sargent Conway.
Story Progression
While some humor is noticable through episode five, the storyline becomes predictable. That episode includes when Maggie’s boyfriend, a CIA agent, visits the base it leads to some interesting moments. There is an understanding in that time about over reaching politics and methods the government operates with as it has light political jabs as well.
Questionable Production Choices
Some of the negative reviews are from viewers that question how " Going Dutch " depicts the military personnel and also the settings for the area. It's seen as a caricature version of the culture and it's a story where that the locations could be any "random place". The quality was questioned because viewers stated details seemed overlooked and lacked focus.
Potential for Future Growth
Many viewers see "Going Dutch" as having some elements that might evolve into something successful given some fine tuning with actors chemistry and story plots. Though it struggles early some believe that if it focuses on character growth it may be able to obtain a specific viewing base that have connections with previous shows the creator has created .
Concerns of Development
There are concerns on how well “Going Dutch” will do as a show on network TV where it is shown as a middle of the road type of content that has a long way to go. The lack of clarity of tone mixed with character confusion as it jumps from light comedy to heavier drama and political viewpoints without enough set up for them might make the audience not want to continue watching.
Key Takeaways
- Going Dutch stars Dennis Leary as a military man stuck in a very different environment of operation with his daughter being his commanding officer.
- Viewers of the series had hoped for a better blend of comedic and personal stories.
- Though some promise can be found with supporting characters such as the XO as well as new dynamics, the lack of character development becomes a concern with story flow.
- “Going Dutch” has some visual strengths with locations however may miss with accurate cultural representations while also having predictable plot lines.
- While it currently has some weak areas it does have the possibility for further positive developments and direction through future seasons by highlighting personal relationships with the team as well as making a more focused tonal quality for humor and political themes to be at their best..