S01.E01: Living The Dream / S01.E02: New Tricks

[Quilt Fairy]

When I first saw the description of this show I immediately thought of Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead, except with a bad sitcom taking the place of Hamlet.   The review that I read spent a lot of time discussing how they filmed the two different "realities" - old style 3 cameras with laugh-track vs. new style single camera - and it piqued my interest.   I'm glad they had a 2 hour premier because you really need that much time to get into the rhythm of the show.  I truly hated the unfunny sitcom scenes, but I kept watching because Allison's scenes were much more interesting and occasionally funny.  

I have a feeling that this show may gain speed as it goes along. 

 

[SoMuchTV]

 

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

Even when Kevin tried to smooth things over with Allison with the “let’s do it your way” dinner/breakfast that most sitcoms would have used as a “see the husband can be romantic and he does love the wife so let’s all just ignore everything that came before) this framed it as Kevin doing just enough to make it look like he put in the effort so when things went off script Allison was once again the bad guy.  

Right - didn't that scene end with Kevin asking (at the "nicely" set table) - so, what are you going to make?

Edited June 23, 2021 by SoMuchTV

[Slade347]

I liked both episodes, really enjoyed the way they showcased the differences of the over the top (including the accents) sitcom compared to Allison's not so fun reality. I think the acting was very good across the board with Annie Murphy proving to be a charismatic and winning lead.

I do like the premise and I am intrigued by it. I do have real questions, though, if there's enough there to make a whole season (and, if all goes well, presumably more)? 

[meowmommy]

13 hours ago, Gbb said:

We've had her aunt comment on the time she decided as a teen to get rid of her accent, so it's definitely a deliberate choice.

Seemed like an attempt by the writers to lampshade any potential problems with the accent slipping in and out. 

My parents were from Boston, and my dad said he was working on getting rid of his accent until we moved to Pennsylvania.  He was so appalled by Pittsburgh-area accents that he decided to bring back and amplify his native Boston accent.

5 hours ago, helenamonster said:

Like if this was the Philly 'burbs, they'd have those accents, find any reason to talk about the "Iggles" and run to Wawa for hoagies.

They'd have Noo Yawk accents because most actors apparently can't tell the difference.  Brooklyn seems to be the default for every working class character, whether they're based in Chicago or Boston or LA or Philly.  The only person I've heard even try a realistic Philly accent is Tina Fey, and that's because she grew up there. 

[Gbb]

7 hours ago, meowmommy said:

Seemed like an attempt by the writers to lampshade any potential problems with the accent slipping in and out.

I may be giving the show too much credit but I believe the accent shifts with Allison's character are deliberate on the show's part. They seem to be consistent shifts.

[chediavolo]

I am liking this show. I love how they show what she is really feeling. I felt a couple of those ways myself at times. I cannot stand Kevin. He is abusive. She is his servant, domestic and otherwise. she’s been beaten down by him and it seems like she has no one to turn to to help her get out of that situation. It really is hard to watch how he treats her  

[Cheyanne11]

On 6/22/2021 at 9:49 AM, Gbb said:

• Speaking of which, is she isolated from her friends because she has walled herself away, as her ex-boyfriend suggests, or has Kevin isolated her? How much of her situation is her own doing (she let Kevin take care of the bank account because she's "bad with money") or Kevin's (is she "bad with money" the same way she's a "bad driver" -- because Kevin told her she was)? Is his cruelty deeper than just immaturity and selfishness? Is he a lovable/annoying dope or something more sinister? Even the "war" with the neighbors could be very sinister played out in the gritty/realistic world instead of the sitcom one.
• What would gritty reality Kevin look like if we could see him?

I think if we could see gritty reality Kevin he'd be every bit an abusive asshole that is played for ~laughs in the sitcom scenes.  I like what the show is saying: that things played as 'hijinx' in the sitcom scenes are actually far, far darker. 

