It’s widely agreed upon that the Department of Motor Vehicles is hell on earth. Long wait times and extensive paperwork contribute to poor attitudes and short tempers across the board. Neither the employees nor those being serviced are eager to be there. Now, with her new CBS sitcom, “DMV,” Dana Klein is pulling back the veil and taking audiences behind the scenes at an East Hollywood DMV where a motley crew of driving examiners, portrait takers and document processors are attempting to get through the day while holding on to their benefits and sanity. Despite being generic and middling at first, as the series settles into itself, the potential of what it could be begins to shine through.
The pilot opens in a vehicle. Optimistic, people-pleasing examiner Colette (Harriet Dyer) is giving out yet another exam. Though her co-workers, Gregg (Tim Meadows), a former teacher turned curmudgeon, and Vic (Tony Cavalero), a weights-loving bro, have named her “Easy Pass” because she rarely fails anyone, the Norman Bates-vibe coming off the man in the driver’s seat is putting a damper on Colette’s typically sunny disposition. But today’s hair raising driving exams are the least of Colette’s worries. Barbara (Molly Kearney), the branch’s newly instated manager, is determined to stop consultants from cutting even more funding from the already stretched-thin budget. Meanwhile, Colette has finally worked up the courage to speak to Noa (Alex Tarrant), the hot new documents processor that she’s desperate to connect with.
Like many pilots, “DMV” gets off to a rocky start. With significant changes at the East Hollywood location looming, audiences learn just how awkward and quirky Colette can get when she’s uncomfortable. Barbara is focused on saving the East Hollywood location from full automation, but her toxic positivity doesn’t always go over well. Portrait taker Ceci (Gigi Zumbado) is most focused on her love of Cardi B, and Gregg’s motto is to make things as inefficient as possible. The series opener offers viewers a brief overview of the inner workings of the DMV, but it fails to deliver sufficient grounding for a truly distinct narrative. However, in Episode 2, “Stay in Your Lane” (critics were given four for review), the show slowly begins to reveal what it wants to be.
In the second episode, the DMV staff comes to work on a scorching hot day. Barbara warns them all that it’s against policy to touch the air conditioner, but Colette takes matters into her own hands in an effort to ensure Noa’s comfort. Floating high off of her nine-minute conversation with Noa about dogs, Colette wants to prevent him from being another casualty of “Wash Out Wednesday.” Apparently, many workers crash out and quit on the third Wednesday at the job. Though Gregg and Vic, who act as Colette’s work brothers and voices of reasoning and confusion, urge her to mind her business, she cranks up the AC, leading to a full-on blackout and chaos around the DMV.
Episode 4, “Don’t Kill the Job,” is the most grounded — and hilarious — of the bunch. After encountering an old friend, Colette, embarrassed about her friend’s success compared to her own, pretends to be a customer at the DMV instead of an employee. Barbara, Vic and Ceci try to aid Colette in her scheme, but their collective “help” pushes things even further into the absurd. Leaving her colleagues understaffed and trying to keep her lies straight, Colette must decide for herself why it’s so vital for her to be perceived in a certain way while questioning if she’s actually dissatisfied with her life or if she’s exactly where she’s supposed to be.
Amid a universally known backdrop and some absurd situations, “DMV” has all of the right components to be a good workplace comedy. Though the sitcom doesn’t quite hit the ball out of the park right away, as the actors begin to settle into their characters and the backstories and world around them are more completely developed, it could become an engaging weekly delight.
“DMV” premieres Oct. 13 on CBS with new episodes dropping weekly on Mondays.
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