Dummy (TV Series 2020) Poster

(2020)

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7/10
A gimmicky adult comedy that, weirdly, soon becomes an engaging and somewhat charming show
akcenat16 August 2020
Based on writer and creator Cody Heller's relationship with Dan Harmon, Quibi's new twisted dramedy "Dummy" stars Anna Kendrick who discovers her boyfriend Donal Logue has a sex doll. While this show is silly and unrealistic in a lot of ways, in these lonely times during 2020 pandemic plenty of people will perhaps find some solace in learning how to deal with a sex doll intruding in their love lives."Dummy" isn't subtle and feels like the kind of show that is trying to bring up as many different (mostly sexual) taboo's as possible - from sex dolls & mental health, to jokes about the #MeToo movement & feminism, to edgy kinks and guns and Trump - it's kind of up to each viewer to decide whether it's pushing a line or not. For me, it felt hilarious, uncomfortable and weirdly engaging. "Dummy" seems to discuss a personal side of the relationship that although maybe therapeutic to talk about, also feels like airing out dirty laundry for the sake of a cheap laugh. The length of the content (each episodes ranges from 6 to 9 minutes) makes it easy to watch. "Dummy" also relies - except on the strength of its writing, more - on its leads. Anna Kendrick is sure to pull some fans (me for example), however "Dummy" as a show is probably not enough to keep you there. Interesting concept and a show of brutal honestly on the part of writer Cody Heller, however I'm not sure this is a show I'll be re-watching (even if it only takes only 6 minutes). If you are shy about human excretions, this is definitely not for you.
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8/10
I love how this is based on real life, it's like Seinfeld!
fopfopfop26 July 2021
So this 8 minute sitcom from the short lived quibi has 2 quality leads in Donal logue as dan Harmon and anna Kendrick as his real life girlfriend cody heller. The show explores cody's connection to Dan's real life sex doll Barbara. Cody both in real life and on the show befriends the sex doll and makes her her writing partner, much like Seinfeld. But the show is really about cody's real life drug abuse, mental illness, feminism, and dan Harmon's real life fetish for sex dolls from japan like komiko owned by james franco. There are plenty of cameos from big stars and the cgi is great. It's just fun and funny and well twisted!
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7/10
Funny but uncomfortable.
ncardona251 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Anna Kendrick is hilarious. I love the chemistry between her and Barbara. I also don't have an issue with the age gap between her and Donal Logue.

I was really enjoying this show until Barbara tries to convince Cody to get her 14 year old neighbor to have sex with her. It was awkward and felt like I was watching some sort of pedophile or something. Really strange.
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7/10
Give it a chance to watch
mignonne-116707 July 2020
I watch this show for Anna Kendrick lol. She is definitely lovely and act great! It is east to enjoy to watch this show. Interesting comedy plot, and can relax your mood~ Give it a chance to watch!
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7/10
I came for Anna Kendrick, but stayed for the comedy!
slashdotcoma14 July 2020
Is this show a bit twisted? Yes. Is it for everyone? No. This short-form comedy has typically good acting by Anna Kendrick and others. Sure it's quirky, twsited, and outright crude at times, but it worked for me. Never having watched a short-form show before, I didn't think I'd like it, but I'd have to say it leaf me wanting more... and it fits with my schedule. A new take on the buddy comedy (not seen since the 80s).
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10/10
Classic Anna Kendrick
lac92523 April 2020
Watched this show on Quibi and I want more! Anna is HILARIOUS (as always) and the banter between her and "Barbara" is fresh, funny and quick witted. The only downside to this show is that each episode is way too short!

If you're a fan of Anna Kendrick, definitely check this show out if you can. Quibi has a 3-month free trial, and it's absolutely worth checking it out!
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6/10
Best of the Quibi Series I've Seen
leftbanker-118 August 2020
This one was OK., and it is brilliant compared to the others offered by quibi. I think the dirty humor helped, and the acting was good.