[gesundheit]

I had such mixed feelings, once the second episode of the 2-hour premiere started, I knew it was too much all at once so I waited a couple days to finish. I'm glad I did because I had a better feeling after the single dose. I actually like the bad sitcom parody, it's pretty solid satire, plus it's so utterly familiar and flat that you sort of get little mini-breaks from the bleak reality just via the presentation. The actors that are mostly only in the sitcom scenes are doing a really remarkable job -- it's a hell of a needle to thread, having to deliver in a way that's both parody and believable old-school sitcom at the same time.

[TV Anonymous]

I know that this is the first two episodes and the show just trying to lay down the setting for us and for Allison to start her move but my God, if they do not move fast enough with what Allison is going to do I may just bail. This is not funny, this is serious. Allison is a woman in an abusive relationship that she should have abandoned a long time ago. I may not be able to stand watching Kevin rolls all over Allison without her having any chance or ability or willing to retaliate for long.

[DrNowsWeightScale]

I just saw the first episode of this show this past Sunday night (I have AMC on cable TV).

I normally watch which ever zombie show AMC is airing at that time, but with those on break, this is the only thing left to watch Sunday nights now.

I'm not sure what to make of this show. 

The husband is such a great big selfish doofus (he sometimes makes mean-spirited cracks, too), it makes me wonder what Allison saw in him to start with.

I will admit that while I did enjoy watching a lot of sit coms in years past, I did find it slightly annoying, at the least from the 1990s onwards, the trope of the doofus, self absorbed, whiny, idiot, (sometimes chubby / out of shape) man-child who's inexplicably married to a thinner, smarter, more attractive wife.

That was worked into most every sit com in the last, like 25 or so years. (I don't recall many 1980s or prior sit coms using that cliche'.)

I've read a few editorials that scream I should find such sit coms funny on that basis, but I don't.
(edit. I mean, I did find most of the corny jokes, situations, and gags in such shows funny, or at least mildly entertaining, except for the "hot wife married to out- of- shape doofus" part of it)

It's annoying, IMO. Like how for decades Hollywood has had 55 year old male actors married to 25 year old actresses to play their wives in so many movies. 

I'm sort of glad that this show is drawing attention to some of the sexism in culture or Hollywood that has enabled such shows for years. And I don't hate men, I don't need or want every show to be preachy, pro-woman at any turn or anything like that.

I just always found the tubby idiot married to hot, smart, competent wife TV sit com gag to be annoying, kind of sexist, and patronizing.
(Maybe if every other 1990s show to the early to mid 2000s had not made that into a staple and only used it sparingly, it wouldn't have been as obnoxious as it was? I dunno.)

The show's pacing was a little slow. I wonder how long this show is going to drag out her wanting to kill her spouse?

If she does kill him, I don't know if they can have many episodes after that, unless they change format from "marriage" sit com to Mary Tyler Moore or Murphy Brown, single, career woman type show.

Edited June 27, 2021 by DrNowsWeightScale

[DrNowsWeightScale]

On 6/20/2021 at 10:20 PM, Toodleoo said:

Quite struck by how much the sitcom living room resembles that of All in the Family (even the colors of the walls, floor, doors, staircase; it was particularly evident when the furniture was gone).

The den part of her house, when it's lit up like a TV sit com, reminds me most of the "Everybody Loves Raymond" house, and parts of the kitchen. Most of the layout is the same as that house's. There was another TV sit com house it reminds me of, but right off hand, I forgot which one.

I can see where you'd spot some "All in the Family" in there, too. I was a kid when that show was first airing in the 1970s. 

[DrNowsWeightScale]

On 6/21/2021 at 12:24 AM, PrincessPurrsALot said:

I did understand her economic reason for not leaving, especially when she explained her thoughts to the librarian. She doesn't see a way out without being destitute.  Also, she resents Kevin for ten years of her life that she sees as lost.  

I can't remember if the show addressed it or not... but she's been with the guy for ten years, I think.

I know I once stayed too long in a serious relationship because I was younger, didn't have as much life experience yet, and I kept hoping things would improve and get better.

There's the "sunk cost fallacy." A lot of people don't want to give up a spouse, job, or whatever, if they've already put so many months or years into it. That could be at play with the Allison character.

I think the Allison character was just hoping things would get better and was living in a daze for years.

