Is anyone watching Kevin Can Fuck Himself?

#soapthread

I love Annie Murphy.

Dammit, do I need cable to watch this?

not a real we can watch it thread

It's on AMC which I got thro Amazon. The nice part is they have a shitload of MST3ks on it. Which is why I got it in the first place. The guy who plays Kevin is so hateable. It's perfect.

Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara are the only reasons to watch the Levy Nepotism Extravaganza.

She is so good in this. The polar opposite of Alexis

I’ve been waiting to watch tonight on live AMC. Are the episodes on the app longer/uncensored?

I thought there was some Chaturbate model named Kevin Can, who was blowing out his twink fuckbox with a machine or a massive dildo.

What have I become?

I love how this show pissed off a library.

Where can this show be viewed?

This is the most original and refreshingly honest show I've seen on TV in decades!

I love Annie Murphy. Waiting for the full season to air then I'll pay for AMC and binge it.

Aaron?

Here's episodes 1 and 2.

Just watched the first 2 episodes. Really enjoyed it. The contrast between Sitcom and Drama is so well done.

Why such mediocre scores on both IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, if it's so good?

While it's possible to like both, I'm still a bit bitter that the superior actress Emily Hampshire, didn't win an Emmy for :Schitt's Creek". So no, I haven't seen it. But I've also been catching old full-length theatre performances & film versions of plays on YouTube.

r17 because people are saying the sitcom scenes aren't funny and thus rating it one star. But thats the point, it's not meant to be. They're lampooning the sitcom genre. In other words, they don't get what the show is trying to do.

R19, I was reading some of those. I was amazed at how many viewers thought it was a traditional sitcom and that the show was failing the audience. What did they think was happening the rest of the time, when it goes dark? So many stupid people.

Because your average person is a drooling moron. Isn’t anyone here on Nextdoor Digest? Also see, “US President, 2017-21,”

WTF? I couldn't even make it through the first minute.

Sounds one-note. Like a good idea for a short, not a movie.

Clever, but not entertaining. Like most AMC offerings.

J'adore Ms. Murphy, but it's so depressing! Kudos to her for such a good dramatic turn, but I hate the sitcom male characters so, so much.

If even Julie fucking Andrews could use dirty words in a movie 40 years ago then why censor them now?

Absolutely terrific idea, very poorly done. It’s like the writers were so impressed with their own concept they didn’t bother to construct a narrative that employs it well.

A TV show with a censored swear word in its title can never be a hit.

It's a pretty weird premise. But I love it.

BTW, the title refers to Kevin James killing off his sitcom wife (Erinn Hayes) in Kevin Can Wait in favor of Leah Remini playing his new love interest.

Okay, I’ll watch it and get back to you.

I've watched six minutes of the first episode and see no reason at all to continue.

I love Annie Murphy and really wanted to like this, but I just don't. I get the concept, but there just isn't any payoff. Like was said, it's too depressing.

A woman who looks like Annie Murphy would not tolerate a situation like this for long and would have other options. A less model-like actress would be more believable.

Did not laugh once. So cringey. And the laugh track was awful. It’s like a queue for stupid people to know when to laugh. Well if you wrote funny jokes then people would laugh naturally instead of having a laugh track telling us when to laugh. Worst. Sitcum. EVER!

[quote]Worst. Sitcum. EVER!

Not while [italic]Friends[/italic] still exists.

Friends was brilliant compared to this mess.

I like that Roseanne is in this. Did she lose weight?

Idiot R34, it's supposed to be unfunny. That's why she's suffering.

[quote] Idiot [R34], it's supposed to be unfunny.

🙄 Riiiight, a sitcom is supposed to be unfunny. That’s the ticket. The writers of Alf already tried to use that excuse.

She's a loser, the husband is a loser, the friends are losers but the biggest loser is the viewer.

The set is Archie Bunker's house with a powder room added.

It’s not a sitcom or even half-sitcom. People are stuuupid.

I would rather watch [italic]ALF[/italic] than either this or [italic]Friends[/italic]. Seriously. You people have no fucking taste.

R34/R39 continue to prove his stupidity.

The review in The New Yorker wasn’t a a rave. They thought comic actresses take a dramatic part to show their range. The shift from sit com to drama doesn’t work. It’s too much a hybrid but I’m a Annie Murphy fan so I’ll stick with it and I’ll look forward to her next project. It’s a shame that she doesn’t get to show off her kegs in this. She has the best set of stems since Dietrich.

^ legs

It stars Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham's Penguin).

It's great, people are morons.

It captures the spirit of Worcester MA (it's setting) perfectly: dour, grimy and dismal.

It's amazing how many of you are completely missing the ENTIRE fucking point of this show. If you hate the "comedy" parts, then you are supposed to. The entire point is that most of these sitcoms add laugh tracks and awful jokes to the miserable lives of miserable people. Hate it for the right reasons...not for being a moron that can't absorb something that isn't 100% in your face, all the time.

Come on people...us gays are supposed to understand nuance and camp. Those of you that didn't think it was funny enough, do you also vote Republican? Fucking morons.

