Married

For every ridiculous plot twist (it's hard to imagine any wife offering infidelity as a solution before, you know, "get a job" or "empty the dishwasher once in a while"), there is a lovely flash of honesty.

Up front, at least, the show too often feels like its fighting with itself.

Married, for all its frank sex and salty language and disinterest in being loved and indie-film handheld camerawork, is really not all that different from the three-camera network usual, and way too much in love with its leading male character's supposed lovable-ness, considering how shallow he is.

Slate's intriguing as Russ' best friend, a woman who married an older man (Paul Reiser) and whose situation is more complicated, and more interesting, than it appears at first. But even if Married was all about her, I'd probably still find it more sad than funny.

Ms. Greer and Mr. Faxon are talented comedians, but the writing isn’t quite up to their abilities.... The show improves when Russ leaves the house and hangs out with his bitter, profane best friends.

As Russ, Faxon is a one-note.... but it’s Greer’s performance as Lina (as well as Jenny Slate’s supporting role as Russ’s friend, Jess) that keeps Married alive.

There’s so much talent here and a bit of promising direction for the characters in that fourth episode that I could see Married turn it around but, to start, it’s a true disappointment, especially given how often Faxon and Greer have made what they appeared in before just a bit better.

This kind of series still requires a deft touch, even with the expanded license FX offers to explore sexual situations more frankly than in the broadcast realm. It’s to Greer’s credit, moreover, that she manages to make Lina more fleshed out than just a tiresome scold, since this portrait of Married life tilts heavily toward Russ’ perspective.