In the dark years of middle school, at the ripe age of 13 when my hormones were definitely in check, Netflix had just created profiles within an account. After a long day of struggling with my learning disabilities and the emotional and sometimes physical torture from my fellow 7th graders, I would get home and peruse the aisles of the digital catalog, looking for something to whisk me away. Or, as I told my parents, I was doing my homework.
Before I get into my favorite comedies of the year, I must first complain that mainstream norms and expectations drive the popular shows of the season and long-time comfort comedies for mainstream audiences resulting in the media churning out “relevant” media articles keeping outdated shows in the cultural lexicon.
As much as I pray to the television gods, a day doesn’t go by where I hear about Friends, The Office, or The Simpsons. To be frank, I just can’t give a {insert favorite curse word here} about them. So, I have been immersing myself in the niche white comedies that the streaming services have to offer. Before you even start, I too would love some non-majority white casts, but Living Single, Blackish, and Abbott Elementary satisfy the diversity quota for POC comedies. Anyway, without further ado, here are my favorite comedies that I have seen this year.
You’re The Worst
While creating an antagonistic lead is nothing new; Cruella, Breaking Bad, and The Boys are not based on our reality or one similar. Audiences aren’t worried that a Homelander-like villain will wickedly use his superpowers to destroy the earth in a second—we have politicians for that. FX’s You’re The Worst features everyday people who do jobs like you or me.
With a title like You’re The Worst, you can easily expect cruelty, mocking, belittling, and so much more; in addition to all that the series is also a well-written, witty rom-com that answers what happens when a writer, PR guru, Army Veteran, and at-home wife become friends and lovers.
For Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chri Geere), Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash), Edgar Quintero (Desmin Borges), and Lindsay Jillian (Kether Donohue), the answer is a crazy chaotic mess of colliding personalities—the result of having well-designed characters. While they introduce themselves as the worst and continue on the thread throughout the character development, the characters graze over the concepts of love and appreciation (not that they would ever admit it).
The series starts with narcissistic, bullheaded, and cocksure Jimmy mocking Gretchen, a cynic, people-pleasing, and self-destructive woman who just so happens to be stealing a blender from a wedding. The mockery and thievery create an automatic interest in each one another. This commonality allows them to gain a sadistic appreciation and respect for each other, as they fall for each other’s juxtaposed brutally honest nature and full-fledged lies. Either way, these coping mechanisms erase the “ick factor” they get from normies, allowing the show to examine modern love, happiness, food, and social trends.
It may seem counterintuitive to dive into You’re The Worst, but the unpredictable episodic chaos brings a nonstop smile to my face and will bring one to you as well (hopefully).
We Are Lady Parts
Imagine a world where Voldemort lives under the headscarves of Muslim women. Imagine a land where you can blame Malala Yousafzai for your problems. Imagine a TV series that stars FIVE Muslim women, who look, act, and present differently (adding positive connotations of Muslim people and women in the media). Well, you don’t have to imagine a world. You just need to open Peacock (or Channel 4 in Britain) and stream We Are Lady Parts.
One day the band We Are Lady Parts, featuring lead singer Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey), drummer Ayesha (Juliette Motamed), bass player Bisma (Faith Omole), and publicist/agent Momtaz, seeks out a lead guitarist to enter the battle of the bands. But because playing music is not haram (unacceptable under the teachings of Islam) they were finding it hard to find an equally good guitar player and person.
That is until they run into Saira’s elementary school classmate Amina (Anjana Vasan), where she immediately remembers Amina’s show and tell from a decade prior. In this childhood performance, Amina is ready to play the guitar until her severe stage fright kicks in, and she runs off the stage vomiting. Long story short, Amina joins the band; together the group has to battle these conflicting personalities (because, of course), get into the battle of the bands, and defeat Amina’s crippling anxiety.
Unsure if you want to watch a show about a Muslim punk rock band? Fly back with me to October 2024, during a rainy evening in London. Huddled in a small and slightly mediocre Turkish restaurant, there is one man in a sea of women. The women ranged from me and my cousins Sophie and Niamh, our mothers, and my friend Cecilia, the man, of course, was my father. Somewhere during the dinner, and I am not sure why, my dad points to his lower stomach, and childishly says, “I don’t want to hear about lady parts.” For anyone who cannot name women’s anatomy, scientifically or otherwise, you could jump out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself into We Are Lady Parts. Still wondering? Listen to some of their hysterical songs.
This Way Up
It is no secret that I love Sharon Horgan. As an actor, writer, and director powerhouse, I try to watch everything this powerhouse does, even if she isn’t at the helm of the storyline. Written, directed, and created by Aisling Be, This Way Up features the lives of sisters: Shona (Sharon Horgan) and Aine (Aisling Bea) as they struggle to adapt to life after Aine’s stay in a mental health rehab. Despite the somber topic, like good Irish girls, they use humor to cope with their positive and negative emotions.
