Better Things

:

Season 4
  • Network: FX
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 8, 2016
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 23
  3. Negative: 2 out of 23
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User Reviews

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  1. Darek100
    May 7, 2020
    4
    This season has lost me after I've been an avid watcher. The daughters are written meaner with each season...credit to the actors who portray Sam's daughters because they're believably mean...discredit to the writers for making me dislike them to the point I don't want to watch anymore. Switch the focus back to the adults and leave the kids in the background instead of making them smarterThis season has lost me after I've been an avid watcher. The daughters are written meaner with each season...credit to the actors who portray Sam's daughters because they're believably mean...discredit to the writers for making me dislike them to the point I don't want to watch anymore. Switch the focus back to the adults and leave the kids in the background instead of making them smarter than the adults.… Expand
  2. bobbymcd
    Jun 21, 2020
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is just lazy show making. No plot, poor dialogue, even the actors give bad performances, and we know they can be good. It's as if Pamela is just shoveling this out and can't be bothered to do a second draft of the script or get one more take when shooting. I'm betting she excuses it by saying it's more real with the imperfections left in, but it just comes across as amateurish.

    On top of all that it's becoming increasingly clear how vapid and superficial the characters are. We lost count after a while at how many times the show commented on the visual beauty of female characters this season. It is CONSTANT. There is alot of internalized misogyny in this show and it used to be so different. Seasons 1 and 2 were some of our favorite TV shows of all time, but the show keeps stumbling to new depths.

    Plus not a single positive romantic relationship can be found anywhere in the show. It's as if they don't exist. If this season is a reflection of Pamela Adlon's inner psyche, well, it's a scary place to visit. It also feels like something that would have been fresh in 2003. Not so much in 2020. It took ten really bad episodes to finally get us to the point of realizing that this show is regressive, especially in it's view of women. It comes off like an older baby boomer who thinks they're "with it".

    Phyllis is still amazing, partly because Celia Imrie can do so much without words. It means poor scripts don't hamper her as much as the rest of the cast. But it's been a shame to see characters like Frankie become so bland and outright dumb. Do you really think a character like that who has been so intelligent and thoughtful would want a quinceañera to honor the "people of the land she lives in"? I think it's way more likely she would have known that the Spanish colonized the land she lives in and sought out some indigenous connection. That's just one big example of details that aren't thought through in this season.

    This all reminds me of the film Booksmart, which had a great cast and was supposed to be modern and smart about the way teenage girls see themselves and the world at this moment in time, but the script was actually re-written by an older woman (i forget if she was the exec producer or what) who is hopelessly out of touch and it ended up seeming dumb and clueless, especially about gender, class, and race.

    Pamela needs some new writers and someone on set not afraid to tell her that a scene isn't working. There is still a ton of talent there, we just want to see it used more effectively.    … Expand
  3. crony
    Jul 11, 2020
    10
    Not your average family, and not your average sitcom.It's very funny, but it is also real, with moments of poignancy. There are moments that are truly surprising; the lack of hackneyed, formulaic writing is refreshing. So is the absence of precious kid scenes. The child actors are quite accomplished,and the stories are relatable, even though Sam, the mom, struggles with a career most of usNot your average family, and not your average sitcom.It's very funny, but it is also real, with moments of poignancy. There are moments that are truly surprising; the lack of hackneyed, formulaic writing is refreshing. So is the absence of precious kid scenes. The child actors are quite accomplished,and the stories are relatable, even though Sam, the mom, struggles with a career most of us only fantasized about, she definitely struggles. Mostly, though, and again, it is FUNNY. In this current atmosphere, which is riddled with angst, and various social issues, funny seems in short supply. But not here! Louis C K's hand is lighter than expected, and sometimes almost gentle. All tolled, this is a terrifically fun ride.… Expand
  4. Ali_Marashian
    Mar 6, 2020
    10
    The season premiere was so warm in a rainy day. I can't love this show enough.
  5. gabrismelo
    Mar 28, 2020
    10
    This season promises so much. Pamela Adlon always amazing. Thanks for this!!
  6. All_ButTrU4
    Dec 18, 2021
    7
    They are fantastic moments with enough filler to bog the season down. Whilst still a must watch the magic is diluted and left with a above average season that pales to it's aforementioned achievements in its first three seasons

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Mar 5, 2020
    100
    Watching these episodes is an experience, and while Sam Fox stands tall as one of television’s best characters, Adlon has created a vehicle around her lead unlike anything else you’ll see.
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  2. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Mar 5, 2020
    80
    The feeling of intimacy and empathy in the parenting scenes remains superb, particularly during a Sam/Max argument in one episode that involves every woman’s least favorite word. But it’s not a coincidence that both Sam and Better Things often seem lighter and happier when she gets some grown-up time, turning her gaze outward to learn about other people’s triumphs and heartbreaks.
    Read full review
  3. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Brian Tallerico
    Mar 5, 2020
    100
    Brilliant. ... The writing on this show is so smart in that the characters don’t all sound like mouthpieces from the same writing team as happens on most mediocre sitcoms. ... There’s a theory that TV and film needs to always be about people with lives more interesting than our own. What Pamela Adlon understands is that there’s equal value in presenting people as truthfully as possible, and thereby allowing us to see our own interesting lives reflected.
    Read full review
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