I’m Not Sure What I Saw
I don’t watch much television, so I was intrigued when Eric wrote to tell me that he thought I should watch The Chair Company, Tim Robinson’s new show on HBO Max. Given what he could tell about my sense of humor, he said, I might like it.
So I looked it up. Eight 30-minute episodes didn’t seem like a huge commitment so I watched season one over the course of a recent rainy weekend.
I’m still not sure what I saw.
First, if Eric thought I would enjoy The Chair Company given “my sense of humor,” I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. Maybe both? A complisult?
I’m also not sure the show is even a comedy. I mean, I went into it thinking it was, so maybe that skewed my perception. But it’s really more of an absurdist thriller? Like something Camus or Ionesco might have set in Columbus, Ohio.
The whole show seems to be encapsulated by a line from the protagonist (antihero?) Ron Trosper’s assistant, Jamie: “There’s a darkness to you, Ron,” she says to him, “but there’s also a light.” And I think that’s what the show is ultimately going to boil down to – how grudges and insecurity can destroy otherwise well-intentioned people from the inside. But…no spoilers.
Anyway, I laughed, cringed, was frequently confused, thought I got it, then lost it, and now can’t stop thinking about it. Needless to say, I’ll be tuning in to season two. Give it a watch and let me know what you think.
Have a great weekend.
– Tim
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