R51, Right? I’m stunned by our fellow “DL-ers!” Come on, it’s dark, it’s abstract, it’s campy, it’s making fun of everyone & everything we hate. What is not to like? And we get Annie Murphy as a darker, smarter Alexis too? What else do you fucking want? Rhoda, Mary & Phyllis too?

I HATE the sitcom parts. That's the point though.

R53, do you feel better saying that? You're still an idiot.

It's too depressing. And usually in a sitcom, the doofus husband has SOME redeeming qualities. Murphy is doing good work, but I just want her to take a flamethrower to every other character.

I'm waiting for an episode to explain why a woman who looks like that...married a jackass who looks like that. And isn't rich.

[You're still an idiot.]

An idiot for understanding the very basic premise of a tv show? It's not exactly complicated, sunshine.

It’s also too long for a sitcom. They’re usually half an hour long. This thing is 50 minutes.

Tips for the producers:

Loose the laugh track.

Shorten the length to 30 minutes.

Write funny jokes.

Introduce funny characters.

She needs a sidekick like a Shirley or Marcie or Rhoda.

My head is about to explode...R58, THIS IS NOT A SITCOM!!!!!

It doesn’t matter what you call it. Malcolm in the Middle wasn’t a sitcom either but it still limited itself to 30 minutes.

R59, come on over here with me. I just made a batch of vodka gimlets. We’re never going to convince them, so let’s just drink to their stupidity.

I auditioned for a recurring role on this show and did not get it. I knew it would be good anyway.

Not exactly what I was thinking of ...

It shows how awful a sports obsessed, codependent with their stupid best friend husband who does wacky shit all day would be. It would make you killing mad. Then there is the sarcastic neighbor who thinks she's better than everyone else who is really just terrible to be around and a terrible person who is a complete mess.

I'm gonna check this one out because I like Annie Murphy.

I think it's a pretty interesting point of view (wife being trapped in an unfunny sitcom). Like, it's a Black Mirror episode where *TWIST ALERT* the wife did something terrible and that's her punishment in hell.

[quote]It's amazing how many of you are completely missing the ENTIRE fucking point of this show. If you hate the "comedy" parts, then you are supposed to.

I get it, what I don't get is why should i watch something I don't enjoy? Life is too short.

People watch shows, movies, or listen to music they can either enjoy or relate to on some level.

I think there are a lot of people who feel trapped in their own lives and can relate to some of the struggle, watching from a safe distance.

Just look at Dalatounge and the ESTs topics about feeling trapped in a loveless or sexless relationship, begging for DL advice and comments.

[quote] If you hate the "comedy" parts, then you are supposed to.

So the show’s goal is for viewers to hate it? Okaaay, that’s a winning formula.

Eric Petersen is the ugliest fucking turd EVER. I love Murphy but I wouldn't watch it.

When I started watching, I had practically no prior knowledge other than Annie Murphy is in it. So I started watching, and I thought 'oh no, Annie Murphy could do so much better than starring in a lame ass sitcom. Her agent could not find anything better than THIS?'

And then of course the show switches, and I realized that this is not a sitcom. It's not even comedy. Maybe a dramedy at best. The laugh track scenes (not calling them comedy) are merely the set up that is needed to get the main character going. These scenes are not even meant to be funny, quite the contrary. If they were funny, you wouldn't root for Murphy's character to get out of that life - which is what the show really is about. It needs to be unfunny.

It's a complicated premise, and I'm not surprised that AMC has a hard time selling it. Viewers are still confused, see posts above.

Nowhere near as good as my show was.

R58 " Loose the laugh track. "

Oh, dear. Now we understand why you don't get it.

R61, Lmao thank you. I was feeling like I was the daft one for a minute.

I watched the first and half of the second episode. I’m sure it’s by design, but it’s baffling why she’s with that fat goon. Obviously she’s going to hook up with hot diner guy, though, so okay. (Or maybe hot real estate agent?)

Her relationship with the trashy neighbor gal is interesting. Are they becoming friends? I like that they’re not established BFFs already.

Does Allison have any family besides the liquor store owner aunt and uncle? Any other friends?

And yes, I understand that it’s playing on the tired sitcom trope of hot wife/slob husband.

I'm sure Kevin did some harebrained bait and switch on her, either faking a pregnancy test or pretending to be rich or any other creepy in real life sitcom trope and trapped her ass. Plus, there don't seem to be a lot of choices for her, it's fucking Worchester.

It's also hard to root for her when she's so dumb. She knows her husband is an asshole and an idiot, but she trusted him to handle their life savings?

the new yorker review said they just couldn't get past the question of why she wouldn't divorce him instead of killing him.

So we’re supposed to root for a murderer?

R80, have you not noticed the high number of obsessive and clearly masturbatory adoration some creepy DLers have for violent felons and serial killers?

Just got caught up with this show. It's interesting, especially the tentative friendship between Allison and Patty, but my god the sitcom sequences are a slog. This gimmick better pay off. Looks like there are only four more episodes so not a big commitment to keep going.

[quote] I'm waiting for an episode to explain why a woman who looks like that...married a jackass who looks like that. And isn't rich.

I read some recap of episode 3 where the reviewer said something about hoping there will be an episode that will explain how Alison and Kevin ended up married. But, the reviewer said it wouldn't surprising if it's never explained since some fat guy/hot wife TV shows never quite have backstory to how the couples ended up.

