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I really liked some of the jokes about modern romance, which hit home far better than most shows can manage. The writers on this show are clearly skilled in their craft. But I can't give this show the great reviews everybody else is throwing around.

Casual provides drama where it doesn't need to be, and it does so every time, overtime.

A little predictable at times, most of the characters are far too selfish to really enjoy watching past the first few episodes. They never really engage in dialogue with other people, nor are any of them capable of actual introspection. What we're left with are a bunch of sex crazed morons, smashing apart every chance they have with happiness or personal growth. They just blithely do their own thing regardless of the consequences. That's likely the whole point, but after a while this isn't entertaining, anymore than I suppose watching a candy lover self-destruct themselves into getting a root canal.

I will never understand what posessed me to stick with a show that starts out with three selfish, neurotically cynical and sexually dysfunctional leads, but I did and it really paid off. Casual is a beautifully written series, aside from great dialog and storytelling, the character arcs, both within each season and overall are masterful. The show's direction is nicely cohesive, with each episode's director clearly chosen for that particular episode according to style, emphasis & content. The cast has teriffic chemistry, particularly between the three principals.

I watched all four seasons of Casual over the course of a few weeks, finishing about a month ago. I've been surprised to find the characters (even the ones I still don't like) and their stories have stuck with me like a beloved novel. I can't say that about many shows or even films. Bravo!

Casual stars Michaela Watkins and Tommy Dewey as Valerie and Alex, two adult siblings and Tara Lynne Barr as Valarie's daughter. All three actors are excellent in their respective roles and the writing is top notch. What I think is throwing some off, myself included, is the fact that the characters are not that nice. They are selfish, sometimes arrogant, and superficial, but along the way, we learn to forgive them because they are so damaged. Explanation of plot and characters would be irrelevant as it is a multi story-line arc, so just watch the show.

Shows centered around dating are generally problematic because it's hard to empathize with the trials and tribulations of good-looking actors who have highly active sex lives.

This show got my attention in the first two episodes by bucking that trend in a manner I can buy. The protagonist, Valerie (arguably SNL's biggest firing mistake in history in Michaela Watkins) is an attractive divorcée in her late 30's with a sincere lack of confidence in herself. Sure, sex and dating are theoretically easy (her career is a successful psychiatrist proves that point) and obtainable for a woman who's willing to go out to a bar and take the first steps in propositioning a guy but if intimacy is a psychological problem, it can be more difficult in practice. Valerie's discomfort is just visceral which makes her lows relatable and will make her eventual highs (if she gets over her hang-ups) well-earned.

Her adult brother, Alex (Tommy Dewey), is equally filled with psychological hang-ups. He's been more successful in dating than his sister but he has a certain psychological distance from the whole thing. A good move on the show's part is to strip Alex of misogynist vibes: As a guy who wrote the algorithms of the dating site he's using, Alex simply feels that both men and women are overly predictable and that he's gamed the system. The pilot contains a double date (done in secret as Alex and Valerie are carpooling) which contains some relatable and truthful moments while also adding a whiff of comedy (lots of mileage to be mined out of Jill Latiano's fitness freak).

The relationship between Alex and Valerie is one of the stronger sibling portrayals on television at the moment.

Like many Jason Reitman films, this is a film with a blurred line between comedy and drama which isn't so bad considering the show portrays truth to it. One of the few shows centering on romance that's worth watching.

In the pilot episode, he condescendingly a woman for whom dating and sex isn't easy

I loved the first season which I would have rated an 8. The rating had to come down though for the remaining seasons - the decline was slow but real. I loved each of the three main characters to begin with, but Alex just started to drive me crazy and become really unlikeable in the subsequent seasons, esp 3 and 4. I was not rooting for him at all. Talk about an attention seeking narcissist! Similarly the daughter became as dull as dishwater as the series progressed. What made me see it all through until the end was the wonderful Michaela Watkins. I find her performances are always nuanced and her timing is fantastic (I know a lot of comic timing may be down to directors/editors etc, but I'm giving her credit). In conclusion, while I was watching the series finale, I was really itching for the episode to end so that I could leave the series behind me, a series which was only a shadow of its original self.