In an age filled with so many sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots and spin-offs, a breath of fresh air can be nice once in a while. Of course, we’d probably appreciate it even more if we’d spent over a decade hiding in an underground bunker.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the new series released by Netflix on March 6, tells the story of Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper), who spent half of her life in a shelter in Indiana along with three other girls. The four were kept underground by a doomsday cult reverend, who claimed that the apocalypse had arrived and they were the only survivors. The show opens when the group is rescued, and it follows Kimmy as she attempts to reinvent herself and experience her adulthood, like many other fictional characters before her, in New York City. 

Because Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, this show’s creators, were also behind NBC’s 30 Rock, many have pointed out the similarity in the feel of both shows. There is the constant sarcasm, the acidity of the jokes, the pop culture references to people like Billy Madison and the Hanson brothers and stores like Sam Goody that tie the shows together. However, this show also holds strong resemblances to the type of humor seen in shows like Parks and Recreation, Scrubs and Community: it’s quick and skeptical while ultimately hopeful and constantly filled with the great levels of irony that have become a defining characteristic of our generation’s culture. 

For Kimmy, 2015 is a whole new world, and she is more than happy to embrace it. Kimmy tries to fit in as hard as she can, but she can’t help but have a few mishaps in the process. She calls hashtags “hashbrowns,” doesn’t quite understand modern slang and has to be taught what selfies are and how take them. The contrast between her childlike naivete and the undeniable strength she gained from years of self-preservation in the bunker makes it really hard not to root for her. As viewers, we laugh at her but also with her. The show doesn’t mock Kimmy; it praises her ability to remain strong and optimistic even after being trapped for such a large portion of her life. She struggles, but not for lack of trying, and she adapts  more quicker than most of us probably would.  

A more controversial aspect of this show is Kimmy’s boss, Jacqueline (Jane Krakowsky) an Native American rich socialite who dyes her hair blonde and wears light blue contacts to conceal her identity. The actress who plays her is white, so it is shady territory for a lighthearted sitcom to get into. However, this plotline turns out to be a really good and smart addition to the show. It takes a different approach to race than its viewers might be used to seeing in mainstream media, which is a good thing. Native Americans in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are not portrayed in a negative light, and Jacqueline’s struggle serves to denounce  the discrimination against the group. She doesn’t hate her culture; she hates the limitations racism imposes on her and does what she can to overcome them. She even says to her parents, “If you want to get anywhere, you need to be blonde and white.” Jacqueline’s story shows how similar we all are, regardless of our ethnicity or where we come from. Hopefully, this story will develop further in upcoming seasons, as it is so important and so thoughtfully done.

The show’s quick and funny witticisms make it easy to get hooked, and the fact that most of its episodes are around 25 minutes long make it even easier to binge-watch than other Netflix shows like Orange is the New Black or House of Cards. Its characters are easy to love, and each of their storylines are interesting and dynamic. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is, overall, a great addition to Netflix’s collection that combines the originality and freshness of Tina Fey’s work with old tropes that have already brought instant success to hundreds of movies and shows.