I remember years ago on the defunct TV Guide Channel, there was some show where comedians made fun of TV shows. Debra Wilson from MadTV was on that show and she made a joke about TV writers never explaining how fat guys ended up with skinny hot wives. She also made a comment about how there would rarely be TV shows that showed attractive men married to fat women. Debra made a joke that it was unlikely that there would be show where someone like Camyrn Manheim was married to some hot fit guy.

I don’t read it as a sitcom at all. I read the sitcom parts as part of Allison’s psyche - a contrivance. Her life is dark, and she fantasizes about killing her husband. She wraps the fantasy in a sitcom in her head, because she’s actually married to a fat idiot like you see in actual TV sitcoms, whose wives are subservient to their husbands’ idiocy. As for her looks, it fits with sitcoms where fat idiots are seemingly married above their level. I’m hoping there’s a payoff as well, and that I’ve assumed the premise correctly, and also that it continues to get darker and more twisted.

R83 I get that, but usually in a fat guy/skinny wife sitcom, there are some qualities in the husband that make you see why she fell for him/sticks around. Kevin has ZERO redeeming qualities.

Kevin Can F Himself, explained: (source at link)

"sigh Look, in the sitcom genre that this references, the character of the husband is the main character. They act childish, suffer no consequences for their actions, and are the center of attention. Comparatively, the wife is much more good looking, is vastly more responsible, and suffers though his actions. Very rarely is the wife responsible for the issues in the storylines, and it's often the one left to clean up the mess of the husband. It's a very unequal relationship. It's abusive really. That's the genre. If you don't see that as unfair, we won't agree on anything else.

This show doesn't change that. It doesn't attempt to fix any of those issues. Instead, it asks 'if you take this relationship and break it down,' it is very unfair. The sitcom genre is not setup to explore those kinds of emotions. So the tv drama framing is used instead to understand what it's like to be in that abusive relationship.

Now in the tv drama, clearly Allison isn't blameless. She's mentally unstable and about to murder her husband. But that's where these ideas are looked into.

To a certain extent, it mirrors the unequal relationships in real life where the wife has little agency of her own, is in an abusive relationship, feels trapped, does the cleaning and cooking, while the husband is living life happily without a care".

Also, who goes into a diner to order a charcuterie platter?

Now that is a comment worthy of DL. Bravo, R87.

Killing off your TV wife so you can replace her with someone else is a HUGE dick move. Kevin James probably should have gotten more flack for that than he did, although I guess Saint Leah of Scientology couldn’t save the show in the end. Or maybe she’s what gave it its merciful death.

I thought, wow, Dane Cook got taller and fatter, then realized the neighbor Neil isn’t him. They could be related.

R86, perfect analysis of a great show.

We probably analyze to death what the creators just considered 'you know what would be fun'. But I'm not sure I fully agree with the analysis that r86 posted.

I don't see this as an abusive relationship. As stupid the husband is, and as annoying his antics are, the wife doesn't do shit about it. In a sitcom he would not have lost all that money because she would have retrieved it. Unlike the referenced sitcoms, the wife here is not cleaning up the messes. She is barely part of the sitcom story anymore because she already checked out. She is witnessing but not participating. And he is not one who bullies her into doing or accepting things. He is rather living his own life while she could be living hers. There are incidents where he is sabotaging her actions. But compared to the saved money incident they are rather minor. It looks like she is way past living the sitcom life and mentally already moved on.

My remaining question is: Why IS she so passive? He is not holding her back. She could go back to school, develop a career, have a squeeze on the side or get a divorce. She isn't doing any of that. Even her goal to kill the husband is barely a plan.

According to those with early access, episode four makes it all very clear, r92. I've not yet watched.

An interview with Eric Peterson, who plays "Kevin" was shared on that sub yesterday. I can't believe how much I don't want to punch him.

The show certainly has good ideas but I'm not sure about the execution. But it's only halfway through and I wouldn't be too surprised if they peeled back another layer, or had something else up their sleeves.

The destruction of the Pottery Barn (but it’s from Goodwill!) table was heartbreaking, it’s like maybe if she just had one nice thing in her life it will be OK, but now we know it will not. It almost made me cry.

Thanks r94, he seems like a decent guy.

OK, the depressed middle class setting, funny accent, copious beer drinking, secrets upon secrets, hint of murder- this is all going to turn into another Mare of Easttown isn’t it?

[quote]Kevin Can F Himself, explained: (source at link)

If a show has to be explained, it doesn't work.

[quote] If a show has to be explained, it doesn't work.

If a show has to be explained to someone, that someone's probably too dumb to live.

It helps if you know it was inspired by a Kevin James sitcom, in which they killed off his wife.

"The title is a reference to Kevin Can Wait, a CBS sitcom which premiered in 2016. It starred Kevin James, airing for two seasons. The show is forgettable on its own merits, though it gained attention for killing off Donna (Erinn Hayes), the lead character’s wife, between seasons. Although it’s hardly unusual for shows to kill off characters, Kevin Can Wait was heavily criticized for Donna's death, due to both the reasoning and method. The character’s death was never explored with any depth, even being utilized as a punchline. To make matters worse, Leah Remini was quickly promoted to a series regular after a guest appearance. The actress had worked with James before, on The King of Queens, and it was widely-viewed that Remini was essentially chosen to replace Hayes as an eventual love interest."

