Most critics like it, and the praise lands in the same places: a sharply drawn ensemble of chaotic teachers, rapid-fire dialogue, and a willingness to take on the arguments now running through schools without losing its sitcom shape. The repartee between Evan and Gwen is singled out, as is a confident, distinctive voice that several reviewers say rewards a second viewing. The warmest reviews put it among the year’s best new comedies.
The reservations cluster on structure. More than one critic finds the first season slight, with episodic stories, an underdeveloped ensemble and no strong arc to hold it; the teen characters are said to be underused. The Guardian is the coolest on that season, finding the characterisation thin and faulting the lead performance. Vulture, reviewing the second season, is the only review to drop below the midpoint, arguing the show assumes everyone shares its sensibility, and regretting the allegations against its creator and lead actor. The spread is otherwise narrow.