You’re the Worst
Gretchen: Day drinking is the best! Aren’t we lucky we’re both in professions where we can day drink?
Jimmy: Are you in a profession where you can day drink?
Gretchen: They all are if you want it bad enough.
I don’t like rankings, but this might be my favorite show ever, and I may or may not watch it three times a year. To be fair there are only thirty-six 22-minute episodes on Hulu, and every time I notice a new carefully crafted detail.
Imagine the two worst people you’ve ever met dating. Jimmy and Gretchen meet after he gets kicked out of a wedding for heckling the bride and she attempts to steal a food processor from the gift pile. Despite the ludicrous awfulness of the main characters, the show isn’t afraid to tackle depression and PTSD in realistic ways while still maintaining the usual level of humor and the general theme of love and relationships.
Plus in the latest season they recreated the “This is fine” meme for no reason, and I think we should all just take a moment to appreciate that achievement before watching this show immediately.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Dear God, I don’t pray to you because I believe in science. But I don’t know what to do. Give me guidance, please. Ah-men. A-men. Amen? —Rebecca Bunch
Realistic handling of mental illness plus comedy songs plus a diverse cast in gender, race, and sexuality? What more could you ask for? While I’ll admit the seasons have gotten progressively worse (but isn’t that always the way?) Everyone should watch this show.
In the first episode, Rebecca Bunch opts to move from New York City to a random Southern California town to follow her summer camp boyfriend instead of accepting a prestigious promotion. The deconstructs stereotypes through its diverse cast and they sing amazing comedic songs that retain musical merit even without the laughs. (On Netflix)
Santa Clarita Diet
“Wow, if you take killing off the table we really don’t have a lot of moves.” —Joel Hammond
The idea of combining the mundanity of suburban life and the fantasy of the undead was just genius. When Sheila turns into a zombie, she and her ordinary husband, Joel, must change from their dull lives as realtors in Santa Clarita raising a teenage daughter and may or may not start killing people. The unnecessary level of gore is just another added element to the ridiculousness of the premise and the continual escapades as the Hammonds try to cover up murders with two police officers as neighbors. (On Netflix)
End of the Fucking World
Dad: To be mad in a deranged world is not madness. It’s sanity.
Alyssa: Who said that?
Dad: Me.
Alyssa: [voiceover] He’s basically Gandhi.
I’ll admit this show is an acquired and very specific taste. If you don’t like irreverent, really dark comedies, this might not be for you. Heads up there’s a lot of swearing and uncomfortably funny sexual scenes in this mix of random poignant thoughts and dark jokes mostly in voiceover constantly switching between James and Alyssa’s point of view. James is a maybe sociopath and decides he wants to kill his classmate Alyssa. They start a relationship, but Alyssa proves more difficult to kill than you would expect for a teenage girl. (On Netflix)
Galavant
“Every person counts the same. Except of course the lame…and the lepers! …and the gingers! …and the witches! …and the heathens! …and the bastards! …and the gypsies! …and the commies! …and the hippies! As we build a new tomorrow!”
Honestly, I’m amazed this wild show ever made it on a mainstream network. Take the comedy songs of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and add in medieval fantasy to get Galavant. The songs are all by Alan Menken, musical genius, and often parody famous musicals as the knight Galavant tries to win back his lady-love from the tyrant king, even though she doesn’t really want to be saved and chooses money over him often. He goes on an adventure with his squire and a princess (so you know he’s gonna fall in love).
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
“Drug companies are a bit like high school boyfriends. They’re much more concerned with getting inside you than being effective once they’re in there.”
This show is the only non-fictional one, but every time I watch it I cry from laughter as well as at the state of our world. It’s nice to still be able to laugh while listening to the corruption in our government or the crisis pregnancy centers that park outside abortion clinics to spread outrageous lies in the name of “healthcare.” (Sorry I’m just very appalled and upset about this fact I learned recently.) John Oliver does the most ridiculous things like write and publish a picture book about the Vice President’s bunny the night before the official book release just to spite Mike Pence, but all funds from these pranks go to various charities. In this instance, proceeds go to the Trevor Project. https://betterbundobook.com/
(On HBO)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Jake: I guess that’s your new best friend now, Santiago. Emphasis on “Iago,” backstabber.
Amy: I’m surprised you’ve read Othello.
Jake: What the hell’s Othello? I’m calling you the parrot from Aladdin.
It’s the biggest network show on this list (other than Parks and Rec but that’s no longer on air), but I still think it’s underrated. Andy Samberg plays a lovable goofball police officer in this workplace comedy featuring a diverse cast and an amazingly well-paced romance between Jake and Amy. In the typical sitcom format, there’s rarely a plot arc across the season with new situations every episode, and it has the best cold opens of any show I’ve ever seen. Most recently, the show had Jake narrow down a suspect in a police line up by having them sing “I Want It That Way.”
(On Hulu)
Master Of None
Arnold: I really liked this girl, so I sent her an e-vite to my heart.
Dev: Ooh, what happened?
Arnold: She declined.
While I have several problems with some of the developments in the second season, I still love Aziz Ansari’s comedy (as a person it’s a little hazy now sadly). This show is more serialized than the others, so if you can only watch one episode, I highly recommend “Asian Parents.” Ansari’s character’s parents are played by his real life parents and are adorable and hilarious. Overall, the show mostly deals with dating in the new age of social media and smartphones as well as issues of diversity and representation, specifically through Dev’s pursuit of an acting career as an Indian-American. (On Netflix)
Friends From College
Lisa: You know, whenever we get together, it gets so competitive and immature.
Ethan: Whaaat? With our friends? Why would that happen? They’re only our best friends. What could possibly go wrong?
I have to be honest this is the only show on the list that I’ve never rewatched, but it’s also the second newest of the shows on the list. Despite still being in college and not being able to relate to being an adult looking back upon my college years, I could still relate to characters stuck in their college maturity despite pushing 40 in actual age, including a never-ending 20-year long affair. Ultimately, this show is more of a tragedy (maybe why I haven’t come back to it as much as others) but told through entertaining comedy. (On Netflix)
Parks and Recreation
“We have to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, and work. Or waffles, friends, work. But work has to come third.” -Leslie Knope
Yes, we’ve all heard of it, so if you’ve seen it before watch it again because it’s still amazing even the 10th time through, and if you still haven’t watched it, please stop studying or spending time with friends and catch up right now. While very similar to The Office, all the characters are more likeable as people and have a municipal job that may seem pointless at times but can actually make real change in their community. From Leslie Knope to Ron Swanson to Andy Dwyer, they each have too distinctive a personality, making it difficult to find a humorous quote to sum up the whole series. (On both Netflix and Hulu!)