I’m wondering if the original plan was for them to have children, but with complicated COVID filming issues they eliminated them. Not that I miss or need them. But I am worried the pregnancy trope will assert itself just before she resigns herself to really kill him and gives her pause.

I turned it off after the second sitcom sequence. Too depressing, and the gimmick gold old quick for me. Is every scene with Kevin in the "sitcom" format?

got old*

It’s shocking how reduced people’s attention spans have become that within minutes they shut something off if it’s to new or different for them?

I’m on episode 3 and so happy we are getting some Patty now. This show is really growing on me. I’m starting to think it’s a little genius.

Except when she breaks the guy’s nose in the minivan, I was expecting her to suggest he put a little ice on it. And she didn’t.

Except for the pharmacist, all the men Allison encounters are hot. Is that on purpose?

Eric Petersen is in a really tough spot. The way I see it, the audience needs to hate him in order to root for his wife. I wonder if the writing could give him at least some redeeming qualities, so we could love to hate him. The poor guy also seems to be the only one stuck in the sitcom setting.

I’m sticking with it, but honestly, I don’t know why. I get it, and I understand everything they’re trying to do. I just don’t enjoy it because of the sitcom pieces. I don’t care how nice a guy the lead actor is — that shit is hard to watch, and it’s shit.

The sitcom guys are clods, but the women are just as messed up. And no, I don’t care if that’s the point. I love creative, inventive television, but not this.

R83 But often do you see it in a real life, a fit guy married to a fat woman? Not often. But ugly, fat dude with a woman that is way out of his league? Quite often.

[quote] a fit guy married to a fat woman

Occasionally I do see this combination in real life (and on House Hunters International even more often). I keep wondering if he is a closet case with a more or less aware beard.

I take it you don't live in a military town r110

I’m completely convinced that Annie Murphy has made one of the most brilliant career transitions ever in entertainment.

I like it but I wish they'd made the sitcom bits shorter. You would still get the same effect with contrast but it wouldn't be so tiresome. I just find myself ignoring those parts even though I know why they are there.

I'd like it if Kevin stepped outside the multi-cam format occasionally, too. After he discovers (or somebody probably needs to spell it out for him) that she is after him, he is going after her.

How did Allison not know that she and Patty went to the same high school?

If Kevin really wanted to tie Allison down and make her dependent on him, he would have insisted upon having kids. A childless woman would have a much easier time leaving a shitty marriage than one burdened with some kids. He might have been one of those men who wants his wife’s sole attention, but I don’t see that. All he wants is his food and beer and to hang with his buddies. He could still do that if his wife had to take care of kids. He doesn’t care about her appearance, either.

And Kevin didn’t have a problem with her taking the car. Even Patty assumed she’d be able to take it.

I’d like to see Kevin outside of the sitcom.

I said this earlier about the childlessness issue, I wonder how COVID impacted the original script and if they cut out children due to the complicated issues of filming with children and the restrictions that they needed to use. I would love to see what the original pitch and pilot script look like for this show.

"Alison" isn't beautiful, she's just thin. Of course, in America, thin = beautiful.

Why these long titles with “Kevin” in them?

“We need talk about Kevin”, this…is this a sequel or something?

Love Annie Murphy, intrigued by the premise. Watched most of the first episode, but need to set aside a proper amount of binge time to devote myself to it, because I like what I’ve seen.

I think most posters on this thread are being cheeky about not “getting it”. But if any of you really can’t buy a beautiful woman married to a fat and/or idiot husband, you’ve never asked the enduring question of the modern sitcom.

R118, she’s not “beautiful”, but she’s pretty in an accessible, girl-next-door way that straight men love. She’s easily an 8 in Worcester.

My theory is during the finale, the camera is going to pull back, break the fourth wall and we will be introduced to the actors playing them based on the real lives of the actual actors. Annie will be in a relationship or having an affair with one of the men, maybe even Kevin. It will be filmed in a third style, maybe reality TV or documentary. It will be like the parallel story in the French Lieutenant’s Woman or the ending of the last season of the OA.

Love the show. Am I the only one who thinks Patty resembles a young Rosie O'Donnell?

Definitely sounds like her, R123.

To me she looks like she could be Alex Borstein's sister.

There was what I thought was a direct reference to a storyline from King of Queens in last night’s episode where she talks about a job she had, and Kevin got jealous and automatically thought she was fooling around with her boss. Ultimately, he fucked things up for her because he’s a stupid oaf. Anyone else think that was a direct reference?

Did they basically de-age Roseanne post edit for Patty?

This is an interesting interview with the Kevin actor.

Okay, first of all, the hysterical "YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT!!" queen who keeps trolling this thread needs to fuck off. We' "get it" hon. We just don't like it.

