Vinay Menon of the Toronto Star is less than impressed with The Best Years:
- More like the bland years
“The rich blond who turns out to be a mean girl? Check. The gifted black athlete from the shattered neighbourhood? Check. The geeky Asian friend desperate to fit in? Check. The meta-wink show within a show? Check. The hipster score? Check. The transparent courting of young viewers? Check. Okay, so The Best Years isn’t exactly striving for originality. So what? When it comes to building these shows, a formulaic, derivative blueprint is a moot point so long as the finished structure is compelling on its own terms. Alas, this is where the trouble begins.”