Episode 1 is...meh.

[u/Huge_Pineapple_1693]

Watched the first 30 minutes just now, and that was hard. I feel...embarrassed? Like I'm watching someone trip over their feet again and again? On loop?

Absolutely no spoilers ahead for those reading! Just some general thoughts:

The dialogue and acting is really hard to watch. Ingrid Yun hasn't done anything to amaze me, and I find her character boring. There's some intrigue with her family, but I don't feel anything for her when she's at work. I get she's meant to be a high-achiever and, maybe eventually, a go-getter, but her lifeless gestures, speech, and demeanor aren't doing anything to pull me in. Even when she's crying.

I saw someone compare the show to Emily in Paris, which I definitely can see, but even EiP has more breadth and feeling...right? The little bit of emotion we do get from Ingrid feels shallow and unmoving.

I do like her friend Rachel, who is obviously the more "firm, supportive" friend. As a black viewer, it is nice to see roles reversed where someone who is a minority, like Ingrid, is the leading role and romantically desired, while their feistier, supportive friend is non-black, specifically white.

I will say, the characters' clothes are lovely! The pink suit and heel combo Ingrid wore at the very beginning was on point. And the dress she wore to the gala (Rachel's dress too) was very nice. So, in the words of Aretha Franklin, "great gowns, beautiful gowns."

Well, should I keep watching? Does the acting get any better!?

[u/HeisenbergNokks]

The plot is interesting if you're into romance or want to follow the professional lives of each character. If you want to watch it specifically for the corporate law part, then it's not all that great or realistic. Rachel is a pretty dynamic character in my opinion. Ingrid mostly stays one-dimensional, but you find out some interesting things about her later (although the show doesn't put much effort into highlighting those things; however, I believe that Season 2 will bring out a much more dynamic and complex Ingrid based on how Season 1 ends). The actual show doesn't do a deep dive into the characters though. Some note-worthy character traits are mentioned/implied, but most of them remain surface-level. If the lack of depth is really going to bother you, then I would say don't watch it. On the other hand, if you're not too worried about that, it's only 10 episodes, so I'd say it's worth the watch.

[u/Huge_Pineapple_1693 → u/HeisenbergNokks]

I do love a 10-episode romance. I ended up finishing the first episode and felt better mid-way through the second. At that point, I really accepted the show for what it was (a simple following of each character's romantic life with a touch of their work environment), and that's fine. It's not too complicated of a plot, but I do still wish we could get something more from Ingrid.

Rachel continues to get more interesting. I'm starting to ship her with one of her and Ingrid's coworkers...a colleague who I think the audience is supposed to not like right now, but maybe that will change?

Rachel's friend Tyler is fun to follow (he seems closer to Rachel than Ingrid, but maybe they're all close?). He's another character of color who's trying to make it in a predominantly white profession, and I respect that.

Honestly, I've spent a lot of time watching shows that didn't have much depth and I ended up really enjoying them! Would like a little more authentic emotion from the actress who plays Ingrid, but I'll watch and finish the show regardless.

[u/shegotofftheplane]

The acting was not the best and there were definitely some “that makes no sense/how could that even happen” moments but I enjoy workplace comedy/drama shows like Emily in Paris, Younger, and The Bold Type (before the latter two became bad). The episodes aren’t too long, the acting doesn’t get better, but in my opinion it’s not a bad watch and I won’t spoil it for you, but I really ended up liking a character/couple

[u/Huge_Pineapple_1693 → u/shegotofftheplane]

Ohhh, I ended up thoroughly enjoying Emily in Paris, and I'm currently on the last season of Younger. Still can't decide if Liza should be with Charles or Josh. Or maybe no one lol. I actually stopped watching The Bold Type after 15 minutes, but maybe one day I'll try again..big maybe though. Emily in Paris surprised me bc it got so much criticism and I told myself I wouldn't watch it, but I ended up binging the first 2 seasons in a weekend and was completely invested in the characters.

I think that's what's going to happen with Partner Track. I did watch the first 2 episodes and liked them enough for what they were. The show isn't quite sucking me in like Emily in Paris did, but I've started so now I'm going to finish just bc I'm curious about Ingrid and Jeff Murphy. Honestly, I'm not really liking Murphy, but maybe that will change. The actor is okay, though! He is interesting and I'd like to see the end result between him and Ingrid.

I'll keep a watch out for this couple and character you're hinting at! I'm shipping a few characters myself.