This show is a mess. I love Annie Murphy and my partner likes watching it, so we do. But it's just bizarre. The story itself is okay I suppose, but even that is kind of absurd. This unassuming, naive wife, with the looks of a local beauty queen, is married to this obnoxious, loud, psychologically and mentally ill MassHole, she's so over him that she sets out trying to find Oxycodone to kill him with... (You don't kill anybody with oxies. It would take years even if you did manage to get them addicted). She's from the same town she lives in, has a job, yet she can't just walk out? She somehow has NOBODY she can go move in with? She won't confront him about stealing their life savings, but she's gonna go through all this drama to get him addicted to pain killers so that it "kills" him?!?

We have the burgeoning friendship with the thuggish fat hairdresser who looks like she's had a stroke, very recently. There's seemingly little to no chemistry there. Then there's the obnoxious "sitcom" thing they do, which I just don't get. Why was this necessary? What's it supposed to convey? That not all relationships are as "happy" and "wacky" as they appear? Yeah, no shit. Okay, what else? The husband, his friend and the father are all equally so stupid and so badly portrayed by the actors that they're literally unwatchable after a minute or two. It just makes you squirm with discomfort. And not in an artsy way. Just in a "OMG, this is such a stupid concept for a television show" way.

Why didn't they just go with a dark comedy about this chick wanting to knock-off her husband instead of the sitcom thing? And the title, which likely scared-off 50% of their original potential audience..... WHY? All that effort and money into producing a television show and THAT'S the title they came up with? It's just asinine.

Now, if they whole thing were more of an obvious dig at Kevin James, then I'd like it a lot more.

If this series is indeed a dig at Kevin James, does anyone know the catalyst for that? Why would the producers go to this length to coyly shade Kevin James, even know he's universally hated? Did maybe someone on this show work on one of his shows?

The thing with the car....... What modern/young'ish couple in a town like Worcester have only one car? And if they did, it's a little extreme that the wife would have to nearly grovel to "borrow" it. That's THEIR car. Wouldn't she have just said "I told you I'm taking the car today."?

Maybe they're trying to make her out to be a super traditional type of woman/wife who wants to play a very 1950's type of role in her marriage. But if that's the aim, they never set it up right. She seems to hold her own with Kevin in the "sitcom" bits, but frets over not answering his calls and must beg to use their beat-up, 1980s sedan.?. Again, wanted desperately to love this show but there are so many bizarre oddities in how its written and produced that it just seems like a big mess.

I like it so far (4 episodes in) but I'm already concerned they are going to go off the rails with the storyline very soon.

I love how they are both overtly and subtly targeting the stupid sitcom tropes. Slob husband with no redeeming qualities and his endlessly put upon hot wife is the obvious one, but they are also doing a great job of laying out how the women in these shows don't have real female friends. On the "sitcom" Allison and Patti have known each other and spent all this time together for years but in "real life" barely knew anything about each other and never supported one another. I also love Allison's slow realizations that her husband isn't just a slob and an idiot, but that he's abusive and all these people around them who laugh it off are complicit.

I do agree the sitcom portions are too long. They are just awful (yes, I know that's the point) and we don't need to be subjected to them for so long to get the contrast.

It’s about the multiverse and the tensions between them, how hard is that to understand? There are more levels to come.

r130 The creator of this show is a feminazi who felt TV wives always get the short end of the stick. She was inspired by when Kevin Can Wait killed off the wife to make room for Leah Remini (which personally, as a viewer of that show, I thought was good. He and the wife had zero chemistry, and he said he was supposed to be a widower before they made him add a wife).

I watched the first two episodes. I thought it was okay, but I agree it should have been shorter. It feels like it drags out.

R133 this isn't the Rick and Morty thread.

I only made it though the first half hour. It seemed like the kind of premise an 18 year old undergrad thinks he is brilliant for coming up with. It was going for the obvious without any indication that it would do anything else.

Life is too short.

Annie Murphy was so obnoxious and unfunny on Shits Creek--the weakest member of the ensemble. It was nice to see that she can act--and I would watch her in something else. But this....no.

She didn’t beg him to take the car. She asked him where the keys were. He asked her why she needed it. She lied about why and made it sound like it would benefit him and he said okay.

Some of you have never known straight trash. There are a ton of relationships like this. They're borderline abusive.

Judging from this thread I think the real problem is that the show doesn't give viewers a good enough sense of what's going on. There are too many points that confuses viewers, and viewers don't know if it's intentional or a shortcoming of the script. For example: Why is there a sitcom level in the first place? Is it all in Allison's brain, her way of dealing with her home life (as somebody upthread cleverly assumed), or is it just a gimmick? Why is she planning a murder when divorce would be in easy reach? Why try to kill with drugs that may not even accomplish the goal? Answers may be in the script of the next episode, but viewers may not be so patient.

I like watching the show just for the interaction between Allison and her neighbor. That part is fun because the acting is good. These two make me keep watching. But if things don't change I hope this stays a mini-series.

I think there’s an element of unreliable narration.

Where is Allison’s family? Are Allison and Kevin living in the home one of them grew up in?

Where did the drug money come from? Allison has some sort of spending money, if she’s buying donuts and going into a boutique-makeup store to peruse lipstick instead of the dollar store.

[quote]I’m completely convinced that Annie Murphy has made one of the most brilliant career transitions ever in entertainment.

Oh c'mon plenty of actors have come off a hit show to star in their own one season flop.

R139, or it could just be that not much is going on.