I think she was trusting and hoping Kevin was responsible, competent, and doing the right thing, but she was shocked when the neighbor lady told her that her husband had been mismanaging their funds for YEARS and bled the account dry to buy sports collectibles or pay gambling debts or whatever.

Allison seemed sincerely shocked... she thought Kevin had been keeping up with bills and investing their money wisely. She even made a comment that she's not as good with money as Kevin is. 

My impression is that it just dawned on Allison one day, she just began reflecting on her life, and only then did she stop to realize that ten years had drifted by and nothing had improved. 

[DrNowsWeightScale]

On 6/21/2021 at 7:34 AM, Chaos Theory said:

The one thing I  unclear about is who is the person at the liquor store that Allison works with that keeps telling her Kevin is a great guy.  Is that supposed to be what passes as Allison’s friend or is that a relative of Allison?

I think an article or review I read earlier this week said that lady is Kevin's mother, so that would be Allison's mother in law, if that article was correct. At the very least, they are co-workers at that store. Edit. Someone upthread said it's Allison's Aunt.

Edited June 27, 2021 by DrNowsWeightScale

[nilyank]

I was wondering why they didn't have any children as most sitcoms have dumb hubby/dad and the suffereing wife/mom. But in the second episode, Allison got a little excited when she saw the dog and we find out that Kevin has a no pet rule. He doesn't want someone who is cuter than him living in the house. So that might be also the reason why they don't have any kids. Plus, if they don't have any children,  he can justify getting all his sports memorablia and gets to be as childish as he likes.

I wondering how many times someone suggest Allison to go see a therapist and she refused. It is tragic when she finally goes to the address given by the nurse in order to seek therapy, it turns out to be a place where she could score some oxy. And then it turns out to be her neighbor who is the dealer.

[qtpye]

On 6/14/2021 at 6:44 PM, helenamonster said:

Really enjoyed the first two episodes and I'm excited to see where it goes. I don't even feel like I can make any predictions and am more than happy to be pleasantly surprised.

This show is probably going to get a lot of (not completely unearned) comparisons to Wandavision, but it's definitely doing its own thing and has its own agenda. Instead of navigating the evolution of sitcoms over the years, I like that it's focusing on a very specific subgenre--multicam dom coms from the mid-2000s onward that revolve around the schlubby manchild and his beautiful stick-in-the-mud wife. The writing for the "sitcom" parts is so spot on, from the rigid character archetypes (annoying neighbor, father-in-law who is around all the time for no reason, one-of-the-boys lady friend who doesn't talk to the wife) to the jokes you can see coming from a mile away. I also like that it seems like each episode of KCFH will fit an entire ridiculous sitcom storyline in as the B-plot amongst Allison's more dramatic life. Yeah, what is that guy's wife doing while he sets fire to the neighbor's lawn and commits insurance fraud?

There's a lot of subtlety to this show too, and I appreciate not having my hand held through everything. Of course Kevin and Allison will never move to a nicer house in a development. These kinds of shows are all about status quo, something anyone can turn on at any time and not need to catch up--for that to work, you can't suddenly have later seasons take place in an unfamiliar location. There were also references to Allison never finishing anything, like her education or a dream trip to Paris. The wife can't do anything that will shake up the dynamic or overshadow the star.

I also think the balance of lampooning this type of programming and exploring what is also an unfortunate reality for a lot of women is really well done. 

Annie Murphy is so wonderful and I'm loving her getting to do a total departure from Schitt's Creek. I could still see Alexis in some of her mannerisms but overall it's very easy to forget the role that launched her career and become totally immersed in KCFH's world.

 

On 6/20/2021 at 11:20 PM, Toodleoo said:

I enjoyed it.

Quite struck by how much the sitcom living room resembles that of All in the Family (even the colors of the walls, floor, doors, staircase; it was particularly evident when the furniture was gone).

But then again it seems like most sitcoms have that same floor plan: feont door to the right perpendicular to the camera, closet door just to the left of that and parallel to the camera, staircase with 2-3 steps away from the camera+landing+steps ascending from right to left, kitchen entry to the left (The Cosby Show comes to mind).

As to content, I find it relatable and will give it a shot. It definitely underlines why I cannot stand most standard sitcoms these days.

