Type: TV Show
Score: 6.5/10
High highs but really hit or miss in my opinion. This show has many, many of the funniest moments I've seen on TV but at the same time every great episode seems to be spaced out by a shit episode. The whole show is walking a very tight line between being painful to watch and hilarious and honestly many of the episodes, especially those in the first few seasons were just so dry of anything remotely funny. Honestly the entire first season was a shit show, it was way too meanspirited which I don't have a problem with implicitly, I mean the implication scene was super funny and that was dark as shit but I only found it to be funny because it was felt like it was leaning into being silly with Mac's interruptions and Dennis yelling at that old lady. Some of the episodes near the start though were just the gang being evil assholes without enough pushback coming their way imo. Didn't help that Dee hadn't really transformed into the batshit insane version of herself that she is now so she was infinitely less interesting and funny than she is now.
After Frank's breakdown was really when the show started to pick up for me, the whole group dynamic was almost in the place it is now so I felt like jokes just kind of played better with the chemistry between the gang. These days the show is dragging a bit for me though any show would after 16 seasons, it's clearly becoming increasingly more difficult for the writers to think up ways to change the formula they've been using for almost two decades but somehow they still plan on having two more seasons which I'm a little worried about to be honest (though some of the COVID era episodes were great so maybe it won't be two terrible). I can appreciate though how there are some more real moments in the later seasons too, Mac being gay now honestly came off really well to me at least and didn't feel as performative as some other shows I've seen do things relating to politically relevant topics (looking at you Brookyn 99). I don't care what stupid people on Reddit say you can't make me hate this moment, it was pretentious and bizarre and out of character and it was a beautiful fuckin moment of television fuck all of yall some of you guys don't have emotions. I'd have been pissed off if that scene got played for laughs and later on him coming out over and over does get played for laughs so everyone gets what they want, it's pissing me off thinking about how this episode pissed people off. I also really like the scene of Charlie breaking down about his dad in season 15, it was a performance I hadn't expected from this show but it was passionate and just a really strong showing from the actor playing him so I didn't even mind it being over the top dramatic with the pouring rain and bagpipes. If you had just shown me the first season I'd never have expected such a moment, even manages to be funny too. Truly the show of all time, best watched in the form of compilations on Youtube.