The premise is obvious and the use of it is dull.

R141 But most actors transition into something safe and similar to what they’ve done before, this is something radically different and directly antithetical to what made her stand out in her prior hit show.

I second that. This show is good for Annie Murphy. She can show range. And if the show doesn't do well, people will point at the premise and the writing first.

R139 replace "viewers" with "I/me". It sounds like you're the one not getting it.

I can't decide if this thread is full of dedicated Rose N. characters or genuine cognitively-impaired individuals.

Either way, I'm amused.

I think it's an interesting concept, but I'm not sure what is trying to lampoon. There's only a handful of those types of sitcoms left on the air, and they're all on CBS.

I think you hit it R147. I think the reason the show seems pointless is that it references a non-current genre. It is too dated to work.

Wake me when the screenshots come out of Kevin fucking himself.

Ew. This thread is useless with pictures.

Another strong episode, almost thought she was implementing the diner guy in the crime there.

Unwatchable. I marked it to record all episodes. Got to the finish of the first show and deleted it from the queue. If they really needed to show how hip they were with a censored title they should have brought back 'Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23". At least the latter show was entertaining.

Great, unique concept. The execution doesn't work. There's no obvious solution to save it either. The first episode makes it clear they are a terrible match and she's financially trapped with no education. Not sure where they take it from there

I watched the first five minutes and decided it wasn't for me. The writing is weak, the actors practically shout their lines and the laugh track in way too loud. It's just not funny. Next.

Well, I’m not paying to see the current episodes, so I’m a week behind. I’d like to discuss it, but I’ve only been able to see episode 5. AMC can kiss my ass.

r154, if your post is satire you're 150 posts too late. And your post isn't funny either. If you actually meant what you say , I suggest that you only watch commercials from now on. They have a start and end under five minutes. So those you actually can evaluate in your preferred time span.

R156 is clearly a shill or just some sycophant Schitt's Creek fan because she's all over this thread going into hysterics on anybody who takes issue with her little show.

R156, you're clearly only here to promote, or something. If you'd been here any amount of time, you'd realize this is what this site is. People bitch and snark about shit, especially television shows. What is it about "pointless bitchery" that you don't understand?

Go away now. You're show isn't gonna make it, those of us still watching are just trying to let the story play through, but it isn't going anywhere and it's doubtful there will be a second season. Now, go take your pills.

I smell a shill

As soon as the whole drug thing was written into the show, it went downhill FAST. No more watchie

Latest episode is homing in on something, though I'm not sure exactly what.

You guys are morons. The show is great

The episode where he interregated them on the hamburger, and then later where he interrogated her was just cringey. I don't think a lot of Massachusetts women, especially in Worcester would put up with that shit. She's not in Bumfuke, Alabama. She's now fucking the diner owner, buying drugs, seems intent on killing him, shoplifting.... but you're telling us she wouldn't tell this guy to fuck off or go batshit crazy on him!? I know, I know...there wouldn't be a show if she did. But the premise just seems a little more absurd with each episode.

As for the acting, the guy playing Kevin is excellent at playing the fat, moronic Jackie Gleason/sitcom buffoon type. There's a chilling, threatening aspect he brings while also playing it as he's supposed to. At this point he's probably doing the best acting job of the entire cast. He's very physical, plays it verbose, good comedic timing. The character is likely too hated to get an Emmy nom, but the actor playing him might deserve it this time next year.

R162 You should go back and watch the interview at R128 if you didn’t. I totally support what you say, it’s definitely the hardest role on the show and was very smart of them to hire a theater actor to do it.

I do love the pretentiousness of the beauty store, it’s just the type to gentrify a working class neighborhood and clash with the old vs the new neighbors.

[quote] You guys are morons. The show is great

Whoever hasn't warmed up to the show yet, is certainly giving it a second chance based on this post. Tone, logical chain of arguments... this post has it all.

Kevin is moving into the popular conversation as a point of reference.

Goofy I know, but I really liked the fidelity in the conceit of the show that when Kevin was in the alley between the two birthday venues, it was an elaborate and obvious soundstage set to adhere to the sitcom premise even though it must have been very expensive and time consuming to build for such a throwaway transition. That attention to detail is why I love this show.

I wonder who Kevin shoots/possibly kills.

Looks like Salon really loves this show!

I just finished the second episode. Murphy is great. The concept is great. It just seems like everything I watch is so...dispiriting. I used to enjoy that, but it's starting to be a drag as I get older. The thing is I can't really relate --or don't want to--to any movie or show that's positive and life-affirming. I'm gonna keep watching tho.

R170 I get you, but she is really on a journey to take back her own life, and at any cost- even murder. So, it does have a weirdly perverse uplifting message and she continues to gain more and more control each episode.

I did laugh when the librarian simply asked "Why not leave"? after Allison's synopsis of her "book"

Nah, that's too easy.

I’ve spent the past week rewatching the four seasons of Search Party, and I feel the way that show subverts the usual sitcom has much in common with this show.

Has this been cancelled yet?

