User Reviews

Excellent series with an extraordinary Kristen Dunst, I love this actress of a magnificent talent who raises the whole series, an excellent screenplay and a nice sarcastic vision of money. A black sarcastic comedy, where we laugh in certain situations and we see the underlying plot on the dramatic side, the whole is very coherent and with this main actress who shines there, she alone ignites the whole series.

I haven't seen a show like this in a while and it is such a refreshing treat. Reminds me of True Blood minus the monsters and the bayou. Kirsten Dunst and everyone in this show totally nail their roles. My only complaint is the accents... I grew up in Florida and as much as Hollywood tries to get it right... Florida is not "the south" so not a whole lot of "twang" going on except for mayyyybbee Jacksonville or along the panhandle since it's so close to the FL/GA line. Other than that? The whole idea of this show is brilliant. Great story, great direction, great acting. Loving it so far.

The premise is wonderful, taking down a Pyramid Scheme from the inside.

The cast is stellar and east and every one of hem does a superb job, especially Kirsten Dunst.

The story just gets overly complex and ridiculous too soon. Although I enjoyed the show, I'm glad there's no season 2 as I can't see where they could take the story for another 10 episodes. The writers seemed to have thrown everything at this season that they could possibly think of.

Worth a watch, but you likely will stop caring before the end.

So many conversations in this show brought back memories of being involved with a multi-level marketing company. It rang so true with the ridiculous motivational recordings and the up-line sponsor pushing you to quit your job and spend more money with the MLM even though you are already massively in debt because of it. And of course the spline sponsor only being concerned with the royalties they will lose if you quit while pretending to be concerned about you.

Brings back memories of all the people I knew who looked, and acted, successful on stage talking about the MLM business opportunity, yet in their real lives they were dead broke and about to lose their homes and marriages.

The MLM motto of, "Fake it, till you make it!" was definitely shown in this show.

Half way through e01 and I find it hilarious in its sarcasm. There's one more ep out there for which I'm pressing play shortly.

Kirsten Dunst is just shy of 40, far older when we first met her in Interview with a Vampire, and admittedly, I've never been a fan of her acting, however, I'm surprisingly liking her here. Alexander Skarsgård, Ted Levine & Julie Benz are also thrown in the mix.

Worth a shot in my opinion, not sure though as of yet if it can hold any water for a second season though.

Congratulations to all involved in this show. A great story! I sold Mary Kay cosmetics in 1978. I did two home shows and then realized I would never make enough money for all the effort I put in. I got to keep all the crap I purchased cheaply but it was used at each show, so it got binned and I learnt a VERY valuable lesson. I also hated the sing songs and happy clapping at a Mary Kay convention I had to attend and also hated the pink car we HAD to aspire to own. Weird people! Becoming a God , for me, also had shades of Scientology everywhere. Especially with the cassettes and brain washing. Run people run, save yourselves!

Costumes are great, storyline drags on. Could have been condensed into a 90 minute movie. Kirsten is great in this.

This series has a strong start but loses its way very quickly midway during the production. Too much extraneous stuff and subplots get in the way as distractions, and the main story is quickly sidetracked by all of them. By episode 5, one no longer cares about the story but keeps watching in the hope that the series will get back on track. It doesn't! If there's a second season, the writers will have to do a better job than they have done with S1.

The writing, acting, and overall message of this show are incredible...I've watched a lot of shows and this is hands down the best one I've seen in years.

The series had a slow start, but towards the ending the action picked up. The characters were interesting and the world built up was smoothly done. The performances were pretty good too.

Ostensibly about a multilevel marketing scheme (MLM) called FAM, what this show is really about is the American dream, capitalism, and the lies we tell to maintain an air of immense success right around the corner when nothing could be further from the truth. In one of the few series about working-class people, Krystal Stubbs (another iconic character from the truly underrated Kirsten Dunst who should have a million Oscar nominations by now) is a water park employee whose life is tragically upended because of her husband (Alexander Skarsgard, darkly hilarious) snarls, hisses, manipulates, and deceives up the ranks of the same pyramid scheme she despises.

Dunst is spectacular. There is really no other word for it. In her hands, Krystal isn't really an "anti-hero" but someone you actually really root for and empathize with-everything, after all, is for her baby daughter, Destinee! And her relationship with her "superior" (called "upline") Cody (Theodore Pellerin, destined for big things I'm sure) is twisted and delicious.

There's this crazy tone to the series. I've genuinely never seen anything like it. Sure, it's faithful to Florida weirdness but the surreal, weird, dark, and really, really funny is balanced with a tremendous amount of empathy for the working-class characters populating this show. At the end of the day, it's Dunst's show. And like her, the show doesn't give a crap about looking too ugly or being too weird or vicious or surreal or really, really funny. And it definitely doesn't give two hoots about its brutally satirical takedown of the peculiarly American brand of capitalism.

...but the fact it's been cancelled, when it really deserves another season, means I can't bring myself to give it more.

Kirsten Dunst is, as always, brilliant. But the rest of the cast are great too.

If we have to wait a few years for someone to bring it back, so be it. As long as someone does! Please!

