Don't ask too much of it and Mozart in the Jungle is a pleasant comedy

Mozart in the Jungle Season 1 doesn't quite live up to its early promise but if you accept it for what it is - a comedy set among the classical-music scene if NYC without making any serious attempt to show us what life is actually like for classical musicians - it's pleasant enough. The great strength is the strong and highly likable cast of characters - most of the secondary characters are just types and not meant to be much more - but the leads, Rodrigo (the always excellent Gael Garcia Bernal) and Hailey (Lola Kirke, unknown to me till this series), the maestro and the novice (his assistant, yearning to join the symphony but not quite ready), are entirely pleasant and fun to watch. The series itself is very uneven: three episodes stand out as particularly good: the outdoor rehearsal, the dinner party at the home of one of the benefactors, and the opening night final episode, that deftly brings all the major characters back together for some clever interactions, leaving a few loops open (will Rodrigo and Hailey, or Jai Lai, as he amusingly misprounces her name, be a couple, or will she go back to her dancer boyfriend?) for season 2. Other episodes are choppy w/ multiple plot lines and strain credibility even for a comedy (e.g., why on earth would R risk his entire career and hire his demented ex-wife to headline his opening concert?). OK, so don't ask or expect too much of this series and it will treat you kindly.