 

On 6/20/2021 at 11:36 PM, Lady Calypso said:

This show is definitely going to appeal to some and not to others.

For me, I love the way they're handling this show from the point of view of a very specific type of sitcom, allowing the show to transition from the actual sitcom with the laugh track to a more somber tone of what goes on in between. I think I've always had the question on why some of these sitcom wives stay with the husband, who is the star of the show. These sitcom husbands mess up so often and do things so outlandish, that I like that this show is turning the trope on its head, keeping it realistic for a sitcom standard, but asking the questions that have been asked already. 

When I first heard the premise of the show, I knew it wasn't going to be the typical comedy. Hell, it may not really be "funny" in all senses of the word. It's a dark comedy, at best, but it's really more than that. It has layers that I haven't seen many shows really take. It's different and I guess the question is if people will like "different". It's really a commentary on more than just sitcoms with manchild husbands and stick in the mud gorgeous wives. 

Of course the question is why Allison won't leave her loser of a husband. It was basically asked by several different characters themselves. Because it's also a question we've asked about sitcom wives. And there's not going to be one true answer that will be satisfying. Even the show wasn't able to have Allison answer honestly on why she couldn't just leave her husband. It doesn't make sense for her NOT to leave him, since she's miserable. Her going out of her way to kill him is definitely extreme, and it's only sad that we'll have to wait until the finale to see her either succeed or not succeed. 

The sitcom bits were interesting, because none of the lines that were being delivered were funny, despite the laugh track. But I feel like that was on purpose, commentating on the juvenile humour that this specific subgenre of sitcoms usually produces. I've watched quite a few of these types of sitcoms and I've never really found them laugh-out-loud funny, or funny in general.

The set design was brilliant. The specific way they shot the sitcom scenes and the way they opened up the entire set once the sitcom aspect was done was a great cinematographic way to display the mood shifting. The way they utilized their lighting was also a highlight for me. 

Honestly, I liked it. I expected something like this, but it exceeded my expectations. I knew the show would be a commentary on sitcoms, but I definitely liked the way they had it done, almost filling in the gaps to a real sitcom, as if this really COULD be something that goes through a sitcom wife's head. Having Annie Murphy portray the sitcom scenes as naturally as a sitcom wife would react was a great choice. 

I think this show is displaying some great subtle choices and I get why people may not enjoy this show because of it. I don't think this show's intent is to be a comedy first. It's not even really a comedy. It's really a social commentary, which I think is working so far. But I do think the show needs to be careful in how long they drag certain plots out and if they can keep the pace going that entices the audience to keep watching. 

The acting from all the actors is great. Annie Murphy is a delight, being able to juggle what is essentially two different types of shows at once, and I think Eric Petersen as her husband is doing a great job portraying Kevin as a typical manchild sitcom husband. I would be curious to see him outside of the sitcom parts of the show. We got only a glimpse when Allison imagined killing him, but it would be interesting by the end of the season to see both worlds blend together more.

Like I said, this show is going to be an acquired taste. Either you will like it or you won't. It's definitely a show that's going to be a bit more subtle with its commentary and it's going to have to juggle the pacing a little bit. 

 

On 6/21/2021 at 7:25 AM, nutella fitzgerald said:

This show made me realize I would be content with a weekly half hour of just Annie Murphy reacting to hitting people in the face.

Okay, I loved this show and am a big fan of the actress from SC.

There are some issues like in this day of apps and online banking...who never checks their bank account balance? Allison is 35 and that is mainly how she would bank.

The set looks to me a lot like "Everybody Loves Raymond".

After so many fat slob husbands and hot/shrew wives sitcoms...this feels cathartic.

Kevin has been gaslighting Allison for a long time to keep her under control. Kevin's biggest accomplishment in life is being married to a woman like Allison but he puts her down to isolate her and keep her in her place.

However, Allison is delusional in thinking none of her problems are of her own making. 

I am very intrigued that they are holding Allison accountable for her life decisions and just not painting her as a victim.