Aine attempts to jumpstart her life after her “teeny little nervous breakdown,” she secures a position as an ESL teacher and moves in with Shona…a “healthy” step in this already co-dependent relationship. Along the way, Aine meets an unusual character, and lives life on the wild side, a possible unwise decision–at least according to her overbearing mother-like sister.
While trying to keep up with Aine’s antics, Shona struggles to balance her relationship with her partner Vish (Aasif Mandvi) and Aine’s needs, often neglecting her self-care. That is until Charlotte (Indira Varma) enters the picture, and the two team together to survive the “bro” culture of London’s financial industry. With only 12 25-minute episodes, This Way Up only accumulates a whopping 4 hours and 36 of your life. Take the plunge! Laugh, Cry, and yell at the TV with Aisling and Sharon.
Loudermilk
TV shows about recovering addicts are nothing new. We have eight seasons of Alison Janney’s Mom, Euphoria and its subsequent cult culture, and Nurse Jackie (although I never bothered watching it). But rather than the uplifting aspects of moms coming together or the glorification of addiction, Loudermilk …well let’s just say that Sam Loudermilk (Ron Livingston) puts the S.O.B. in sober.
During the first episodes, I immediately compared the show to Ted Lasso–with clever, witty writing, and a middle-aged white man as the protagonist: the comparison is clear. But just imagine a pessimistic Ted whose name is Sam…or asshole (if you scribe to his coffee order name).
Rather than chanting “believe” and other positive statements, Loudermilk yells harsh truths at bystanders, fellow AA members, and his handful of friends. As a fellow realist (/complainer), I often agree with these statements (some, not all). Despite his lack of niceties, he never fails to help people. While some people need to be uplifted to move on, Loudermilk aids those with the harshness of the reality of recovery. While this can be deemed as, not nice, being nice is overrated. Loudermilk is kind (when he wants to be) helpful, caring, funny, persnickety, and a hit-comedy that will get you laughing hysterically.
Honorable Mentions
Three of these honorable mentions are on here because I have already written about them. But new seasons have come out since those last articles, so they just have to be included now.
Extraordinary
If I’ve said this once (which I have here), I have said it a thousand times. Extraordinary is extraordinary. In a world where everyone has powers, the one who doesn’t is the black duckling, the outsider. And that is the case for Jen (Máiréad Tyers). With the help of Carrie (Sofia Oxenham), Kash (Bilal Hasna), and Jizzlord (Luke Rollason), attempt to trigger Jen’s powers. But when all else fails, she fights with her mother Mary, who is played by Derry Girls Legend Siobhán McSweeney). As I have included Extraordinary in a previous post, it can only be mentioned as honorable (which is hard to do with a character named Jizzlord).
Hacks
Like Extraordinary, Hacks has been included in a Faith’s Takes article. But this year, Hacks did something that shocked the comedy world: it won Outstanding Comedy Series during the 76th Emmy’s. Beating out Palm Royale, What We Do In The Shadows, Only Murders in the Building, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Reservation Dogs, and expected winners Abbott Elementary and The Bear. A win that no one saw coming. Go watch the Emmy award-winning season (and the two who came before it).
Bad Sisters
For a third and final time, Bad Sisters has been raved about on this wee blog. And yes, as a Sharon Horgan creation, I have already fangirled about her on this love. But season two is out, and with every episode, my jaw somehow ends up further on the flower. Plus, it’s a season without the prick, life is grand…but is it?
Episodes of season two are still currently airing, so go catch up before the finale.
Ally McBeal
For the first time, I am watching Ally McBeal. Despite its 90s creation, the series has generally held up against the updated cultural standard. As I look down the barrel at four more seasons, I am curious to see what quirky, weird, things these characters do, and how the series breaks the Institutional Mode of Representation to bring out the oddities of the characters.It can’t be my top comedies list as I just know the beginning (and I can’t wait to experience the middle and end). If you are a youngin like myself, I highly recommend it, and if you’ve seen it before. I suggest a rewatch. You won’t have laughed so hard in years.
Nobody Wants This
As a fan of Veronica Mars and a watcher of The OC. Adam Brody was already on my radar and Kristen Bell is a teen actor icon; so when the two came together for a rom-com tv series, I was always going to watch (how could I not, it’s basically a VM OC crossover event!) Months before the world picked up on it, I was rewatching the trailer over and over again, hoping the release date would be one day closer. When it finally did everyone and their mother watched it. And for that reason, it doesn’t make the list. My top comedies of the year are hidden gems…not mainstream media hits!
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