Brandon Winchester
At the dawn of the streaming era, Netflix had only three ‘Netflix Originals’ (Lillyhammer, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black), now they have hundreds. With that many pieces of television, shows go undetected by the mainstream. As a result, competition from even the same streaming service steal from the viewership some shows should be getting. Niche shows like American Vandal, Sense8 and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance all suffered from this lack of viewership. Despite critical adoration their inability to fall in line with the cultural zeitgeist resulted in each show’s premature cancelation.
With I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Netflix has yet another terrific show going unrecognized by the masses. While not the darling that is Stranger Things or The Crown, I Think You Should Leave succeeds in its goal of being hilarious.
This sketch series, fueled by creators Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, revolves around numerous characters (usually played by creator Robinson) dealing with embarrassing situations. While definitely absurdist in parts, the humor comes from a real place as characters struggle socializing or admitting their faults.
In the vein of SNL Digital Shorts, these sequences are often gags centering around one obscene joke. The series utilizes the audiences understanding of the world to create a deeper connection to the manic characters in the show. In fact, it features themes regarding one’s loneliness and need for validation in a world devoured by social media.
Embarrassment today is broadcast universally by technology instead of being forgotten about following the event’s occurrence. I Think You Should Leave comments on this anxiety in a way that can be hilariously cringeworthy, while at the same time being sweet and sentimental. It’s incredible.
Part of this is due to Robinson’s excellent comedic timing and line delivery. It catapults back and forth between him yelling and speaking in quiet whispers. His melodramatic delivery paired with the deadpan style of his costars highlights the farcical randomness of the show’s dialogue.
Having popular actors like Steven Yeun, Paul Walter Hauser and Bob Odenkirk show up from time to time surely doesn’t hurt either.
With there only 12 episodes at around 16 minutes a piece, it makes for a fairly easy binge as well. Each episode goes by quickly resulting in a high rewatchability factor that could have viewers quoting the show for weeks.
Specific sketches such as “Gift Receipt”,”Brian’s Hat” and “Cursed Ghost Tour” really stood out among the rest. They were all able to deliver mile a minute laughs which goes a long way given the show’s short runtime.
Now the show may get on the nerves of some audiences for its loud, brash humor (which does occasionally miss), but it is undeniably one of the most underappreciated shows on television and deserves some extra love.
Let’s all hope that a Season 3 is right around the corner for I Think You Should Leave.
SCORE: ★★★1/2
The trailer for Seasons 1 and 2 of I Think You Should Leave can be viewed below:
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