Lots of setup in the penultimate episode for the finale next week. Reading a recap, I was struck with an idea- what if the time the spent on Sam and the disastrous dinner with his in-laws and storming out was a prelude for him falling off the wagon, getting drunk and breaking into Kevin and Allison’s house to declare his undying love for her only to be shot by Kevin? I feel the hit man being fired at the restaurant was a misdirect. If Sam dies, that will really destroy Allison, especially if it’s by Kevin’s hand.

It was also interstate that we had the bleed between worlds with Patty and Neal still in the sitcom world even though Kevin wasn’t around. I think that’s significant.

I’m kind of hate watching at this point. It’s boring as fuck.

I still love it.

Jebati Kevin !

Asian dude is FUCKING hot.

I don’t think the sitcom setting is her way of rationalizing murdering him. I think it has to do with his own perspective of himself where he’s the center of attention, this charming galut, and his wife is there to serve sandwiches and be a punchline. It’s fascinating what a complete non-entity she is to him in those scenes and how he can only exist in that scene. I’m itching to see more of him in the real world, found them fantasy of her killing him creepy as hell, but I think the less he crosses over than the more interesting it will be when he does.

Yes, the sitcom writing is purposefully hokey, but it is authentic to the genre and I agree with the poster upthread who said Eric Petersen is the unsung hero. He’s very good at sitcom acting and has conviction and commits to the bit. It would’ve been very easy to do the hipster, eye-winking thing where he’s in on the joke and the performance turns out condescending. But he allows himself to play the complete asshole. Hopefully he gets some award show attention for it.

She's a sad, little, but pretty, pushover who made some awful choices in the past that were based on lack of opportunities and low self-esteem. Now she's trying to cope with all the regret and resentment by coming up with that sitcom scenario to make light of / escape her own dire "I'm stuck in a life I hate, I'm stuck in a marriage I hate, I'm stuck in a town I hate!" situation.

I mean, usually housewives just drink, read romance novels, or drink while watching gay porn to cope. Some even self-medicate with drugs.

When you think about it, this show is a bit misandrist and once again shows that pop culture, as has been in many movies, songs etc., romanticizes the killing/murder of men.

In this case, Kevin is a bully but he's not beat or hit his wife. Wife has regrets that she married a mentally disturbed asshole. Wife is a woman but somehow too weak and fragile to leave him. So wife sets about to kill him. Secondary female lead who has been asshole husband's BFF all along, immediately jumps-in to assist wife, showing no loyalty to her friend OR making any real attempt to talk wife out of murder.

The very show itself is based on the premise that the wife is suffering unduly and establishes wife as heroine protagonist, to be cheered and rooted for in her quest to murder the man she married, not because she has to. But because she's simply irritated by him. Wife would likely be the first to take issue at being stereotyped or not being paid the same amount as her male counterpart. And yet, we are to accept blindly that the wife is sympathetic and justified in her desire to murder her husband.

So again, women murdering their husbands, like chopping of their dicks, is fodder for laughter and "fun" storytelling. It's gained the Dixie Chicks Grammy awards and scored countless actresses awards as well. It's made counter culture style heroes of women like Lorena Bobbitt and others.

Society needs to recognize these types of double standards because they're as harmful and dangerous to women as they are to men.

I agree, R182. It’s a bit concerning that her threshold for having him murdered is that he’s a self-indulgent asshole and clown. Yeah, yeah - he blew through their money. But is killing him really supposed to be how women take back control in a relationship like this? Is she really a victim here? On some level, she’s a victim of her own stupid decision-making. There’s nothing dark or sinister about his character that would warrant such a reaction. I get it - it’s TV and not meant to be taken literally. But what is it meant to be taken as, then? Even if the dramatic parts showed him to be a darker character, it might have helped explain whatever narrative they’re going for here.

It was certainly odd that Allison, the supposed goody two shoes, showed no remorse about the shooting. Perhaps the writers are working towards a big reveal that Allison is the problem, not Kevin, but I can't wait any longer for this clumsy show to look like it has more than a thin premise. Eight episodes was more than enough.

It's a shame, some of the actors are doing very good work. I'll look for them in other projects.

Are the first 50 posts of this thread indicative of the rest of the thread? (That's where I stopped reading; I've just finished the pilot episode and wanted to come and check what the DL thought.)

Were the posters who were saying the show is a sitcom joking? Or were people really that stupid? I'm confused. DL is almost never slow on the uptake.

Kevin seems sinister and I'm willing to bet the neighbor turned best friend knows he beats Allison up.

More AM news.

She's making smart moves. Good for her!

It's funny because when you watch it, most of the scenes could be flipped and done the opposite way. .......That scene in the basement apartment could've been brightly lit and slapsticky. The scene in the bar, grim and gritty. It's just a matter of laughtrack and lighting. I love this show. Disappointed so many hate it here on DL. I thought we were better than that. I think Kevin is way more than just some goon. His best friend immediately started choking her and he's the biggest doofus in the show. The father seems sinister as hell too. Like he killed the mom or something. There's got to be a reason Patty is just like, "Yeah, let's kill his ass"

I am watching it this weekend. I am on episode 3. Mary Hollis Inboden as Patty O'Connor is my favorite - favorite performance and favorite character. I don't know her. Is she good in many things?

