High Maintenance

Has excellent soundtrack while depicting entertaining urban stories

(Review updated after Season 4).

A series of short stories on the lives of everyday people living in New York. All the stories have one character in common - a pot dealer known simply as "the guy".

Wonderfully quirky and engaging series of vignettes. A great mix of drama and comedy. The short stories, of which there are one or two each episode, suck you in with likable characters in interesting situations. From there it is a leisurely ride to a great punch- line.

Writer-director-creators (and husband and wife) Katja Blichfield and Ben Sinclair do a great job at keeping the stories simple, yet profound, and the characters relatable. Sinclair also stars as The Guy, and does so very well, coming across as an entrepreneurial version of The Dude in The Big Lebowski.

My favourite episode: S1 E3, where the dog falls in love with his walker. You actually feel you are seeing the world from the dog's eyes, and it's a wonderful experience. (Incidentally, the walker is played by Yael Stone, of Orange Is The New Black fame).

Unfortunately, the writing quality started to diminish after Season 2. Season 3 wasn't bad, it just wasn't as engaging as Seasons 1 and 2. In Season 4 it just got dull. The spark is no longer there. Or maybe the novelty has just worn off for me.

Season 1: 9/10. Season 2: 9/10. Season 3: 7/10. Season 4: 5/10.

A bittersweet, keenly observant view of a community that doesn't know its a community, tied together by the guy who helps them reduce their stresses & avoid their pain. Cold water flats and candles instead of lights. Everyone is all alone, but only in their own minds. Some of them might even die alone, heart attack in the bath. The concept and the realized stories are like an emotional gymnasium. All of the feelings, with all of the possibilities. A world seen with both confidence and acceptance.

I find this show to have some of the most unique and interesting writing I've seen anywhere. I don't know how the scripts were developed, but my sense is that the actors were improvising and the scripts evolved out of that. It's hard to believe that all this could have come from the minds of one or two people, unless they are geniuses. I can't think of anything else I've seen that is so effective at giving the viewer a sense of truly being a "fly on the wall", getting actual glimpses of the lives real people live. Often, the scenes are utterly unpredictable, and the situations are hilarious, in a fresh, unforced way that doesn't feel "written" at all. It's really something special. A very intelligent show.

Rating: 9

I love this show. It is so beautifully written :) The premise is about 'The Guy' who slings dope. We are shown his customers and their daily lives. Every episode is set up with a new customer involving new storylines. Sometimes the lives of these people seems interconnected too. I love the soundtrack, the visuals and the refreshing storylines involved. The show gives different feels you know, you laugh your ass off, shed a minor tear, empathize with the characters and the most important you crave a J haha!

I like how clumsy the character of Sinclair is. In times where Coronavirus has a majority sharehold and everyone is in a lockdown, this show is the perfect escape. The TV series gives you hope and shows you how beautiful the world, the people are and sometimes to escape the lows, you need to be *high* :)