Summer watchlist: Watch the 25 hottest new shows of the season
By Sundi Rose
Flaked. Image is a production still. Via: Adam Rose/Netflix
Flaked – June 2
Starring: Will Arnett, Ruth Kearney, and David Sullivan
Premise: Flaked is another addition in the “tortured antihero behaving badly, but still beloved by everyone” genre. Arnett plays Chip, a recovering alcoholic and Venice Beach resident, who prides himself on being super Zen and chill about his whole life. Spoiler: he’s not.
He’s actually pretty neurotic and troubled, and sometimes hard to like. However, Arnett plays him with enough faux-bravado and false “aww shucks” that you feel kind of sorry for him. You want to root for him, even when he’s actively working against his own self interest.
The show is self-reflective enough to acknowledge that we shouldn’t really be laughing at what a trainwreck Chip is, but aware enough to know that we are. So, Chip continually insinuates him in self destructive situations that make us laugh at him, not with him.
The buzz: Again, it’s mixed. Some critics are fed up with the saturation of tortured, white guy narratives, and Flaked definitely fits into this genre. However. it has enough charisma to charm the pants right off of you, which fits right into the womanizing main character’s reason to be.
Where to watch: Season 1 is available now on Netflix. Season 2 premieres June 2.