A great start to the series about an early 90's mother determined to thrive despite her late husband's ties to a pyramid scam. Kirsten Dunst and cast are dynamic and the script & setting is so far a winner. In my personal opinion Dunst is a fantastic actress and I'll watch just about anything she's in. Despite being passed over for her phenomenal performance in Fargo here she is again nailing yet another role. I'm hoping this show continues to deliver because I am hooked to see what unfolds next for her character. And yes I will be very suprised if she is not nominated and given her long awaited & well deserved Emmy win. Watch the show. You will not be disappointed.

Great, satirical look at how many (all?) MLM companies take advantage of hard-working-but uneducated-upwardly-mobile-striving Americans without other resources. I thought the writing and acting was superb. Dunst is fantastic as a single mom widow determined to get out of the deep financial hole her husband dug for her. I loved the portrayal of the DS FLR (dominance-submissoin female led relationship) with the baby-faced Cody character in the second hand of the first season. To whomever found this unbelievable, she tells us why. She doesn't love him, but she needs him, and that she had been faking it to accomplish her goals. She has a kid and needs help! I totally get this ... remember this is 1992. There's no Match.com for her to easily find another life partner willing to help her raise Destinee. He adores her, which is easy to see why. She's cunning, creative, sexy, determined and fun. I think a lot of women settle for an imperfect relationship so that have help raising children when they find themselves unexpectedly alone.

The title ... well I felt that it finally made sense to me in the final five minutes of the first season. Then think back to how the audience at a rally cheers for the upline top of the pyramid at FAM. After I watched this season I watched a YouTube video of an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver that detailed MLM companies and why they are so bad. It's a fantastic watch and I recommend everyone watch it ... in fact if I recommend five people watch it and they each get five people to watch it then it will only take 14 cycles before the whole world has seen it! (And that's why pyramid schemes don't work ... there aren't enough people to put underneath you to pay back everyone who gets onboard when the bottom line is compensation by signing people up and not by selling product.)

I expect the second season to be a hoot and can't wait for it to be released!

To add to the unusual nature of the number of networks this show went though, over in the UK our first chance to see it was this year, when it appeared on Netflix. I thought it was decent stuff, with some really good performances but if I'm honest, I'm OK that the show didn't come back for a second season.

Despite both being employed, the Stubbs family of Orlando are struggling financially. This is primarily because Travis (Alexander Skarsgard) is investing his time and money in FAM, a direct sales organisation, essentially a pyramid scheme, led by Obie Garbeau II (Ted Levine). When Travis dies his wife Krystal (Kirsten Dunst) inherits the business and the debt. She tries to leave but is convinced to stay by Travis' line manager Cody and, using her wits and questionable morals, tries to turn the situation to her advantage.

Performances all round are good, none more so than the two principle leads, Kirsten Dunst - who has been doing more good TV work in the last few years and Theodore Pellerin, who I don't remember having seen much of before, though I did watch "The OA". He in particular gives a very vulnerable and open performance, with what might have just been a standard "geek" character in the hands of a different actor.

The story is enjoyable, if perhaps a little unfocused. Aside from our central arc, there's another story involving the Stubbs neighbours, Ernie and Bets Gomes, played by Mel Rodriguez and Beth Ditto, with the first acting role I've seen her in. You also have a rival FAM manager played by David Paymer, a disgruntled for FAM employee trying to warn Krystal of the path she's on and a down on her luck journalist, played by Melissa De Sousa. Some of these stories are only partially resolved, or abandoned completely, though the plan may have been to revisit them in subsequent seasons.

I think some of the other reviewers are a little harsh with declaring how bad the second half of the season is, it's never less than OK, but the first few episodes are really the high point of the show and, to be honest, I'm OK that the second season is not going to be forthcoming.

From reading previous ratings, I think some people (a) might not enjoy dark comedy and (b) also don't understand how dark and twisted the world of MLM's can actually be. The people who say the story is outlandish must not really know much about point 'b'. A story about that world SHOULD be dark. and should be full of unlikable characters. I can also assume a lot of really low reviews might be from people involved in MLM's because the rating for the show on here currently is really right about where it should be (a 7-8 is fair I think). I don't see any way this show warrants a one star review.

The acting and story are both solid. It's a dark show with comedic elements, based on what is a really dark topic. Read up on how MLM's ruin some people's lives, and you will likely appreciate the story more, and why it's being told the way it is. I think it delivers on what it's trying to deliver on.

One thing I agree with other reviewers whether they have left good or bad reviews is that I am not sure if this show could hold up for too many seasons. But I have enjoyed this one.

Totally watchable ....could do with a bit more coherent through line....and not sure I'll watch S2. ...but it's decent

Started out okay but after couple episodes it just went down the drain, slowed down, story got repetitive.

Episode 1 of "On Becoming God in Central Florida" is exciting with an original premise and quite a cliffhanger. We have two very likable actors playing the leads, Kirsten Dunst and Alexander Skarsgard, giving us their dark comedic chops. The series offers a satire on ridiculous pyramid schemes, people that get suckered into them, and the disastrous consequences and shattered dreams for those participating. The plot line has a lot of promise, making you think it will go one way but it goes in a completely different direction. Actually it goes into many directions, abruptly meandering into subplots that leave you scratching your head. Mid-season around episode 6, I am actually losing interest. But I plug along and feel relieved that I get to witness the uptick in the last two episodes, which redeem the show a bit. Nevertheless, the ending is still unsatisfying and then you realize that you don't really like any of the characters.