The Chair

As a young faculty member, and woman this pressure really happens, and for the first time I see my self in a show.

I do wished it was longer, it feels like they rushed it and squeeze it in only 6 episodes.

Finally, a show that's not about cops, crime, zombies, etc.

I am a department chair at a college, so I was thrilled to see Sandra Oh star in a show that about the (sometimes) thankless job of management. Ms. Oh delivers a terrific performance and provides enough comedy and vulnerability to hold the audience's attention.

The first episode is hilarious and showcases some of the ridiculous processes that are pervasive in higher ed. Yes, administration is worried about enrollment (true for most colleges today except for the very elite). Yes, there are old-fogey professors who refuse to change with the times and think student evals are a waste of time. Yes, there is pettiness among faculty who hold PhDs but cannot agree on a simple decision. And yes, this generation's college students are more apt to hold faculty and administration accountable for meeting their needs. The worst thing you can say about a professor is that they are . . . Boring.

The side characters are very colorful, especially scene-stealing Holland Taylor (who plays a hilariously bitter older professor), Everyly Carganilla (who plays Sandra Oh's adopted daughter), and Nanah Mensah (who plays a talented young professor seeking ever-elusive tenure).

Beyond the first episode, the series falls into rom-com, which is charming if unrealistic. There is some nice chemistry between Sandra Oh and Jay Duplass, but the relationship does not have much chance to develop in 6 episodes. So, it will be interesting to see if the series renews so it can be explored.

It's been awhile since a comedy about higher ed has been featured, so this is a welcome change.

I recognize that this is a comedy, not a documentary.

Still, how can a show that's *so* spot-on in its casting, its writing, ts grasp of the issues roiling 2021 campus life, and (the issue closest to my heart) its understanding of the many ridiculous demands placed on department chairs, be so spectacularly or willfully out-of-touch when it comes to its portrayals of:

• gender disparity (a humanities department that's almost all male -- seriously?),
• age (a faculty with almost no one below retirement age -- seriously?), and, especially,
• costumes (professors wearing suits, ties, or jackets with elbow patches - elbow patches? In the 21st century? Are you f'ing kidding me? -- when teaching or when attending faculty meetings) ?

Seriously?

I love Sandra Oh & the rest of the cast was great, too. It's wonderful seeing a show discussing race & class & privilege in the workplace. I also enjoyed seeing the older actors with interesting storylines & doing comedy, too. Finally, the adoption story was very engaging and something I hadn't seen before. I thought it wrapped up nicely while still leaving room for a second season.