Arnold Schwarzenegger and the action-comedy genre can't quit each other. Almost three decades after True Lies, the former Terminator actor revisits a similar formula in Netflix's FUBAR. The first season features eight episodes of guns and guffaws that don't venture too far from the expected.
Created by Nick Santora, FUBAR follows CIA agent Luke Brunner (Schwarzenegger), who is about to retire from the spy game. Brunner has kept his profession a secret from his family since day one, but on what is meant to be his final mission, he encounters another undercover operative -- his daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro). The father-and-daughter duo needs to team up to deal with the threat of the international terrorist Boro (Gabriel Luna) and to navigate their everyday family life where their secrets threaten to tear their relationships apart.
Schwarzenegger is at home here. He does exactly what is expected of him as "the tough guy with a heart" archetype in a show bursting with glistening and well-shot explosive action scenes. He receives all the best lines and the majority of the screen time as he delivers the same shtick that turned him into a global superstar. Alongside him is Barbaro, who portrays the chip off the block to a tee, displaying the same devil-may-care attitude toward authority. While Luke doesn't want his daughter to repeat his mistakes and warns her to learn from him, she does the opposite of what he says in almost record time.
The biggest issue with Luke and Emma as leads is their general unlikability. There is an air of selfishness to their characters, and it's hard to root for them when they hurt the ones they are supposed to love with highly questionable behavior. FUBAR Season 1 hits them with consequences for their actions at certain points but tries to get the audience to feel sorry for them. It's difficult to find sympathy for characters that lie and hurt others -- beyond keeping their real profession a secret.
Unfortunately, Luke and Emma aren't countered by any other compelling supporting characters in FUBAR. All these personalities and archetypes have appeared in countless other spy programs and films. From the geeky genius (Milan Carter) to the chiseled bad boy (Travis Van Winkle), it's one trope after the next in a story that's about as predictable as leaving a steak in a lion's den. In short, the audience knows what's coming before it even happens.
While it's easy to draw parallels to True Lies, FUBAR Season 1 lacks the same originality and exuberance as the James Cameron-directed film. These themes have been executed in far better stories with more rounded characters than this. It might be breezy and easy-to-watch entertainment for a weekend's worth of binge-viewing, but it's unlikely anyone will be clamoring for a second season, regardless of the cliffhanger at the end.
All eight episodes of FUBAR are available to stream on Netflix now.