‘The Garcias’ Revives a Nickelodeon Brand, Unsteadily: TV Review

variety.com:

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticIn the early 2000s, “The Brothers Garcia” was a hit on Nickelodeon; that show depicted a loving Latino family in San Antonio, and was anchored by the dynamic between squabbling brothers.In keeping with the current vogue for reviving recognizable IP on a roughly two-decade cycle, six of that show’s principal cast members are back for a sequel series on HBO Max. “The Brothers Garcia” is created (as was its Nick ancestor) by Jeff Valdez, and depicts an extended family enjoying an extended-stay vacation on a Mexican beach.Notionally, “The Garcias” is pitched at a broad audience: Its humor is broad, its plotlines are heartfelt.

But the great frustration of “The Garcias” lies in the way that, seeking to reach just about anyone, it lacks texture and specificity.

Indeed, it seems to have ported from kiddie network Nickelodeon not merely a set of characters but a sensibility, tending toward first-thought punchlines, an utter indifference to visuals, and too-easy appeals to sentimentality.

The show, following its now-adult characters and their families, is in large part about what it means to grow up. But it feels stuck in the Nickelodeon of decades ago.