One Mississippi

Brilliant scripts serve and the foundation for this pitch-perfect melancomedy that is the best series released in years. Working from the essential premise of tragedy + time = comedy, but only in expert hands, the production team and actors deliver standard family sitcom clichés in a completely new and "audience respectful" way. It's pure comedy professionalism at its best. A mom dies, a cat gets out, the crazy relatives come over, dating fiascos occur, but none of these tropes unfold with bad laugh tracks, phoned-in-performances, or predictable dialog. Gorgeous pauses of reflection, like setting up a song choice or waiting in a room, become moments in their own right, waiting for the next connection where characters figure out how to get through life together with soft clicks of human empathy. The audience can enjoy the moment without loud or overwrought performances substituting for drama. Laugh internally or externally, it's your choice but you will laugh even if it's just out of recognition. And refreshingly, Tig Notaro embraces her physical self in all forms - scarred, sexual, tired, embarrassed, intertwined and separate - both literally and figuratively. We rarely get to see that from women's roles on screen let along cancer survivors. Bravo, too, to the amazing cast. The real heart of the conflict and soul of this series isn't romantic or health struggles but Tig's evolving ties and confusion relating to her family particularly her step-father who's always called Bill. Jonathan Rothman is unbelievably perfect as Bill delivering the "dad" performance not as a silly or troubled social misfit or OCD outcast as so many shows are doing these days. His quiet tension and reserved paternal love is the perfect balance to Tig's neediness left in the void of her mother's loss, the loss of hugs and rocking in her lap for comfort. You keep hoping both of them could just learn to love the other just as they are ... and then they do, in small ways, even for just a moment, sometimes by asking about tuberculosis. Bonding moments come in strange ways. One Mississippi reminds us to grab them however they come.

What a fantastic representation of love in so many ways. A true "Love Actually" for today's world. Humorous, real, and completely relatable.

The chemistry of all the actors is on point. Yes, a dark comedy for sure but with an honest feeling to it. It's not spiteful or biting, the characters accept each other for who they really are and where they are at in life.

Will likely rewatch at some point.

I kept seeing the banner ad for this on Amazon Prime but it didn't really appeal to me when I read the synopsis as I lately want to watch things that are uplifting or exciting to take me away from it all but the yellow wallpaper on the show cover image intrigued me as I felt it surely must be a nod to Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It certainly is. I'm so glad I've started watching this series, I've watched two episodes now. It's just beautiful. I find Tig mesmerising. I hadn't heard of her before so after loving the pilot I googled her; One Mississippi is a kind of fictionalised version of her life. It's so delicate and raw and very funny. It is actually uplifting too. The soundtrack is wonderful. If you want to watch something complex, beguiling and different that's life affirming and will make you laugh out loud choose this. Gorgeous.

The show is well done but rather sad, as I like to say"if I want to deal with reality I will go out the door"

But if you like this type of show it is worth watching.

One thing I do get tired of hearing is said by a previous review in that anybody who doesn't like it needs to grow a brain ,how sad we are not allowed in this day and age to have conflicting views without being called stupid by the self righteous.

Please God keep making this show. And by God I mean Amazon. You have a proved show runner in Louis CK and the best long form stand up since Carlin in Tig Notaro. Give the show air and it will bring you awards. This will bring meaningful story and gut laughs to the masses. One Mississippi reads like beautiful, delicious creative nonfiction that you know has truthiness but is just enough fiction to temper the impact. How often do people actually deal with real suffering and pain in comedy? What else in the pilot class has this depth? Also, I just want an excuse to listen to "On the Bayou" as often as possible. Tig Notaro is funny, like really funny, but she's also one of the most important storytellers of her generation.

Please Keep Making This Show. Please and thank you.