So here is the Quibi formula: make a low budget movie, then slice it into 6-7 minute parts. Spoiler Alert: it's still a lousy movie, not matter how many times you cut it. I think the point of these is that you can watch them on your phone as you are driving your SUV through rush hour traffic. God help us all.
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10/10
Definitely a must watch
khazen-4968710 September 2020
I saw the trailer for this and knew I needed to watch it. It is funny and quirky. I just wish they were longer episodes! I would definitely watch this if it became a longer show!
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Great idea which isn't always executed perfectly
iamkeysersoze-1322829 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Whilst I admire Dummy for having a wacky and original idea, I feel like it is wasted potential. Whilst the chemistry is great, the story is flawed and doesn't do the idea justice.

The humour is there, it's just not as cleverly/humorously written as it needs to be. The chemistry between Anna Kendrick and Barbara (the sex doll) was great though. It's what makes the show worth watching. However the sex doll just looks weird and it does take a while to get used to it. The facial expressions don't look that great at times. It gets tolerable once the season progresses. Overall it's really enjoyable but it's way too short. It's 70 minutes long but could have worked better as a longer show or an actual 2 hour movie. I hope there is a season 2 though
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7/10
Don't take it seriously, but...
kikkula30 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
If you would to gender flip this show you probably wouldn't like it. Ninth episode would be especially questionable and would read something like - 36 years old man invites a 14 year old girl into his apartment and asks her to have an intercourse with his fancy dildo?! Also most of the imaginary dialogues would be very hard to digest. Last three episodes were piece by piece let down for me, ironically the first of them is the most highly rated episode on IMDB. I guess people relate to pointless executions on the screens or get excited by loud bangs. For me that's the point where the show took a turned for me. I struggle to find amusement in senseless and poor culminations and artistic value didn't add to the main story. All the episodes that preceded were much more promising.

I just wish the show would have been a little bit more self aware and understood it's strongpoints more clearly, it had a lot going for it. Nontheless it was entertaining exercise on present day society and maybe made someone notice some of it's bs. If not, then it was at least fun ride and not ment to be taken too seriously.
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3/10
Not even Anna Kendrick could make this good.
dotayumcha28 July 2020
It just didn't connect. Nothing really tracked and it seemed like it was written with a dice.

Plot points seem to be scattershot and joined together with random plot glue.
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10/10
Hilarious sex doll hijinx
ScoobySnacks6626 April 2020
Anna Kendrick is awesome in this Quibi show about a woman named Cody who inadvertently meets her boyfriend's hot sex doll "Barbara" and ends up befriending her through a series of wildly hilarious hijinx that sets her on a path of deeper self discovery. This is the best show on Quibi and definitely worth the 3 month trial subscription. It's so good that I kept wishing the episodes were longer than 7 minutes. There aren't enough good comedies right now and this gem is helping fill the void.
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7/10
Weird...but not that bad
WatchAndSmile31 August 2020
It's very strange and weird,but I loved the dark humor and witty dialogs. The whole thing is definitely weird. Watch the trailer, it's sums it up. Yes, hated the short episodes as everyone else - dumb idea and nobody likes that. If you like dark humor and witty dialogs, you probably will like it. And probably maybe more if you have fetishes...
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1/10
I wanted to like this
lma-657643 July 2020
I tried to enjoy this because I love Anna Kendrik... but it was just SO GROSS. I like raunchy R-rated stuff but this was just yuck. I felt sorry for the creator because this was apparently based on her relationship with her husband? Whatttt??
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Quality versus Quantity
max_baker-5541813 July 2020
I've seen numerous comedy series shows that were as equally good as "Dummy", but the one thing they all had compared to series shows nowadays is length. You could spend days binge-watching a show like That 70s show and literally be doubled over from laughing a fair amount of the time. With "Dummy", the quality is just the same! Doubled over with laughter, and yet the whole series is barely the length of one episode of any older television comedy series. What is with writers and producers today? Is their attention span so limited that they can only create projects that last no longer than 6-7 minutes. The whole series "Dummy" is a great concept, but it's only enough for a pilot and should have been produced as such. Are actors so self-absorbed that they think they should get paid the same amount for 60 minutes of screen time that their counterparts got paid for 25 hours of screen time back in the day? With all of the cookie-cutter garbage that is coming out on Netflix and other streaming services, something original like "Dummy" is going to get buried because either, A. It doesn't have enough weight to hold its own with all the other wannabes, or B. It's too short to be considered as anything more than a teaser-trailer for something that will never be realized. The quality of this show is 10 stars, but the quantity is ZERO. Therefore, it gets a five star rating from me.
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7/10
Fun at start
cekadah21 June 2020
A topical series about how 'women' are viewed as sex objects in the entertainment business. Anna Kendrick brings her comedic talents to 'Dummy' but the progression of the story does not offer the support her character so needs.