[qtpye]

On 6/21/2021 at 8:34 AM, Chaos Theory said:

I think this show is straddling the line between an old fashion sitcom with and A Breaking Bad narrative.    Allison is 10 years into a bad marriage that she thought was salvageable until the point Patty told her Kevin through away all their money and has been lying to her for years.   I think Allison is only beginning  to see the grime (she still fantasizes about Kevin as the perfect (sitcom)husband) but what Kevin sees is the a completely different reality where he is the star of the show and everyone else is a bit player.   
 

The one thing I  unclear about is who is the person at the liquor store that Allison works with that keeps telling her Kevin is a great guy.  Is that supposed to be what passes as Allison’s friend or is that a relative of Allison?

I think that is her aunt...I might be wrong.

Allison is afraid of ending up like her Aunt in 15 years. It seems like the aunt does most of the work in the family and does not feel comfortable wearing orthopedic shoes while she takes care of her husband because he thinks they are ugly. She takes care of the husband and does all the work in the store but the husband keeps track of things like pain meds...maybe he is addicted or faking his injury?

[DanaK]

This is a very weird show and I'm not sure I like it and I'm not sure how long I'll stick with it. Honestly the initial description sounded quite intriguing, then the trailer made it look very weird. It's a pretty unique premise that doesn't seem like it has a long life past a season or two. The first two episodes make it look like Allison wants to kill Kevin and that's the way it's going to go, but I wonder if the show will have her mess with his head for awhile and drive him a little insane (like, she took his jersey and he's upset about it not arriving)

The big question is, how long can they keep going with this premise? Is it something that can last a few seasons?

[arc]

54 minutes ago, DanaK said:

The big question is, how long can they keep going with this premise? Is it something that can last a few seasons?

I was gonna say they can’t really kill off Kevin but then I remembered that sitcoms have written off actors a whole bunch of times and kept on rolling. But I feel like they definitely can’t get rid of the sitcom aspect altogether and specifically the casual misogyny of the sitcom Allison’s trapped in, not till the final episode.

The aborted conversation with Sam in the diner suggests that while Kevin is an abusive, gaslighting asshole, that Allison has been walling herself off for a long time now.

I would like to know eventually what the sitcom/drama split means. Allison herself doesn’t seem to notice that she exists in two different worlds. For now it seems more like there’s a reality distortion field around Kevin, which is played up by the sitcom framing, but not that the sitcom world is as real as the single cam world… that is, I don’t think it’ll ever be flat out stated that there is a sitcom world or an in-show showrunner or an in-show studio audience. 

BTW, check out this article about how and why the show was made. I was specifically curious about the main living room set, which was designed to convert from multi-cam (open to a live audience) to single-cam (has a fourth wall and a ceiling).

[DanaK]

11 minutes ago, arc said:

I was gonna say they can’t really kill off Kevin but then I remembered that sitcoms have written off actors a whole bunch of times and kept on rolling. But I feel like they definitely can’t get rid of the sitcom aspect altogether and specifically the casual misogyny of the sitcom Allison’s trapped in, not till the final episode.

The aborted conversation with Sam in the diner suggests that while Kevin is an abusive, gaslighting asshole, that Allison has been walling herself off for a long time now.

I would like to know eventually what the sitcom/drama split means. Allison herself doesn’t seem to notice that she exists in two different worlds. For now it seems more like there’s a reality distortion field around Kevin, which is played up by the sitcom framing, but not that the sitcom world is as real as the single cam world… that is, I don’t think it’ll ever be flat out stated that there is a sitcom world or an in-show showrunner or an in-show studio audience. 

BTW, check out this article about how and why the show was made. I was specifically curious about the main living room set, which was designed to convert from multi-cam (open to a live audience) to single-cam (has a fourth wall and a ceiling).

Aside from Kevin's casual misogyny, the doofus younger guy seemed like he was about to flash Allison his front side in the first episode and acted like that was a usual thing as well as coming on to her at least once. Honestly, the sitcom part seems way nastier than most actual sitcoms

Thanks for the link. I've read pieces of the showrunner's similar thoughts so it was a good read. It's definitely an interesting, though very tricky, premise. I might give this at least a season to see how it turns out if it doesn't get too nasty

One thing I did think while watching the premiere was that I wish it were 30 minutes instead of 1 hour. Being partly a sitcom, it almost feels like it should be only 30 minutes

Edited June 28, 2021 by DanaK

[chocolatine]

On 6/28/2021 at 9:30 AM, DanaK said:

This is a very weird show and I'm not sure I like it and I'm not sure how long I'll stick with it.

