• Consequence
  • Music
  • Film
  • TV
  • Heavy
Menu Consequence
Menu Shop Search Newsletter
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Live
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Contest
Advertisement
  • TV
  • TV Reviews

Fleishman Is In Trouble Review: Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Empathetic, Intense Novel Brought To Life

Packed with emotions, the adaptation tackles life’s biggest questions

Fleishman Is In Trouble Review
A

Release Date

  • November 17, 2022

Cast

  • Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, Claire Danes, Adam Brody

Studio

  • FX

Where to Stream

  • Hulu
Advertisement
Jonah Krueger Follow
November 10, 2022 | 12:00pm ET

    The Pitch: It’s rough out there, and it seems to get rougher every day. Friendships decay, careers stall, and your dreams don’t come true – or they do, and then what? Maybe one day you wake up to find your now ex-wife has dropped off the kids at your new single-dad apartment before seemingly disappearing off the face of the earth. Such is the plight of Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg), a 41-year-old hepatologist in the process of adjusting to life after a failed marriage.

    Based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s 2019 novel of the same name, Fleishman Is In Trouble follows our titular character as he navigates his messy post-divorce life with help from his college friends Libby (Lizzy Caplan) and Seth (Adam Brody). What starts as a satirical take on modern online dating culture (especially for generations who haven’t grown up with it) slowly morphs over eight episodes into a deeply moving exploration of aging, self-identity, love, and life. In the end, it’s a story about everything.

    Fleishman Is In an Adaptation: Adapting a novel for the screen can be daunting: Just ask Stephen King or Charlie Kaufman. Fortunately, Brodesser-Akner was deeply involved in Fleishman Is In Trouble’s transformation, retaining showrunning duties, and as a result, the show translates the book’s tone and sense of humor remarkably well. Thanks to Brodesser-Akner and her creative partners (which includes Little Miss Sunshine directors Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton), the blood of the show is pumped by the heart of its source material.

    Advertisement
    Related Video

    Whether it’s the product of its creators or the difficult task of adapting the written word, Fleishman Is In Trouble is intensely literary. For one, Lizzy Caplan’s Libby narrates the entirety of the show, and her presentation of the story is omnipresent, beautifully crafted, and philosophically curious. She dives into the thoughts of herself and her friends, musing over motivations and implications in a way that’s akin to a New Yorker profile, which is fitting considering her character is a former magazine writer and Brodesser-Akner herself is a celebrated contributor to GQ and The New York Times.

    The content of each episode comes across with the depth of a multi-hundred-page novel as well. Literary devices abound, from recurring metaphors to constant symbolism. The series strings together a web of themes connected by returning concepts and physical objects: the liver, the block universe, vantablack, oxygen mask etiquette, and much, much more. Can it be a little obvious? Sure. But it undeniably resonates, contributing to the show’s breadth of emotion and unanswerable questions.

    FX-Isms: Of course, this iteration of Fleishman Is In Trouble is not a book, it’s a show – a show on FX nonetheless, a network now known for housing some of the most inventive, visually creative television in recent memory. Obvious examples like Atlanta, Fargo, or the best moments of American Horror Story come to mind. As such, Fleishman Is In Trouble is right at home, supplementing its exquisitely written teleplay with engaging, CGI-enhanced visuals melding together time and space.

    Advertisement

    Fleishman Is In Trouble Review

    Fleishman Is In Trouble (FX)

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
Advertisement

More on this topic

  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Jesse Eisenberg
  • Lizzy Caplan
  • TV Adaptation

Sign up for updates

Subscribe to our email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.

