Official Series Poster
Average Joe is a dark crime dramedy that premiered on BET+ on June 26, 2023. The plot centers on an everyman plumber, Joe, who discovers that his deceased father owed 10 million dollars to the Russian mafia, who are determined to retrieve that money by any means. This sends him, his friends, and his family into a sudden spiral of crime and secrecy as they seek to keep the cash and keep the police and mafia off their case. It was created by Rob Cullen and stars comedian Dean Cole.
This show provides examples of:
- The Alcoholic: Touch is constantly seen with a bottle in stressful situations, to the point it affects his police work.
- Ate His Gun: Touch in episode 10 kills himself via a shotgun in the mouth, after thinking about his various failures and mistakes in his bedroom.
- Bait-and-Switch: At first, it seems like Cathy is moved by Leon's speech about not carrying out crimes to get $10 Million, but then she says, "that is bullshit"
- Black Comedy: A fair amount, given the nature of the show, such as Leon's clumsy fumbling while disposing of Dimitri's head.
- Briefcase Full of Money: Joe's father is believed to have a briefcase with 10 million dollars. Instead, he has a deer head full of one million.
- Character Development: Leon, who is hesitant and shy throughout the series, gains confidence to fight and even stand up to Joe towards the end of the season.
- Cowardice Callout: Cathy gives one to her husband, Leon, in episode 6 due to his willingness to follow Joe's plans without question, no matter where it leads him.
- Didn't Think This Through: When Joe explains his first plan to dispose of Dimitri's dead body in the river, Cathy points out how this could've easily exposed them., since it's the town's water supply.
- Dismembering the Body: Leon and Touch slice up Dimitri, while arguing about who handles the head throughout the ordeal.
- Empty Bedroom Grieving: Jennifer indulges in this while grieving Dimitri's death.
- Grey-and-Grey Morality: Joe, Leon, and Touch. Despite being well intentioned, their actions on handling the mafia and the money are not fully thought out and end up putting themselves and their family in even more danger.
- Interrupted Intimacy: In episode 2, Joe walks in Leon and Cathy about to have sex in their basement.
- Ironic Echo: Touch's words about how no one should learn about Joe and Leon's plans are repeated over the scenes after Jennifer discovers Dimitri's dead body and Cathy shoots a mobster that points a gun at Leon's forehead.
- The Klutz: Leon falls into this at time with his obliviousness, such failing to spot a camera in an obvious location. His fumbling when disposing of the body also leads to the public discovering Dimitri's head in a sand trap.
- The Mafiya: The Russian Mafia are the main enemies in the show, including the seemingly-innocent Dimitri, and will do anything to find the $10 Million that Joe's father left behind.
- Mistaken for Thief: Stan and Winny, Joe's neighbors, believe him or his friends stole the latter's purse at the memorial for Joe's father.
- Not in Front of the Kid: While Angela swears a fair amount, she censors herself around her daughters' Jennifer, who can easily see through it.
- Opening Monologue: Joe delivers one at the start of the series about different choices in life.
- Parental Neglect: In a flashback, Joe's father abandons him in the woods to teach him a lesson about the cruelty of life.
- Profane Last Words: Joe's father's last words were, "Fuck Tom Brady".
- Seppuku: Dimitri's father, after discovering his son is dead, shoots himself in the middle of a crowd. In his eyes, this was the only course of action after failing to protect him.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Most of the characters fit this, but Leon and Cathy, in particular, rarely go a sentence without swearing
- Soundtrack Dissonance: Cheryl Lynn's "To Be Real", an upbeat disco song, plays while Leon and Touch are dismembering Dimitri's body.
- Torture First, Ask Questions Later: Nicolai and Dimitri tie Joe up to a chair and break four of his fingers in order to find where his father's money is located.
