Kevin Can F**k Himself

Valerie Armstrong’s smart show imagines one of those wives breaking free of the sitcom structure in a show that’s half-sitcom and half something much darker. In the first four episodes, some of the momenta sent to press drag after a fantastic first episode, but this is never a boring show, and it’s often incredibly clever.

Kevin Can F**k Himself quickly moves past its high concept to show the picture of a woman in crisis, and we’re excited to see how she tries to improve things through the first season.

I would hesitate to deem “Kevin” a triumph or a disappointment on the basis of what’s been made available for review, but it’s conceptually ambitious and never dull. Certainly it has been intelligently conceived and acted with commitment and spirit. Taken individually, the drama might feel too familiarly dreary, the comedy too drearily familiar, but their juxtaposition and synthesis does produce something original, and definitely worth a look. And Murphy is terrific.

Kevin Can F**k Himself hopscotches between filmmaking styles and tones, but does so with an assurance that makes each episode feel cohesive.

The semi-experimental format requires a bit of getting used to, as it toggles back and forth between two radically different styles; but ultimately it works in a jagged, and therefore appropriate, way.

“Kevin Can F Himself” has already earned our attention. Now we wait to see what the show has to say beyond its explicit, primary message.

Murphy is extremely good navigating between the two worlds, taking delight in minor acts of defiance, while the conceit dreamed up by series creator Valerie Armstrong represents a playful commentary about not only gender dynamics but television in general.

A watchable, engaging oddball.

It’s fascinating to see this series toggle back and forth between two vastly different genres — but that also means we have to spend a lot of time inside the profoundly unfunny sitcom world. ... Things might get even more interesting if Kevin steps off the sitcom stage at some point and has his own single-camera storyline. Maybe there’s something deep and disturbing lurking behind that man-child exterior.