Easy

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.

I think this show is... if anything, real. The characters are genuine and dynamic - BUT! WAIT!!! They're TOO 'normal' or 'average' or dare I say "boring".... welllllll most people are a little boring. This doesn't make them any less interesting to watch, because boring doesn't mean they don't have something to say. You need to watch it for the interactions, authentic dialogue in a variety of settings and awkward situations. Such is life.

Some have said it's "boring" or "unwatchable" and there should be more "excitement" which I don't fully understand.... What do you expect from a show that focuses on relationships and the concept that "love isn't *easy*" to involve? Paternity tests? Violent murders? Dragons? There's tons of that already. This is something new: it's looking into complex relationships in a really simple and relatable way.

Also, by complex relationships I mean: feminists becoming hookers, open marriages, the-one-that-got-away appearing on the doorstep of the apartment you share with your partner, happy couples seeking a third on Tinder, affluent neighbours coming together to become Big Brother, and lots and lots and LOTS of sex) - I mean these don't sound like boring storylines to me but hey. I like it, so I'm biased.

I think it's easy to watch and it's not afraid to broach taboo subjects, like say - 'gang-bang fantasies', and maybe some don't like to see what's behind the curtain.

For someone like me who likes slow books and films that don't have you on the edge of your seat, desperate to reach the "big fight scene" - but have you there to watch, to enjoy, to think, to question.

Easy to watch. Really good acting. You recognize a lot of things in your own life. It's easy, makes you smile and makes you think about your relationship. And the threesome episode was a surprise on more levels. It's also fun that the episodes are standing by themselves, but that some characters are seen in more episodes. Also, I love that some subjects are still taboo. It makes you think outside the box. Only some parts are a bit boring. You can let it on on the background and do some housework.

Nice way to spend your evening. Absolute Netflix and chill ( sometimes even with the " dirty" parts)

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

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!