I’ll be honest, it took me a little while to get into “Government Cheese,” but once I did, I loved the world building, the surrealism and the characters.

David Oyelowo stars as Hampton, a man who just got out of prison and is on a mission to make his drill invention take off, which he hopes will improve his standing with his wife, Astoria (Simone Missick), and two sons, Einstein (Evan Ellison) and Harrison (Jahi Di’Allo Winston).

There are several run-ins with fellow ex-cons and others from Hampton’s past as he tries to turn his life around but often finds himself caught up in others’ schemes.

While Hampton is clearly the lead here, the show does give ample character development time to other characters, most notably Astoria. Missick is given the space to shine, and boy does she ever.

Set in 1969, the show addresses the struggles women and people of color face as they start to integrate more into mainstream society and work alongside white men.

This topic is covered in most of Astoria’s plotlines and shows how she struggles with balancing her family’s needs with her career ambitions.

Surrealism comes into play with many of the storylines involving Hampton and Harrison. While their relationship is strained due to Hampton’s time in prison, they both have similar temperaments and are both on quests to figure out who they are and want they want to get out of life.

If you’re looking for a surreal family dramedy to watch this spring, I highly recommend giving “Government Cheese” a try.

Rating: 4/5