Main character Allison McRoberts seems like 100% bad news. OK obviously, since she is plotting to murder her husband, but the character seems like the kind of person who will destroy everyone she encounters. Which is weird, if this is supposed to be some sort of feminist commentary on working class realities and the show business treatments of such.

Also I would fuck the sleaze-ball blond mechanic. The actor is Justin Grace and I recognized him from Nurse Jackie a decade ago.

I'll never stop trolling this thread as multiple DL personalities who are baffled, just, BAFFLED that DL doesn't "GET" this brilliant, cutting-edge program!!

I think the reason she wants to kill him and not divorce him is clearer when you look at the inspiration of the show which was Kevin James killing off his on-screen wife. It’s the extreme measures they’re parodying, which is surprising for The New York Times to be confused about. But I guess automatically slapping an A+ rating on anything with black creatives involved means their critical analysis skills are out of practice.

R193 Huh?

Sometimes I laugh at the sitcom part of the show. Shoot me.

I like how the sassy friend's quips come off as being a complete bitch in the real parts and Kevin's best friend comes off as totally deranged. Even before he started choking her

Interesting antecedent.

Looking forward to the finale tonight and a couple of really good twists.

Me too, but how are the ratings? Will it be renewed?

Episode 8 was the finale. Is it coming back?

Huh R192? My response at R185 was my first post in this thread.

For the record, I don't think the show is very good. It's all gimmick, no bite.

I just can't believe people thought it was an actual sitcom and not a parody of one wrapped up in a very dark drama.

Cute story when Mary got the job and Annie texted her.

So, how does it all end?

I got lost during the last two episodes. I had been enjoying it up to that point, but then it went over my head. I’m thinking of rewatching those shows, but I was really confused.

I really enjoyed this show but 8 episodes isn't enough for a single season. I hope we get more episodes.

It's painfully unfunny. I tried watching an episode and turned it of after about ten minutes.

Kevin's scenes were nails on a chalkboard for me and I wanted the sweet release of seeing him dead. The police station gambit didn't fool me. I knew they were going to cutely reveal that there was a shooting but Kevin was unharmed, very predictable.

Renewed for Season 2.

Cool! I will definitely be watching Season 2. I hope it gets more episodes than S1 got.

It didn’t quite stick the landing, but I’m happy it’s getting another season, great cast and great potential.

It's so much better the second time around.

Too depressing

Poor Peter Gojowczyk having an on-going battle with the Umpire about the pronunciation of his name. Still raging at each change of ends into the second set. The UGOAT remains unbothered and above the fray so far.

Oops wrong thread!

I guess the shows having a delayed a reaction in the UK.

[quote] I don’t read it as a sitcom at all. I read the sitcom parts as part of Allison’s psyche - a contrivance. Her life is dark, and she fantasizes about killing her husband. She wraps the fantasy in a sitcom in her head, because she’s actually married to a fat idiot like you see in actual TV sitcoms, whose wives are subservient to their husbands’ idiocy. As for her looks, it fits with sitcoms where fat idiots are seemingly married above their level. I’m hoping there’s a payoff as well, and that I’ve assumed the premise correctly, and also that it continues to get darker and more twisted

So it’s Mulholland Drive with a homemaker

Announcing this now is a excellent solution. They call pull out all the stops they want to do with this show without worrying about getting renewed. I think we are going to see the fully realized vision of this show with a hell of an ending. Can’t wait!

I've been enjoying the new season

Did anyone else watch season 2?

I love how it ended and I'll actually miss it.

The concept of this show is more interesting than the execution sadly. I don’t really think the changes in tone work.

It’s a great shame, because I like Annie Murphy a lot. She’s very talented.

I'll miss it too. What's next for those actresses?

Imagine if they made a series called Karen Can Fuck Herself.

There would be rioting in the streets.

I would only be interested if we actually see Kevin fucking himself.

Imagine making up straw men so you can make yourself angry because your life is so empty

Meh. I stuck with it and…. It’s over. I guess I should be glad that they tried something new but this show was all over the place. And I don’t agree that the lead is a good actress (I don’t watch Schitts Creek).

The actor who plays “Neil” was interesting. And the actor who played “Diane” was really good.

Me and the husbear agreed to watch this season when we’ve run out of our traditional October spooky stuff to watch.. but neither of us are looking forward to it. It was a weird, weird show. Love Annie Murphy, but it’s just an odd concept that didn’t quite work the way they thought it would.

And as someone else said, it IS true. If we saw any attempt for a film or television show where a man was plotting the murder of his wife, it’d never be tolerated, unless it was a Hallmark movie and the wife was portrayed as a doe eyed innocent. For some reason, shows, films, comedic routines and songs depicting the murder or maiming of husbands are usually framed as humorous. We laugh at the man getting his penis hacked off and make top ten hits out of songs celebrating poisoning the husband, burying his body and going on to live a happy life. But in the era of MeToo, when women demand nothing less than complete societal equality, they also demand, and receive absolution from “justified” violence against men. And the draft. They get to skip that too. Yeah. #MeToo!

I loved the concept, but like others here I don't think the creators fully thought it out. I watched every episode, for the second season I was only half paying attention, but it was worth it to finally see Kevin in the non-sitcom world.

I'm waiting for the gay porn knock-off.

Which, not surprisingly, will go by the same name.