Kevin can f himself is nothing if not unique
As part of my futile, never-ending quest to see every tv series in existence that piques my interest, I recently kicked off a binge-watch of one of the more avant-garde series we’ve gotten as of late (the title of which you can undoubtedly infer purely based on the title). I think what intrigued me about this one is…well, yes, obviously, I grew up with the classic sitcoms but even beyond that, it was apparent just from the trailers this is a series that isn’t just bland, cliche pablum. Rather, this is a series that actually has something to say about life in suburbia & our relationship (or lack thereof) to it.
I think the series wants us to feel bad for her but it’s kind of hard to when this is essentially a situation of her own making. I mean assuming he didn’t put on some sort of facade from the moment they met right up until after they said i do, i think it’s safe to say she knew what she was getting herself into the second she started walking down the aisle. So why should we take pity on the woman who essentially screwed herself? & even if she genuinely thought she could change him or he was better-behaved beforehand, why not just file for divorce once it became apparent she couldn’t? or even just talk to him about it? I mean I know she said she wouldn’t be able to afford it but, again, that’s more of a her problem. She should’ve learned to be self-sufficient rather than relying on a petulant man-baby who only cares about the man in the mirror.
That’s the problem with society today; people are afraid to have the real conversations that can keep together a significant number of otherwise failed relationships. If you’re not prepared to have an open line of communication with your spouse, you never should have said I do in the first place. But at least she finally does at the end (kind of). Look, I get it; they were probably going for a female-centric version of breaking bad & I can respect that but that does not excuse in any way, shape or form the numerous plot holes that have sprung up in this series over the years.
But looking beyond that, this does seem to be one of the more realistic series out there. Because the fact remains no one’s life is 100% drama or comedy; more often than not, it’s a pretty even split which makes this all the more relatable for people around the world. I of all people should know how easy it is to get stuck in a rut. So naturally the inclination to break out of that (if only temporarily) can oftentimes be overwhelming.
Additionally, I will be the first to concede on an increasingly zombie-centric network, the series is a breath of fresh air for the avid watchers of AMC. I mean I love a good walker kill as much as the next guy & will gladly watch any spinoffs that come our way until the day I die (& presumably reanimate) but even I think they’ve become far too over-reliant on the franchise over the years. So at least they’re attempting to branch out into other genres which is definitely something I can get behind.
I guess I’m just confused what the series is supposed to be. Is it a cautionary tale on the dangers of rushing into marriage? A commentary on the nature of our perception of existence? A contemporary look at the myriad of dangers that accompany leading a double life? A reminder that divorce is typically the easier option? These are all really intriguing elements to explore (sans the last one) but the series doesn’t seem all that intent on delving deep into any of them (at least not that deep). & because it splits its time between all of these, none of them seem to get the amount of focus they deserve.
All of this is not to say I don’t enjoy the series; in fact, I know it might be a bit soon for the l word but I found myself really falling for this series much quicker than I could’ve ever anticipated. I mean the cast is super talented, the writing is adequate & the cinematography is fantastic. I believe it has so much potential & I just hope it serves as a good template for many other genre-bending series to come (if there are any). & I love seeing what a huge cult following it has & all the incredible theories fans have come up with online. It’s all very intriguing to read about & I am euphoric to see the series get at least some attention (even if it’s not nearly as much as it deserves). It just sucks they only got two seasons from the network for whatever reason.
Sure, they take inspiration from some of the classic sitcoms of yesteryear but at its heart is a series with a unique identity. It’s essentially a series with its own dichotomy: on one side, the sitcom world where all’s well that ends well & on the other, the (more or less) realistic world. & as much as we’d love to spend the rest of our lives having a ball in sitcom land, it’s just not practical in the grand scheme of things. But as it turns out, the series is not content to keep them apart as those worlds gradually begin bleeding into each other (or if you prefer the Seinfeld colloquialism, worlds are colliding). & life imitates art as we ourselves have to struggle with balancing that dichotomy every single day of our lives. Is it always easy? Of course not, but is it worth at the end of the day? I think so. Because it has to be. It’s one of the most important balancing acts you’ll ever master but once you do, you’ll find existence to be much more enjoyable going forward.