In other words this 'watched pot' never came to a boil for me. Each episode is about 8 minutes long and the poducer/director keeps that 8 minutes moving - maybe at the expense of the plot.

Still I enjoyed this fast and easy to watch series!
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6/10
Strongest in the early episodes but I'd be intrigued to see where it goes if they make another season...
wobert-6088918 May 2020
Not sure if it works that way on Quibi or if everything is just a one-off...?

I liked it. The early episodes felt the strongest to me - it petered out a little bit in the back half mostly because the story arc didn't seem to really know where it wanted to go. The resolution seemed forced to me in a "guess we gotta wrap this up somehow" kind of way.

Other commenters have noted that the face animation isn't quite there and can be distracting... There's also a plot point with Cody's neighbor in the later episodes that feels pretty gross even for a show that mines a fair amount of humor from discomfort.

All that aside, though, the dialogue is smartly written and often very funny... Anna Kendrick is naturally charismatic as always and well cast here. The episodes are edited well and feel self-contained even when some of them clock in at barely over five minutes long.

Overall worth checking out and you'll know within a few episodes if the humor is for you. There's enough positives for me to feel intrigued at what Ms Heller does next.
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8/10
Give it a whirl.....
I actually really enjoyed this show. It's the most random story EVER! Like seriously, who just makes this kind of stuff up! I love Anna Kendrick so I went in already wanting to like it, but I was not disappointed. Very different, Interesting story, not at all as creepy as you'd think, likable characters, funny, cute and a tad vulgar! I hope There will be more where this came from!
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6/10
Absolutely unacceptable
gwillmartinez12 September 2022
It blows my mind that this was clearly made with prowoman/ feminist ideals. Yet they had the nerve to try and make predatory behavior towards a young boy seem quirky. I think it says a lot about how the writer views men and how many women today view men. I don't think standing up for womens right is a bad thing by any reguard. But that doesn't make it acceptable to portray a woman having pedophilic thoughts that she acted on as funny. We all know if it was the other way around their would be all sorts of our cry from the public. As their should be but because it's a young man and not a young woman. It doesn't matter. I mean hell she didn't even face any consequences in the show for it. Honestly personally as a father with a daughter that wants to grow up to be a professional artist I'd be extremely disappointed in my daughter if she thought this was acceptable.
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10/10
Absolutely Brilliant
carlcasso6 November 2020
This is just what you need to watch at this time when the world is falling apart. From the moment it started I was in tears laughing.

The hits just keep coming and it gets funnier and funnier as the story develops.

Ann and Meredith play off each other better than I've seen in a long time.

I have just finished watching Love Life with Miss Kendrick and I'm starting to believe that she is a comedy legend.

I can't recommend this enough.

My only problem is that the episodes are too short.

Please make Season 2 as full episodes. This deserves to be a full sized show.

Well done to all involved. This is just amazingly funny.
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7/10
No one mentioned this show has Dan Harmon as a role?
st_scott-6492017 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
First I thought it's just a coincidence, the guy's name is Dan and he does look like real Dan Harmon and he's also a genius TV writer, until the robber flashed his T-shirt of Rick and Morty. That part is weirdly entertaining.
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5/10
How do I begin to describe this...
dastenhero4 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I had a free trial of Quibi intended for The Fugitive and my stupid brain told me "this is raunchy, you should watch it." I really regret it. It's not like it ruined my life or anything but it was just... gross. And immoral, even for Hollywood.

