April 11, 2016 (2016-04-11) – August 20, 2019 (2019-08-20)
The Detour is an American sitcom that was created by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee about a family vacation road trip that quickly devolves out of control. It stars Jones himself, Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll, Daniella Pineda, Mary Grill, and Laura Benanti. The series aired on TBS from April 11, 2016, to August 20, 2019.[1] The show was renewed for a second season on April 6, 2016, five days prior to the series premiere.[2] The second season premiered on February 21, 2017. On April 25, 2017, TBS renewed the series for a third season.[3]
On May 11, 2018, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on June 18, 2019.[4][5] On September 4, 2019, TBS canceled the series after four seasons.[6]
Plot
The series follows Nate Parker, Jr. (Jason Jones), his wife Robin Randall (Natalie Zea), and their kids, preteen twins Delilah (Ashley Gerasimovich) and Jared (Liam Carroll), as they drive from their home in Syracuse, New York to Florida for a family vacation. The trip experiences several dramatic delays such as car trouble, run-ins with law enforcement, unforeseen medical mishaps, and intervening locals. Nate had caused some professional trouble before leaving Syracuse and has ulterior motives for the Florida trip, which fuels flashbacks and a framing device involving several law-enforcement agencies and an interrogation into his unspecified crimes.[7]
In season 2, the family settles in New York City as Nate finds a new career but more trouble as pieces of Robin's past resurface, including her relationship with her father, wanted felon J.R. Randall (James Cromwell). The framing device presents the couple being interrogated by the United States Postal Inspection Service as an attempt to get at J.R., led by the overzealous (and very pregnant) Agent Edie (Laura Benanti).
In season 3, the family flees to Alaska. This time the framing device involves Nate and Robin discussing their case with their lawyer, Joe Delicious (Max Casella). Jared becomes mayor of the town they settle in, Nate works on a fishing boat, and Robin becomes a stripper.
In season 4, Delilah flees the rest of the Parkers as they try to track her down. This takes them to Tibet, Japan, New Zealand, and eventually back home to New York where she has apparently been the entire time. The season, and the series, ends with Nate apparently having gone off the grid, as he checks months of voice mail messages left for him. He then climbs into a van, which is immediately riddled with bullets and explodes; since the series was canceled shortly after the episode aired, Nate's fate is left unknown.
TBS ordered the pilot, written by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee in October 2014.[8] The show is based on the real life couple's own experience with family vacations.[14]
It was picked up for ten episodes in February 2015.[1] On April 6, 2016, the show was renewed for a second season before the premiere.[2]
Nate, Robin, and their kids are headed from Syracuse to Ft. Lauderdale in a janky minivan instead of flying. Among truckers, aggressive drivers, and roadside breakfast spots, the family learns that nothing on the road is what it seems.[15]
"Blue Thunder," the family van, must be repaired overnight after being driven into a ditch, so the Parkers are parked at nearby motel Swift Stay Suites.[15]
The Parkers are barely back on the road when Nate gets pulled over for driving under the influence. He's completely sober but somehow some jail time is still involved.[15]
Back on the road, the Parkers begrudgingly stop to eat at a nauseatingly culturally-insensitive roadside restaurant and dinner theater called Conquistadors.[15]
While the kids recover from acute food poisoning, the parents decide to get some rest at a southern B&B. They are treated to southern hospitality, southern customs and Russian vodka.[15]
Instead of getting back on the road, Robin agrees to marry the southern gentleman Dr. Rob and his Russian bride but soon realizes that something is horribly wrong.[15]
While Blue Thunder is stuck in traffic. Nate and Robin stroll down Memory Lane about how they met and the kids learn an important lesson in 'too much information'. Seriously. Too much. Stop telling us all this.[15]
Nate needs to detour to Salvation, Florida where it's Christmas every day of the year—except on Christmas Day. Things get tense when the family discovers that Nate has been lying to them in addition to being followed by 'government goons.'[15]
Nate, Robin and the kids attempt to take down Nate's company in epic whistle-blowing fashion. It won't be easy, but as we've learned, this family doesn't give up without a punch to the throat or a cheap kick to the groin.[15]
Nate is offered a new job in New York City, so the family moves from Syracuse to the Big Apple, but Robin isn't thrilled, and of course, getting there will be way harder than it should be.[24]
Robin's ex Carlos lures her back into their wild past with a visit to the club where they used to party. Meanwhile, the kids meet Nate's new boss, and Nate gets a teeny bit jealous when he sees Robin with Carlos.[24]
As Nate and Robin contemplate having another baby, a neighbor's casual get-together turns into a home birth; Delilah learns what it means to be a third wheel.[24]
The Parkers settle into a seemingly-normal New York City routine, but they're being surveilled by Federal agents who see much more than they expected.[24]
Her past finally having caught up with her, Robin prepares to go away for a long time. Meanwhile, Nate tries to piece together what went wrong; and Delilah and Jared perform in their school talent show.[24]
After a year on the lam across the continental US, the Parkers finally settle into the last place anyone will be looking for them: Alaska. But their lies and deceits soon come back to haunt them.
Nate tries to navigate his new role as stay-at-home dad. Between the kids hitting puberty and Robin's long work hours and incessant partying, he's... managing. Kind of.[36]
Edie goes undercover, posing as assistant coach of Jared and Delilah's hockey team. When they go on the road together, Robin suddenly feels jealous of this mysterious stranger.[36]
With Robin out of work, it's Nate's turn to earn—on an Alaskan factory fishing trawler. It's 7 months of rotting fish, meth fumes, and family separation.[36]
Upon returning home from a winter at sea, Nate finds no family waiting at the dock. He gets a lift "home and soon realizes that things can change quickly.[36]
Nate is reunited with his family and must pull off an escape from Edie and the feds...with almost no prep time and a terminally-ill 90-year-old Alaskan bush pilot.[36]
It is available in Australia on streaming service Stan as of January 2018.[59]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 78% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Sometimes raunchy, but often honest and endearing, The Detour brings the laughs as the story tries to find its way."[60] On Metacritic, the first season holds a score of 69 out of 100, based on 19 critics.[61]
On Rotten Tomatoes, season two has an approval rating of 100% based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10.[62] On Metacritic, season two has a weighted average score 77 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[63]
