The Characters

The first episode was like several bad SNL skits in a row. The second one was like several marginally better SNL skits in a row. That's as far as I could go. Sketch comedy is hard, which is why only about one in five SNL skits is worth watching. Key and Peele was the only sketch show I found to be consistent and even that was hard to watch at times.

I don't think it's because the people aren't talented at all...but the comedy is sad and upsetting rather than funny. There's no joy. One reviewer said "unknowns shouldn't get a show." Boy, is that dumb - everyone funny was unknown to begin with.

I think the problem is that having these performers literally act out the characters that they probably do in flashes in stand up just doesn't work - it lacks imagination. Plus there's a kind of essential mean-spirited nastiness that doesn't work with costumes and full make up. So much of it is downright offensive.

Such a shame for the performers. I hope they get beyond this - keep doing the stand-up, aren't made to write full blown scripts for themselves...what a mess.

All the episodes are very different and very creative. About half I didn't really laugh at (Downs after the opening sketch, Berlant, Dr Brown, most of Rothwell), but the others either amused or at least engaged me. They're all worth at least sampling though.

I'm going to try to keep this short, so I'll just say that I think the show is very lacking. For a comedy it lacks laughs, and it seems to mistake awkwardness/absurdity with humor. Those things can be funny, but just showing a bunch of arrogant and self- absorbed characters being arrogant and self-absorbed isn't funny in itself. The episodes just kinda drag on and the characters being played are so unlikeable that it's hard to smile at, let alone laugh.

Someone in the message boards said it best when calling it cringe comedy, but not in a good way. For me it just came off a lot as ironically pretentious.

I watched the 1st episode, most of the 2nd, and the beginning of the 3rd, then just skipped to Tim Robinson's episode (I'm a fan of his other show I Think You Should Leave) because this show felt mostly unbearable to watch. I'm pretty sure I didn't really laugh until Tim Robinson's episode. Most of these comedians don't fare as well in the format of the show, and their ability to make a character automatically funny is lacking. And that's a pretty important ability on this show, because the jokes are largely not present. So it ends up being a parade of dislikable characters. It's a shame. Tim Robinson does a good job in his episode (though the first skit took a little longer than I would like to get off the ground). It's just a form of comedy that not every comedian can pull off, and this show proves that.