Rating: 9/10
Spoilers ahead.
There is something genuinely satisfying happening on The Varnell Hill Show.
Three episodes in, the series is proving that bringing Varnell Hill back isn’t simply an exercise in nostalgia. “#OHSHIT!” is where the show really starts to understand its best comedic weapon: putting an old-school television star into an entertainment industry that has completely changed the rules.
Paramount+ describes the episode as Rachael pushing Varnell into the modern era, with AJ taking control of his social media and the possibility of going viral becoming either a career boost or a spectacular disaster.
And naturally, Varnell has absolutely no idea what he’s getting himself into.
Tommy Davidson Is Having a Ball
The easiest thing to say about The Varnell Hill Show is that Tommy Davidson is carrying it.
The more interesting thing is how he’s carrying it.
Davidson doesn’t play Varnell as a relic. He plays him as a man who genuinely believes the entertainment industry still operates according to the rules he mastered years ago.
That makes him considerably funnier.
Varnell isn’t clueless. He’s experienced. He’s talented. He’s charismatic.
He’s also spectacularly out of touch.
Davidson understands that contradiction and squeezes every possible laugh out of it.
Varnell vs. The Algorithm
The episode’s smartest idea is putting Varnell’s enormous ego directly against social media.
He knows how to perform for an audience.
He doesn’t know how to surrender control to one.
That’s where the comedy gets sharp.
Varnell spent decades mastering television, where the performer controlled the room. Social media flips that relationship. Now the audience can decide what becomes important, what becomes embarrassing and what becomes viral.
For someone like Varnell, that’s terrifying.
And hilarious.
Rachael Keeps Him Grounded
Wendy Raquel Robinson remains one of the show’s secret weapons.
Rachael understands Varnell’s talent, but she also understands the business around him. She knows that refusing to evolve could be more dangerous than changing.
That puts her in the uncomfortable position of trying to save Varnell from himself.
Robinson gives the character enough authority to keep Varnell from completely taking over the series.
The Nostalgia Isn’t Doing All the Work
This is where the series deserves more credit.
Yes, Varnell Hill comes with Martin nostalgia.
But “#OHSHIT!” doesn’t simply ask viewers to remember the character. It gives him a contemporary problem.
That’s the difference between a reunion and an actual television series.
The show is asking what happens when someone who was once unquestionably relevant has to compete for attention in an environment where relevance can disappear overnight.
That’s a much better premise.
The Comedy Has Teeth
The strongest choice the writers make is allowing Varnell to look foolish.
Too many legacy-character revivals protect their stars. They want audiences to remember why they loved these characters, so they refuse to let them truly fail.
The Varnell Hill Show is more confident than that.
Let Varnell screw up.
Let him misunderstand the culture.
Let younger people laugh at him.
Let him discover that being famous doesn’t automatically mean being relevant.
That’s where the series finds its edge.
Where It Still Needs Work
A 9/10 doesn’t mean flawless.
The social-media premise is familiar territory, and there are moments when the episode leans a little too heavily on the obvious generational jokes.
The bigger opportunity is with the supporting cast.
The series has established Varnell exceptionally well. Now it needs to give the people around him stories that can stand beside his.
If it does that, the show could become much more than a nostalgia-driven comedy.
It could become a genuinely strong ensemble sitcom.
Final Verdict
“#OHSHIT!” is the episode that makes The Varnell Hill Show feel like it has finally found its identity.
The nostalgia is still there, but it isn’t carrying the series anymore.
Tommy Davidson gives Varnell enough arrogance, insecurity and charisma to make him feel like a fully realized character rather than a recycled sitcom personality.
The social-media storyline gives him a genuinely modern problem, while Rachael and AJ provide the generational friction the series needs.
Most importantly, the show understands its central joke:
Varnell Hill knows how to entertain an audience. He just hasn’t figured out that the audience has changed.
That’s a premise worth following.
Final Rating: 9/10
Bottom line: The Varnell Hill Show is getting better with each episode, and “#OHSHIT!” is its strongest installment yet. Tommy Davidson is terrific, the comedy has some real bite, and the series is finally proving that Varnell Hill can exist in 2026 without simply living in the shadow of Martin.