Advertisement

Popular Stories

quavo offset fight grammys 2023 takeoff tribute in memoriam

Music

Quavo and Offset Got into Physical Fight over Takeoff Tribute at 2023 Grammys: Report

ozzy workday super bowl commercial

Heavy Consequence

Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, Paul Stanley, and Joan Jett Star in Workday's "Rock Star" Super Bowl Ad: Watch

Advertisement

Stay Chill with Koast's Full Spectrum CBD + Delta-8 Gummies

Stay Chill with Koast's Full Spectrum CBD + Delta-8 Gummies

AMC Theaters Will Price Movie Tickets Based on Seat Location

Film

AMC Theaters Will Price Movie Tickets Based on Seat Location

Jack Black in History of the World Pt 2

TV

Jack Black is a Singing Stalin in Trailer for Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part II

Latest Stories

Not Dead Yet Review Gina Rodriguez

Not Dead Yet Review: Gina Rodriguez Charms in ABC Supernatural Comedy

February 2, 2023

Sundance 2023 Film Reviews

Sundance 2023 Review Roundup: The Best Films We Saw This Year

January 30, 2023

shrinking harrison ford jason segel

Shrinking Review: New Apple TV+ Series Deftly Explores The Intersection of Grief and Humor

January 26, 2023

Poker Face Review Natasha Lyonne

Poker Face Review: Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne Deliver a Brilliant Fresh Take on a Classic Genre

January 25, 2023

willie nelson

Willie Nelson & Family Is A Faithful But Long-Winded Portrait of An American Icon: Sundance Review

January 24, 2023

Netflix That 90s Show Feature Image

That '90s Show Review: A Sweet, Low-Stakes Revival of a Tried-and-True Formula

January 19, 2023

Hunters Season 2 Review

Hunters Season 2 Review: An Uneven, But Never Boring, Conclusion to the Prime Video Series

January 12, 2023

Last of Us HBO Review

The Last of Us Review: HBO's Video Game Adaptation Is Too Loyal to Its Source Material

January 10, 2023

Advertisement

News

  • Music
  • New Music
  • Album Streams
  • Upcoming Releases
  • Tours
  • Film
  • TV
  • Pop Culture

Reviews

  • Music Reviews
  • Film Reviews
  • TV Reviews
  • Concert Reviews
  • Festival Reviews

Features

  • Editorials
  • Interviews
  • Cover Stories
  • Lists
  • Guides
  • CoSign
  • Song of the Week

Live

  • Tickets
  • Festival News
  • Tour Dates
  • Photo Galleries
  • Music Instruments & Gear

Heavy

  • News
  • Interviews
  • Concerts

More

  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Wellness
  • Giveaways

Other sites

  • Heavy Consequence
  • Consequence Media
  • Modern Drummer
  • About
  • Privacy policy
  • Advertising
  • Work For Us
  • Terms
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Download our app

  • Get it on the App Store
  • Get it on Google Play
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitch
  • Tiktok
Consequence
Current story

Fleishman Is In Trouble Review: Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Empathetic, Intense Novel Brought To Life

Menu Shop Search Newsletter
Consequence
News
  • News
  • Music
  • New Music
  • Album Streams
  • Upcoming Releases
  • Tours
  • Film
  • TV
  • Pop Culture
Reviews
  • Music Reviews
  • Film Reviews
  • TV Reviews
  • Concert Reviews
  • Festival Reviews
Features
  • All Features
  • Editorials
  • Interviews
  • Cover Stories
  • Lists
  • Guides
  • CoSign
  • Song of the Week
Live
  • Tickets
  • Festival News
  • Tour Dates
  • Photo Galleries
  • Music Instruments & Gear
Podcasts
  • The Opus
  • Kyle Meredith With...
  • Stanning BTS
  • The Story Behind the Song
  • The What
  • Going There with Dr. Mike
  • The Rome and Duddy Show
Videos
  • Interviews
  • Two for the Road
  • First Time I Heard
  • When I Made
  • Battle of the Bandmates
  • Peer 2 Peer
  • Essays
  • Fan Theories
Heavy
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Concerts
  • Premieres
  • Culture
  • Beyond the Boys Club
  • Mining Metal
Shop
  • Shop
  • Giveaways

Follow Consequence

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitch
  • Tiktok
Close
Close
 

Loading Comments...