Lady Dynamite

This show is amazing. It's certainly surreal, but the characters are well developed and every episode stands alone. The show is produced by the producers of Arrested Development and you can definitely see their influence here. Lots of puns, sight gags, and intelligent writing.

I loved the story arc of Maria's relationships and if you've ever had anxiety or known someone who did, this show is extremely relatable. It's not for everyone, but those who get it will love it. Also: Dean Cain! Patton Oswalt! Bridget Everett! Fred Melamed! It's not your typical stand-up show. I had only kind of heard of Maria Bamford before watching Lady Dynamite and now I want to see her whenever and wherever she performs. Just watch it already.

Lady Dynamite is basically a cast of some of the funniest comedians, crushing it. Maria Bamford's references to mental illness are funny without making light of the struggles. This shines some real light on the relationship dynamics that exist because, well, we're all crazy! Cute innuendo throughout, like Deebag's cafe. Some of their material is so random it doesn't seem like it would be funny, but it is. Fred Melamed's character is great. Must watch... I'm binge watching this right now. One note though, the theme song basically makes me want to stick pencils in my ears and push hard. They seem to have made it even longer after the 11th episode. Gotta change that up to avoid accidental self inflicted ear injuries. Other than that great show.

At the beginning, I thought this show was, as people have said here, "derivative" and only marginally funny. Kept it on because I was doing something and didn't have the free hands to turn it off. I had a few chuckles and wasn't expecting much. But every single person on the show is a great comedian and/or actor, and the situations are novel. By the end of the second episode it had gained momentum, I was won over, but switched to The Americans. Then I woke up today and it was the only show I wanted to watch, for some reason it stuck with me. (Probably because it brings up memories of when I was in the music business and how people treated each other, and times when I made great money but walked away, but this time I'm laughing.) So I put on episode 3 and I've been laughing my ass off ever since. It gets funnier and funnier at each new episode!

I came onto IMDb just to find out more, and see there is a contingent for whom it isn't reaching. Well I would say, maybe you have to watch a few more episodes. But I'm someone who loved BoJack Horseman, Action, Party Down, Extras. Also, there are so many funny details that people might not get -- like the Minnesota hair when she flashbacks to Duluth, or the "Latin" saying on the wall of the church. When I see the flashbacks, I'm laughing already, before anyone opens their mouths.

I happened to love this show and have rewatched several episodes and I laugh every time. Maria is truly a complex individual. She's got absurdist humor with a touch of black comedy so if you don't appreciate that, please don't bother watching. She doesn't seem to try to sell any kind of wokism as some reviewers indicated, she just wants to be a decent person to the characters she encounters. The theme song refrain is "I don't know what I'm doing, more than half of the time". Maria struggles with mental illness but it isn't the defining characteristic of her personality. She simply understands that there is really no RIGHT way to deal with this messed up world. Personally, I find her social commentary on the show absolutely BRILLIANT.

For those advising others not to watch: just because you don't get it doesn't mean "IT" isn't there.

If I were to watch this show as a comedy, I would have found it incredibly irritating and outrageously offensive. The show isn't funny, and I don't think it's really supposed to be. It's actually quite sad and deep.

It's about struggling with bipolar disorder. As someone who struggles with mental illness myself, I find it fascinating. It's like looking through someone else's eyes. I find that the structure of the show how things transition and connect is very reflective of how my own mind works.

My recommendation: If you want to better understand what it can be like to live with a mood disorder, watch Lady Dynamite. Don't watch it as a comedy though; watch it as dark, serious drama.