Prime Video’s breakout reality hoax sitcom, “Jury Duty,” is back with an even more hilarious concept and a thoroughly endearing straight man. Created by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat” follows a fictional family-owned hot sauce brand (“Rockin’ Grandma’s”) and its temporary assistant, Anthony Norman, who is brought in to help with the annual company retreat.
Anthony has agreed to be part of a documentary about Rockin’ Grandma’s — but he has no idea that everything about his experience is staged. The show takes the “Jury Duty” concept to the next level, focusing on a mark unknowingly cast among comedians posing as employees and executives. The opening episode, “Onboarding,” introduces Anthony, a 25-year-old transplant from Nashville, who thinks he has been hired by Rockin’ Grandma’s Head of HR, Kevin, to assist at the retreat. The retreat is extra-special because the founder and CEO, Doug, is retiring, and his son Dougie will take over — despite Dougie’s obvious lack of leadership skills and his random outbursts in Jamaican Patois.
Rockin’ Grandma’s employees are all eccentric: Amy, a Swiftie celebrating her 40th birthday; PJ, a receptionist with dreams of becoming a snack influencer; Kate, a sales rep with a posture-monitoring device that zaps her; and others. After a cringeworthy incident forces Kevin to return home, Anthony is left in charge of the retreat’s logistics and must take on the role of “Captain Fun.” Over the eight-episode season, Anthony offers advice, does TikTok videos, and endears himself to his colleagues and the audience, especially after learning that Doug is considering selling the business to private equity investors.
The ultra-talented cast, writer Anthony King, and director Jake Szymanski provide structure and hijinks, but Anthony is truly the heart of the season. A hard-working young father, he is optimistic and warm, allowing all his new co-workers to be themselves. The show is hilarious, preposterous, and absolutely joyous.
