I Feel Bad

The two episodes tonight give you a chance to see how a series can change post-pilot. One of the nerds disappears from the core work group, and Emet’s oldest son is dramatically recast. ... Bad’s supporting cast excels at tormenting Emet in the most loving ways.

The challenges Blue faces don’t go beyond traditional sitcom fare--meddling parents, kids developing minds of their own, balancing marriage and work--all of which it handles with élan and wit. Where the show loses its footing is in its depiction of Blue’s co-workers, video game designers whose outright misogyny the show makes the strange decision to play as comedy.

I Feel Bad has appealing leads in the two younger parents, but is still trying to find a solid footing for itself amid some amusing moments now and then. The workplace segments take up too much of the show without rising above being a minor annoyance. And the domestic tribulations have a shopworn feel.

Jokes about farts, falling down, hypersexualized kids and grabbing the wrong person’s rear end ensue--but they’re obvious, predictable and not funny.

Over the first three episodes, I Feel Bad has largely erased that which (theoretically) made it stand out the most among fall newcomers--a comedy about culture as much as one about motherhood. The result is homogeneous and bland.

I Feel Bad is an okay family sitcom. ... I Feel Bad is so fast-paced you get whiplash, with hit-and-miss laugh lines. But Blue is an appealing protagonist, juggling what feels like five apocalypses before breakfast. I Feel Bad is a terrible workplace sitcom. ... If I Feel Bad wants to last, it'll upgrade the workplace bros--or even better, delete them. [28 Sep 2018, p.45]

That women like Emet exist is beyond question, but most people would rather hang themselves from a hat rack in their office cubicle than engage with them. I Feel Bad's title will seem like profound prophecy to anybody who watches.