Same here.

I tried several times to get into Schitt's Creek and couldn't, but I really like Annie Murphy in this. The sitcom parts are over the top cringeworthy, but I guess that's the point? I do love that the show shines a light on how disturbing those sitcom tropes are when viewed through the lens of normal life.

I had to laugh when Kevin said he and Allison are 35. Maybe she is, but he looks at least 10 years older.

Edited July 2, 2021 by chocolatine

[AllyB]

4 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I had to laugh when Kevin said he and Allison are 35. Maybe she is, but he looks at least 10 years older.

IRL, he's 40 and she's 34 but I think that contrary to popular wisdom, most women actually age better than most men. Yes you have your very handsome exceptions who also really take care of themselves into middle age and beyond. But overall, the average middle aged woman, maybe because we have more grooming options and how our bodies distribute excess fat, looks better than the average middle aged man. On the extreme end of the scale, my ex husband is a year older than me and looks at least 20 years older. But he's a semi-functioning addict and since we split I've become a reasonably clean living athletic type. So I do wonder if part of what we'll learn about Kevin is that he's a pretty hard drinker. We've already seen him whining about how lucky Allison is to work at a liquor store, along with his antics at the rager. In real life, a man Kevin's age, still drinking like a college student, very likely does have some sort of problem with alcohol and that's extremely ageing. And part of the casting could reflect that.

[methodwriter85]

On 6/23/2021 at 2:23 AM, meowmommy said:

My parents were from Boston, and my dad said he was working on getting rid of his accent until we moved to Pennsylvania.  He was so appalled by Pittsburgh-area accents that he decided to bring back and amplify his native Boston accent.

Having lived in the Pittsburgh region for a bit, I don't blame him. Boston accent > Pittsburgese any time.

I was intrigued. I always liked meta, genre blending shows, and I think they're doing a good job of making this feel both like an unfunny sitcom from 2005 and a gritty navalgazing drama about an unfulfilled housewife. I liked the dynamic between Patty and Alison- Patty both resents and feels sorry for Alison that she thinks she's better and wants better, while Alison feels sorry for Patty that she's given up on having anything better than what she already. I also like that Patty has straight up 1993 hair, like she kept with a hairstyle for thirty years and saw no reason to change it.

On 6/27/2021 at 4:24 PM, nilyank said:

I was wondering why they didn't have any children as most sitcoms have dumb hubby/dad and the suffereing wife/mom. But in the second episode, Allison got a little excited when she saw the dog and we find out that Kevin has a no pet rule. He doesn't want someone who is cuter than him living in the house. So that might be also the reason why they don't have any kids. Plus, if they don't have any children,  he can justify getting all his sports memorablia and gets to be as childish as he likes.

It's that, but also that tv sitcoms that start off with newlyweds who don't have kids usually keep them from having kids for a looonnnnnggggg time (if ever) into their run, because adding kids usually throws off the show's balance. The prime examples are The Honeymooners (never had kids) and The King of Queens. (I think they gave Carrie a miscarriage, but I could be wrong.)

It'd be interesting if the "dark" drama section of the show reveals that Neil is actually in love with Kevin. For whatever inexplicable reason, it'd be funny to take the "supportive male best friend" trope and have it turn out that he's devoted to Kevin because he's actually in love with him.

I also wondered if this show is hinting at Alison having an eating disorder- like her discomfort at being weighed at the doctor's office, the admonishment from her aunt not to give up her figure, and the scene of her  spitting up donuts like she was binging too fast and couldn't finish it. I don't think the whole "hot slim thing also eats a lot of junk food and never exercises" trope is unintentional here. This show feels too smart for that.

Edited July 5, 2021 by methodwriter85

[DanaK]

Like others, I find it really interesting that Kevin is only seen in the sitcom part of the show and never in the drama part, as is Neil and Kevin's dad(?), but Patty is seen in both.

