Yes, There’s So Much TV to Watch, But Seriously Binge and Enjoy “This Fool” Right Now
Whether it’s The Bear or A League of Their Own or delving into all of Stranger Things once more because you’re obsessed, there is an abundance, perhaps an overabundance of TV to enjoy/work through in your weekly syllabus to keep up with the never ending class that so much of are in, Pop Culture 101. It’s clear this current “Golden Age of Television” is alive and well and has plenty more to give (we have no doubt that people are planning watch parties for The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon already).
One of the brand new series that’s keeping prestige TV going is This Fool, just released on Hulu. The creators of Corporate on Comedy Central, Jake Weisman, Matt Ingebretson, and Pat Bishop, teamed up with one of the LA comedy scene’s gem Chris Estrada to make a show that is uniquely it’s own single-cam sitcom version of how the other half lives in LA these days while maintaining a lot of the same darkly satirical verve that made Corporate so tantalizingly funny (Jake and Matt do make a cameo in This Fool, FYI).
Following an arc of the absurdities of trying to adapt to life after being incarcerated isn’t new territory for a comedy, but nearly every character in the show is fully realized in a way that offers nuance you probably wouldn’t find in a multi-cam with overlapping themes. In fact, such painstaking attention is paid to Frankie Quinones’ Luis, fresh out of prison and thrashing against life on the outside amidst adapting to it, and Michael Imperioli’s Minister Payne, the head of the show’s non-profit “Hugs Not Thugs” dedicated to reforming the formerly incarcerated that the show ends up sneaking in sharp commentary on prison, class, race, and mental health. That’s saying a lot for something is very much a pure comedy as opposed to the deluge of dramedies that keep coming out, hoping for an Emmy victory.
The authenticity of the show can’t be applauded enough. With Estrada’s life/stand-up serving as much of the spark, there is a clear telling of an original story from his perspective rather than another network trying to check off a diversity and inclusion box. In short, there isn’t a corny, performative feel to how the show has been crafted and its depictions of LA either South of the 10 or East of the 101. This seems to be quite the tall order these days at the network level. Also, Quinones, Imperioli, Estrada himself serve up such genuine performances that you can’t help but get enveloped in their endlessly flawed journey.
You can take a gander at all of this in the trailer here OR you can go stream all episodes right now at Hulu (a thing we highly recommend you do even if you feel like you’re overdoing it on prestige television).
