The show has always had a good backbone. Pamela Adlon, to begin with, has been around in the industry since 1982, and Louis C.K., the co-creator of Better Things, is no newbie either. The two managed to create a TV show that’s really solid and purposeful. The first season of the series showed us all what Adlon can really do in front of and behind the camera. She’s turned a regular story into something that feels a bit larger than life in its own way. Better Things may not be on the top of many people’s list to watch, but it should be and here are some reasons why.
We go back to Adlon again because of her role in the series. Adlon plays Sam Fox, a single mom to three girls. That alone sounds horrifying, but add the fact that she’s also an actress and her mother lives across the street. Yeah. The angles for drama are limitless, and that’s exactly what we see on the show. Except that there’s a comical quality to it that makes problems seem laughable yet real. The main character is so strong and so driven; it’s difficult not to admire her despite of her apparent character flaws. Sam Fox is a woman that knows who she is and knows exactly what she wants, but she’s obviously tired. She’s tired because everyone wants something from her–her girls, her mother, the guys she dates, and the entire world as it may seem at times. But isn’t that what all moms or dads feel all the time?
The ambition is there for the show, and it continuous to reach for it. The show has characters that are driven and not looking for pity from us. It isn’t just Adlon’s character either. The daughters each have their own personalities and the actors that play them are impressive to say the least. Each daughter is portrayed in a way that’s realistic, not like many of the shows today that feature kids that are either doing way too much for their age or just not doing anything at all. Better Things gives off the perfect balance and paints a realistic picture of how life would be in a single-parent household.
If not for the characters and plot lines of the show, you should watch it because it’s just entertaining. The Fox family dynamic of girls is just everything you can possibly imagine it to be. It’s funny and it’s dramatic. It’s loud and soft at the same time. It’s brutal yet unbelievably honest. It’s ugly and beautiful together in one show. If you’re looking for heroes on a platform doing or achieving things that are actually incredulous, this isn’t the show for you. But if there’s one show that will tell you as it is and show you how normal people get on in the most extraordinary ways, it’ll be Better Things. For what it’s worth, you’ll have plenty of laughs watching the show, but you’ll also have plenty of lessons to pick up along the way.
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