Easy

I usually get bored at the TV series format. A short script made long to fit one, hopefully two seasons when there probably wasn't enough material for the 90 minutes of a feature film. With easy things are different. I get back to the old series where the theme was bounding the episodes together and not the same cast chasing their own tail waiting for the season finale to shout "Gotcha!" The episodes are independent here.

The acting is also surprisingly natural. Usually the TV series get the ones who failed in movies. That combined with the diluted story and everything is fine if you go take the water out of the fridge as not much has changed. And in Easy things are beyond screen natural and almost like watching the people at the next table in a restaurant at lunch.

This is about snapshots. There aren't true stories in. Finally the snapshots are about today. As even movies seem to have a board of old white men who want to resonate with the story, meaning action set for "now" is happening more like 20 years ago. Easy is about today: phone apps and all.

Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.ch

An easy going anthology that's about the everyday lives of people in Chicago, and how they navigate relationships or the role sex (or lack thereof) plays in their lives.

I wouldn't call it particularly engaging, but I also don't know that it's meant to be. There's something comforting about the normalcy found in the diversity of situations. It's also just really nice background watching while I'm working.

The comparisons to High Maintenance are obvious so comparing them, I feel like this show could do a better job of showcasing Chicago. Chicago seems to be experiencing a bit of a renaissance lately in the arts and media, and I was hoping to see some of that here. When you watch High Maintenance you can almost smell the city, you can feel it breathe through you. I'm only a season in but I haven't really felt that yet.

If like me and many other viewers you thought the first season fell just short of being a compelling show, here's some good news. Season 2 brings better stories and acting, while keeping the same style and great cast as the previous episodes. I'm impressed by Joe Swanberg's growth as a TV director and his capacity as a screenwriter to come up with conflicts that are consistently relatable and thought provoking. If you hated the first season though, you're probably better ignoring this one.

This series is as underrated as it is, so I hate the idea that people make come here and be underwhelmed by a 6.8, however that seems to be the general consensus here.

Well, its wrong! This series is amazing! An anthology that returns to old episodes featuring actors that you will be very familiar with that perform a stunning job in the 30 minutes they have (in that specific episode).

Please read the professional reviews of season three and you will see across the board they're all positive and shine on this show. The creator holds no punches, so it is rather raw, so to speak. Its engaging, hilarious, and real! Watch it

I don't believe I've ever reviewed an anthology-type of series, and find it challenging. Out of 25 episodes, several should have been completely left out, several more were "OK"......but not inspiring, and 4 were not only great, but exceptional. Unless you have 12-14 hours to kill and want to watch EVERYTHING.....I'm going to recommend something I never have before. Watch only the four GREAT episodes. They revolve around a couple with two children. Kyle (Michael Chernus) is a stay-at-home father, who is also a stage actor and (as yet) unsuccessful playwright. Andi (Elizabeth Reaser) is his wife, who has an apparently successful career, and is the family's breadwinner. They seem to be a happy couple, but there's trouble in paradise.

I don't want to elaborate with any spoilers, but the "problems" they experience are very typical of people in a long-term relationship, although they decide on an ATYPICAL solution, that ultimately brings even more unhappiness. (at least to one of them) The writer of this film examines many modern dilemmas of marriage, and how unexpected consequences can rear their ugly heads. The episodes I recommend are.....Season One, episode 1, Season Two, episode 2, and Season 3, episodes 1 and 5. They are about 2 1/2 hours in total, and if they were a single film, I would give them a 12 out of 10 rating. (yes, a TWELVE.....they're that good) That said, I gave the entire series a 7....meaning some episodes only earned a 4 or 5.

I can't praise Elizabeth Reaser and Michael Chernus enough!