Peacock’s new comedy “Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin” was recently released to the streaming service. The show has German episode titles due to it being set in Germany. The title of episode three perfectly describes the “Pitch Perfect” spinoff. “Verschlimmbessern:” to make something worse while trying to make it better.

Pitch Perfect is a widely loved movie trilogy featuring the Barden Bellas, an acapella group at Barden University. Another group, the Treblemakers, was led by a loveable narcissist, Bumper Allen (Adam DeVine). This new spin-off features DeVine’s character after college.

The show begins with an intricate performance from Bumper and some background dancers, but it is revealed that he was singing for an empty crowd. This comes as a shock as it was implied that Bumper would end up being a big success after his time as a Treblemaker. He then receives a call from Pieter Krämer, a member of his old rival team, saying that Bumper had become famous in Germany. Bumper moves there, only to find out that it was an exaggeration. The show follows Bumper, Pieter, Pieter’s sister (Thea/DJ Das Boot), and their assistant Heidi as they try to get Bumper to be the newcomer performer at German Unity Day.

The show includes numerous acapella performances featuring pop hits such as Taylor Swift’s “Message in a Bottle,” Aqua’s “Barbie Girl,” and “Kings & Queens” by Ava Max. These performances are entertaining, but not quite enough to make up for the seemingly incessant recurrence of the original song “Know my Name.”

Pitch Perfect is loved for its awkward and effortless humor, and while this show tried to stay true to that, it came out as cringe-worthy. This along with its weird characters (especially Thea who lets it be known that she takes pills she finds on the ground), and its odd plot, made the show less enjoyable. Even so, the references to Pitch Perfect offered a welcome sense of nostalgia. While the show was moderately entertaining, Pitch Perfect lovers may not find it to be up to their expectations.