USA's The Purge has an immensely watchable premise, but lacks the dumb fun of the movies

UPROXX

"The problem," says Pilot Viruet, "is that The Purge, even when it drops in these silly moments and (unintentionally) hilarious dialogue, remains deadset on having an overly-serious tone. The series half-heartedly grapples with the idea of wealth and classism ('the rich don’t kill each other'), mentions how other countries don’t need the Purge, touches upon the effects of lingering grief (albeit through a Purge-obsessed cult), and even has some thoughts on the glass ceiling — among others. But it fails to remember one thing: The Purge, both the franchise and the fictional event, is just so incredibly dumb. There are plenty of television shows and movies that do a fantastic job of depicting US politics, or how the rich screw over the poor, or how sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil in order to do something good. The Purge was never going to be thoughtful enough to become one of those series —it’s simply not supposed to be! — and would’ve done far better if it gleefully leaned into its nonsensical side and exhibited a little self-awareness. Often, I find myself watching a television show and wishing it had more intelligent goals; <i>The Purge might be the first time I wanted the opposite."

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