‘Casual’ Is A Beautiful Reminder That It’s Okay Not To Be Okay

No show exemplifies the term dramedy better than Casual. Now in its third season on Hulu, Zander Lehmann’s blisteringly honest series is an intimate kaleidoscope of humanity that mines an absurd amount of humor and pathos from the exhausting tribulations of day-to-day life. Following an unusually close, dysfunctional family, Casual normalizes the relatable feeling of inherent dissatisfaction by debunking the very fantasy of normal. Normal’s a facade; a con; a snapshot of fantasy that doesn’t exist outside of Hallmark, emotional coffee commercials, and the waning moments of TGIF sitcoms. With an abundance of sincerity, the series surgically lingers on the messy morass of complex human emotions.

It’s distinctly funny without being cartoony, honest without being manipulative, and a beautiful reminder that it’s okay not to be okay.

This criminally underseen series deserves recognition for making three ostensibly unlikable characters endearingly relatable: Alex (Tommy Dewey) is a narcissist, Valerie (Michaela Watkins) is selfish, and Laura (Tara Lynne Barr) sabotages anything in her life that comes close to resembling joy. But I’m so damn invested in their journey. I actively root for their happiness, which is a testament to both the writing staff and the actors.

There’s just something so inherently compelling about watching people struggle against their own default setting. These characters want to be happy; they strive to be better, but they often fall short. Sometimes they surprise themselves with their selflessness, and other times they’re true-blue garbage people. That’s life. It’s comforting to be reminded that nobody has it all figured out.

Except Leon, of course.

Casual shines a bright light on the difficult to diagnosis feeling of indiscriminate discontentment. During an April 2017 interview with Deadline, Michaela Watkins revealed how series creator Zander Lehmann told her that the series is about “people who should be happy because they seemingly have everything, but they’re just not.”

“I think that is very relatable,” Watkins said. “I think we all know that we should be grateful for all the wonderful things we have in this life, but sometimes there’s a chasm – just a dark pit. Because sometimes you don’t know how to access happiness.”

No series approaches melancholy with more grace, nuance, or humor. The characters deflect the deluge of middle fingers life will invariably throw your way with razor-sharp wit and acerbic one-liners. Alex, Valerie, and Laura are trying to be better. They desperately want to connect, but behind the veneer of confidence is a trove of insecurity that often thwarts their best efforts.

Sometimes, life is truly wonderful. Other times? Well, other times it’s only freaking Monday.

Casual is a show you either have zero interest in watching or are obsessed with sharing. It’s a refreshingly earnest series that lets you off the hook for not having all the answers. Sometimes you’re “Walking on Sunshine,” while other times you’re in more of a “Between the Bars” kinda mood.

Casual is an entertaining reminder that there’s beauty in both.

Stream Casual on Hulu