[DrSpaceman73]

It's original and innovative I'll give it that.  The mix between the sitcom and drama between scenes is well done. 

 

Just not sure how much I can take of the premise if it just becomes more if the same with no character growth by Kevin.  

 

[Pike Ludwell]

So it's going to be like this each show -- stupid idiotic sitcom nonsense with the husband and friends acting like intelligence-challenged lunatics? I am hoping the dumb sitcom stuff ends and I don't have to suffer through it any more, and we get into more of a drama. But I suspect that's not likely. 

Edited July 26, 2021 by Pike Ludwell

[mytmo]

I am enjoying this dark comedy.  Frankly I wouldn't mind Allison taking them all out.

[lgprimes]

Can’t do it. 
maybe if the sitcom portion was 10% or less, then yeah. but it’s torture to sit through those parts and they take up way too much of the show. I’m not willing to spend anymore time with this.

enjoy, those of you who like it.

[cleo]

So many people dislike the sitcom parts. I did at first too, but the more I watched the more I got into them and the show overall.

Bc the sitcom parts- it looks like the sitcoms we've been watching for 30 years, but it's all just slightly off. The jokes, the look, the other 'characters'. Everything is just a bit off. And when I watched the second episode where Allison starts to inject herself more, be herself more in those scenes- that is the draw for me, both halves of the show are really about her.

The jokes aren't funny,- except the ones she started to say. Like the second ep. The soccer blows line from her was pretty funny imo. And true lol. 

I do agree - how do you drag this out into a series? But everyone said that about Schitt's Creek when it started too.

[TimothyQ]

Just starting this show and I have to say: even though I don’t enjoy it, I can definitely relate to it. And though my situation is not as a down-trod housewife, how often I feel that I need to put on a smile and a happy face when others are around, but I’m quietly falling apart inside. And when others aren’t around, it gets dark real quick. The way the show has those hard cuts between the two work really well for me. The little ways that Murphy shows the cracks in the façade during the sitcom scenes is really great. And yes, definitely the character is her own enemy in this, pushing other away that might otherwise help her. But that’s how it seems a lot of times: when you’re deep in depression like that, you can’t see any way out at all. People offer help but it’s just unfathomable that anything could help, so you push it away. 

Anyway, it’s not traditional but I’m in to see where it goes. 

[Kel Varnsen]

I found that prime video has this show and I was looking for something new to watch tonight so I decided to give it a chance. I normally like weird high concept stuff and it really worked for me. The drama parts reminded me a lot of Nurse Jackie since while it is a comedy the female lead is dealing with some very serious dramatic shit.

On 6/22/2021 at 6:48 PM, Spartan Girl said:

I was just thinking this myself. Even the worst of the sitcom husbands would never made a period joke if his wife cut her hand when breaking a glass.

It's been years since I watched Family Guy but I could totally hear Peter Griffin making that joke. 

[Barbarblacksheep]

On 6/26/2021 at 9:07 PM, DrNowsWeightScale said:

I will admit that while I did enjoy watching a lot of sit coms in years past, I did find it slightly annoying, at the least from the 1990s onwards, the trope of the doofus, self absorbed, whiny, idiot, (sometimes chubby / out of shape) man-child who's inexplicably married to a thinner, smarter, more attractive wife.

That was worked into most every sit com in the last, like 25 or so years. (I don't recall many 1980s or prior sit coms using that cliche'.)

Ok, I am WAAAAY late to the party here, but we just started watching this. It's sort of been on the back burner for a while, and I was vaguely aware of the sitcom format, but other than that, didn't know too much about it other than Annie Murphy was in it.

I think the grand-daddy of the whole schlubby, man-child husband with thinner, smarter, more attractive wife was the Honeymooners in the 50s.  I've only watched short clips of that, but the whole "pow, straight to the moon!" running joke made me really uncomfortable. I know, different times, blah blah. But apparently it was a winner that spawned a host of similar-ish dumb sitcoms (some of which, yes, I watched, like "King of Queens")

(I wonder if the writers/creators chose "Kevin" as the husbands name to take a small dig at Kevin James...)

