Jury Duty: Company Retreat is the perfect antithesis to the messy, toxic world of reality TV shows.
This Prime Video series places one unknowing person in a carefully constructed scenario in which everyone else is an actor.
While this sounds like a cruel punishment, the show actually brings compassion to the forefront of its story.
Rather than trying to drum up drama to bring out the worst in people, Company Retreat–the second installment in the series–invents wild scenarios to bring out the best in its central hero.
In these trying times, this comedy series shines a hopeful light on human connection and kindness.
Be Curious, Not Judgmental
When I think about Company Retreat, the Ted Lasso quote, “Be Curious, Not Judgmental,” comes to mind.
The premise for Company Retreat is ridiculous, as it follows a hot sauce company named Rockin’ Grandmas during their annual retreat.
From the name alone, the scenario seems completely made-up and ridiculous.
Plus, some of the characters, such as Jamaica-obsessed Dougie, are so ridiculous that there’s almost no way they could be real people.
However, the “hero” of the season, Anthony, who doesn’t know what the show is truly about, surprisingly rolls with the punches.
Anthony befriends Dougie and encourages the incompetent character as he struggles with the prospect of taking over his dad’s company.
Despite the increasingly absurd scenarios, Anthony never loses his loyalty to Dougie and the other employees of Rockin’ Grandmas.
To top it all off, he’s a temp who barely knows his co-workers; yet, he continues to help others time and time again.
Of course, there are moments when he questions whether everything is made up.
But he keeps moving forward with the best intentions and offers sympathy rather than judgment when people make mistakes.
Watching Anthony help these characters–and the improvers behind the personas–recognize their self-worth will help viewers consider ways to extend understanding to themselves and others.
Choosing Kindness and Community
While the scenarios might be made-up, the bond formed between Anthony and the actors certainly isn’t.
Just like in its first season, Company Retreat finds a way to build a sense of community and a goal for the characters to work toward.
This strategy highlights working together out of love and care rather than how typical reality shows pit people against one another.
Especially given the business-focused premise, Company Retreat adopts a Severance-like perspective on work, emphasizing the people in these roles rather than the company itself.
Even if the characters are somewhat fictional, their humanity is undeniable, as you can see the actors grow close to one another and to Anthony throughout the series.
Right now, it feels like we’re in an era when social media and technology are isolating us rather than uniting us.
So, Company Retreat’s celebration of how community can organically be built through mutual benevolence feels unapologetically refreshing.
It’s a big gamble to design an entire series on the premise that the season’s hero will choose kindness and compassion.
But Company Retreat makes that bet and successfully proves that humanity still has some hope left.
After all, it’s impossible not to root for Anthony as he helps Rockin’ Grandma and its employees reach their full personal potential over the course of a week.
Have you seen Company Retreat yet? What are your thoughts on the series? You can watch the episodes released so far on Prime Video.
Comment your thoughts below!
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