The best thing about this show by far is the doll. She's funny...ish. It depends on what situation she's in. The best times consist of her rocking out with the protagonist, whether it be in the car or in the dumpster behind her boyfriend's house. However, there are times that I just sat there and went "what the heck?" The rubber genitals as a necklace? Really? The "scrub her out" jokes? I get that I knew what I was getting into but for the life of me, I didn't really think it could get worse. It did.

SPOILER ALERT: There's a part where our lovely protagonist Cody tries to get her fourteen years old neighbor to sleep with the doll. I don't know what planet you have to live on to find that funny, but honestly, it's borderline sexual harassment of some kind. I don't know what type, but seriously...if I was the mom, I'd be calling the cops. What's even more disturbing is that although the show depicts the act as creepy, it tries to pass it off as at least somewhat acceptable due to Cody's unique situation. END OF SPOILER!

I ended up listening/watching to the end anyway because I had come so far but...yeah. Gross stuff. It's a quirky, unique show that doesn't ever justify its existence. The humor is occasionally alright. This doesn't deserve an Emmy by any chance.
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10/10
Amazing show
CHancock-428 April 2020
Anna Kendrick does an awesome job carrying this show, but the crude and we'll placed comedy should make most anyone laugh. Its twisted, but in all the right ways. A must see. Get the free trial of quibi for this if nothing else.
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2/10
Nope, I Just Can't Do It
plasticanimalz25 July 2020
I love Anna Kendrick but I've simply hit my wall of seeing much younger women with old, or old, gross men. So, though this was the only Quibi show I thought it might be okay, based on the trailer, after a few minutes of the show realizing they're expecting me to believe not only is Anna Kendrick dating Donal Logue, who is 20 years older and appealing to no women, but he's also got a doll on the side because "she's" not good enough for him. I mean, give me a break. Are we living in the 1950s? Trying to push him as a Hollywood writer changes nothing. A smart girl like her would still never date him, and Hollywood guys like that date D-list actresses with huge, fake you know whats.

I only watched a Quibi show after reading an extensively negative article in The New Yorker because my attention was peaked, like a train wreck of, "How bad is it?" I think everyone thought Quibi would be bad. If Sophie Turner can't convince me to watch it, Jeffrey Kattzenberg sure as heck won't. I think the thing that really struck with me in that article is how Kattzenberg in a wide sweep took full credit for all those Disney and Dreamworks films despite there being hundreds of names credited to each one, which doesn't include the hundreds who work on those films who don't get a credit. How unprogressive. Another was Kattzenberg saying the channel "would" be progressive and then taking a pitch with Gal Gadot who said in her meeting she wanted to do projects empowering to women and girls and he interrupted her to say she could be their next Jane Fonda workout girl. And here, yet again, we see with Dummy, this network is in the dark ages trying to program women that they deserve less and are worth less.

And, the whole 8-10 minute concept is dumb. It works for some cartoons, but that's it. And TV, it's simply a commercial break between 11 minute installments. It's not like Quibi is rocket science. And as far as "premium" channel Kattzenberg promised, I'm not getting that from trailers I watched. Quibi is more Hallmark Channel kind of quality that dumped a bunch of money into A-listers. That's another thing, Anna Kendrick, an A-list star gets cast against a C-list star who is 20 years older and attractively challenged? (hey, it's nicer than saying ugly). This was going out of fashion in the '90s and yet, still, here we are. But I guess that's what happens when you have a 70-yr-old exec who claims he knows what millennials want more than they do. I wonder if he'll still be getting that $125 million severance pay when he gets fired from his own network.
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10/10
funny and smart
litantan24 June 2020
Funny and smart but also very mature and crass -- but also tackles serious issues in a funny/witty way -- smartly written and anna kendrick and meredith hagner were amazing and played off of each other very well!
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