Anyway, I like this. It's different. I like dark comedies and I adore Annie Murphy. I'm in.

[Kel Varnsen]

53 minutes ago, Barbarblacksheep said:

the grand-daddy of the whole schlubby, man-child husband with thinner, smarter, more attractive wife was the Honeymooners in the 50s.  I've only watched short clips of that, but the whole "pow, straight to the moon!" running joke made me really uncomfortable. I know, different times, blah blah. But apparently it was a winner that spawned a host

Isn't the whole joke in the whole right to the moon thing on The Honeymooners that Alice has no fear of Ralph and knows his threats are meaningless and he is totally full of shit? I have also never watched a full episode of that show but from the bits I have seen she never backs down when he starts the one of these days thing.

[Barbarblacksheep]

35 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Isn't the whole joke in the whole right to the moon thing on The Honeymooners that Alice has no fear of Ralph and knows his threats are meaningless and he is totally full of shit? I have also never watched a full episode of that show but from the bits I have seen she never backs down when he starts the one of these days thing.

Oh, it could very well be. I just never found bellowing empty threats really comical, but apparently Audrey Meadows did defend him in later years. It's honestly just a personal bias of mine, that I understand not everyone shares,  and it didn't age well, but many things don't.  And it did apparently start the whole schlubby husband/smart wife genre AFAIK.

[arc]

4 hours ago, Barbarblacksheep said:

(I wonder if the writers/creators chose "Kevin" as the husbands name to take a small dig at Kevin James...)

100%. The show was created in the wake of Erinn Hayes getting unceremoniously fired off Kevin Can Wait, and when this show was first announced, there was hope that Hayes would get the Allison role.

[possibilities]

I just started with this today. I had heard about it and didn't think I could stomach it, but someone I respect told me she thinks it's great, so I decided to wade in.

I think the overly bright attitude during the sitcom parts represent how she feels like she has to fake smile and act like she's going along, even when her head is ringing and she wants to kill him. If you've ever been in an abusive situation, you do sometimes feel like you need to act super-chipper and compliant to avoid the whole thing exploding.

We haven't seen Kevin be physically violent toward her, but she's clearly afraid to be direct with him-- for whatever reason. So she's acting, within the sitcom parts of the show, partly to keep the peace when she was in denial about how bad it was and now because she wants to kill him and not have anyone suspect she did it. She said she was going to pretend to be the perfect wife so when he's dead it will look like an accident.

I do think it would be interesting to see how she got to this point. I get that he wore her down and totally demoralized and undermined her self-esteem. She doesn't touch the money the same way she never drives the car-- he convinced her she was bad at it. But if she's lived there all her life, where are her parents? Does she have any relatives at all? He does. So why is she enmeshed with them but her own family is not even a factor?

Also, she got student loans but didn't go to college because her horrible husband took the money for his shenanigans. And he then framed it as she never finishes anything. She had to have epically bad self-esteem to go along with that. What made her so incapable of even seeing through it until now?

And she's so excited to become friends with Patty next door, even though Patty has never been even slightly decent to her. It's sad how eagerly she latches on to even the slightest glimmer or moment of connection. She really has NO ONE. 

Abusers do tend to isolate people and chip at their self-esteem. Right now they are making it look like her husband is just an immature and selfish idiot. But he sure seems to have the insight and skill to systematically orchestrate his plan to convince her not to use the car or check the bank account, etc. That's not the behavior of a bumbling idiot. It's the behavior of a calculated manipulator.

Like has been said about the "apology anniversary dinner" which he characterized as a "boring dinner" and expected her to cook and invited his friend and friend's wife and his father to sit and watch apparently, even the most creepy sitcom schlub wouldn't expect his wife to entertain his boss on one room that he formally declares boring, while he parties just beyond. That's not a behavior an immature or clueless person engages in. It's beyond insensitive and into "trying to show how not only do I have no respect for you, but all these witnesses sign on, it's normalized that you are nothing to anyone and we all accept it." 

All y'all probably already have the answers to where this is going, but having just started watching, I still have questions and this is how it looks to me so far.