I watched Difficult People in one evening, which isn’t hard to do since there are only eight episodes, i.e. 184 minutes or a little over three hours. Difficult People exclusively appears on Hulu, which I love since I don’t have cable or a DVR. If you have heard of Difficult People, it is because Amy Poehler produced it, but the stars, Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner, whom you may recognize from the last two seasons of Parks & Recreations, are not household names even though they have been toiling in the showbiz salt mines for years. Difficult People is set in NYC, my favorite city and hometown, and focuses on two aspiring thirty-something comedians and best friends.
I have two critiques. First, Difficult People probably should have been called Awful People because they are, and that is the point. There was some controversy about the show because the first episode has a joke about Blue Ivy, Beyonce and Jay-Z’s baby, and R. Kelly peeing on her. I agree that joking about sexual abuse is unacceptable, but in the context of Difficult People, it kind of makes sense as a short hand that the main characters are awful, selfish, navel gazing, show biz wannabe people that you may occasionally relate to and enjoy because you are awful to. They don’t know squat about current events unless it is related to entertainment then no one can stop them. They hate children. They are spectacularly selfish. They are bad at their jobs or moochers. Even when they mean well or accomplish something, it backfires epically.
Second, all the episodes should have been released at the same time. Viewers lose interest in Difficult People and do not return to the show if they watch it episodically rather than a marathon viewing based on my unscientific sampling of friends’ viewing habits and feedback. The first two shows are just not strong enough to make people want to come back for more (though library water is the BEST water), but as an aggregate, it is quite appealing.
It took awhile for Difficult People to find its rhythm. Difficult People was torn between highlighting their anti-heroes’ (lack of) character and making the audience relate to the anti-heroes’ reaction to the outside world’s absurd mores and standards of success. Difficult People is stronger at doing the latter. I’m not sure if it ever found a strong story format that a viewer could rely on or summarize. I think the first two episodes were weaker because it kept the friends apart or had the friends interacting more with others than each other. Their screwball efforts to make it big are reminiscent of I Love Lucy’s wackiness, and it works.
I really enjoyed Difficult People whenever it showed Billy Eichner reacting to something such as when his coworker is engaged in shenanigans, “What the HELL am I watching!” He isn’t saying it to anyone, and he is just talking to himself in disgust. He is absolutely correct, and it is a perfect moment. The cast is diverse and wonderful. Difficult People hasn’t hit its stride yet, but it improved with each episode so I’m looking forward to the second season.