This Close

:

Season 1
Season #: 4, 2, 1
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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Critic Reviews

  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Daniel Fienberg
    Feb 15, 2018
    80
    This Close is a little funny, a little sweet, unexpectedly insightful and a worthy reminder that Stern was great on Weeds and very good on Jericho and probably would have been a star long ago if Hollywood were more creative when it comes to utilizing deaf actors. ... Ultimately, the series works because deafness isn't a twist, but the specificity in what would still be a well-executed buddy dramedy.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Feb 15, 2018
    80
    The show has a rhythm all its own, one that is easy to fall in step with. The long stretches without spoken dialogue gives "This Close" an original flavor--it engages the eye more than the ear--and when someone does speak, it's jarring, like suddenly hearing inelegant American voices in a French cafe.
  3. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Jen Chaney
    Feb 15, 2018
    80
    This Close has a lighter, more hopeful spirit than any of its “sad in California” counterparts, and its characters are more inherently decent. Stern and Feldman are both convincing in their roles.
  5. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Feb 15, 2018
    80
    This Close isn’t at those shows’ [Better Things, Insecure or Atlanta] level--it’s more conventional, with familiar relationship and family situations, and it doesn’t really have a distinct sensibility. But it’s funny and poignant in ways we haven’t seen before, and more deftly directed and impressively cast than you’d expect for an original series on a small streaming service.
  6. UPROXX
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Feb 15, 2018
    80
    Both Stern and the less-seasoned Feldman are appealing performers who’ve written themselves characters they know and can play well, in both their righteous moments and their deeply flawed ones. And even when the story sags here and there, This Close is a reminder of the creative value of more inclusive storytelling.
  7. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Feb 15, 2018
    75
    It’s a tender, compellingly realistic story about modern relationships. Its charm comes through loud and clear, even when words are not spoken aloud.
  8. Entertainment Weekly
    Feb 15, 2018
    75
    The narrative arcs aren't always original, but Stern and Feldman's touching performances make the series this close to perfect. [16 Feb 2018, p.49]
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  9. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Feb 15, 2018
    75
    This Close isn’t perfect. It’s a little loose at times, and it would be nice to see fresher emotional beats come into play. But Stern and Feldman are more than enough reason to watch; they deserve to be in many more series and movies to come, but not before this series makes them heard
  10. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    Feb 15, 2018
    63
    It’s an unconventional love story that needs another season to figure out what it really wants to be, and how best to get there. At least the most important elements--or both of them, anyway--are in place.
  11. Collider
    Reviewed by: Allison Keene
    Feb 15, 2018
    60
    This Close is raw and insightful, but it’s only fair to mention that it’s also messy, a little cliche, and ends with a questionable cliffhanger. ... When This Close works, though, it’s reminiscent of the best of HBO’s wonderful Looking.