It's clear that people generally either love this show or hate it. I enjoy the avant-garde premise, the impulsive decision-making, the vacillation between being completely caught up in a heady and dangerous romantic assignation. The show is intentionally quirky and it's refreshing to see out of the box creativity. The situations no matter how unlikely or far-fetched create drama and comedy. It's not like we need another series about big city police firefighters or medical workers, those have all been done so much it's trite. The acting is great and feels authentic despite the absurdity of the circumstances. Some complain that a woman wouldn't walk away from her children. Others complain that she switches from being all in to being conflicted. And still others want to judge it because it lacks a wholesome Christian message. To this people I say, you need to get out more. People do abandon their families for selfish reasons, people do carry torches for old flames and some of them destroy their marriage because of it. Those people need a reality check and should ask their partner if s/he has reconnected with an ex from way back via social media. Regardless of their answer there's a very high likelihood that the true answer is yes. Is a story that dares to acknowledge the truth that life-long pair bonding is unnatural and the denial of biological drive encoded in our genes for sexual variety is an artificial construct forced upon society ground breaking? Sure. Is it beyond the realm of possibility or stranger than existing examples of human behavior, absolutely NOT! Now, I totally understand how those with little imagination or who are fearful that their significant other is unhappy because they settled for someone boring and uncreative and is therefore a potential flight risk makes some viewers uncomfortable, but that doesn't make this show bad. It simply means that people have been so indoctrinated with dogma that they judge everything based on an anticipated "morale" at the end of the story even though the word is spelled "moral". This is not meant to be Biblical parable, it's it dogma it's art. It's purpose is to entertain, not to teach lessons of morality. Did these folks dislike Taxi Driver because their Uber driver "wouldn't act like that"? Did they watch the award winning Schindler's List and rail against it because they've never known someone who tried to thwart genocide? Was the Diary of Anne Frank far-fetched because people don't stay locked away for long periods of time without going out? The story is a zany "what if" project and one that's fun and well-produced at that. If you can't set aside you Judeo-Christian judgement to enjoy some entertainment then just go to church and don't bother. As for the person who complained that Merritt Wever is unbelievable as a sexy lead I say she's not supposed to be a sex bomb. They didn't cast Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson to play these roles, they picked normal looking people because that's what they are portraying. As a man, I personally applaud the casting decision because Merritt Wever looks real. She doesn't look like plastic-filled, Botox paralyzed, glammed-up Hollywood mannequin which is perfect for this role. This character is a woman trapped in what is most likely a dull, unromantic, spiceless, and undersexed marriage for 15-years. She's sacrifices her youth and her body for her family and she feels suffocated. I would ask for a show of hands who knows that feeling, but I don't want cell phones crashing to the floor as 50 million women eagerly shoot both hands in the air in answer to the question. This character is awkward, conflicted, scared, uncertain, and incredulous at her own behavior. She is also very plausibly body conscious because she hasn't been naked in front of anyone other than her husband in a decade and a half and the last time this particular guy saw her naked, she was a childless 18 year old in her prime. Is selfishness, emotional instability, body consciousness and cheating only for the perfect people? Of course not, anyone can be those things and I think she represents this fictional character pretty faithfully while still being absurdly neurotic, assertive and self-conscious all at the same time. People are not one dimensional like they are portrayed in many projects we are complex. Women can be beautiful, flawed, self-confident, racked with guilt or doubt, beaten down, and strongly independent. Many can even be all those things at the same time. That's what this farcical romp is about. So check your high-horse at the door and let yourself be entertained without looking for a "morale" at the end. not all poetry rhymes and not all stories need to reinforce the dogma of our constructive belief systems. You can sometimes jump in your car without a destination in mind and sometimes stories don't need to be neatly wrapped with a ribbon and a card that says "good people do this". Sometimes a car ride is just a drive. Try to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
