This is why Hulu’s Fleishman is in Trouble will surprise you

What has been a thrilling few months of television is now starting to slow down. But that might not be the case for those who enjoy Fleishman is in Trouble.

From the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, which concluded its first season, to the Lord of The Rings’ recent iteration, The Rings of Power, and even The White Lotus coming into the seasonal homestretch — the television drought is beginning. If you’re looking for something that’s flown a little under the radar compared to the high-profile releases on HBO and Amazon Prime, then FX on Hulu’s Fleishman is in Trouble might, surprisingly, be a great fit.

I know what you’re thinking. Another murder mystery?

It’s set in New York? It even, on the surface, appears to veer into the rom-com genre as unsure Toby Fleishman hops on dating apps and tries his new-found luck.

What is Fleishman is in Trouble about?

How could this be on the same level as some of the other shows I’ve been watching recently? I know that’s what you’re thinking because that’s what I was thinking.

But, in a lull, after I finished some shows higher up my initial list of priorities, I checked it out. Heading in, I had not read the book, but I am familiar with a lot of author Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s journalism, which is superb, by the way.

That said, I was still reluctant. It seemed like it would be too similar to The Undoing, or maybe it would take a Gone Girl-esque unreliable narrator route.

Fleishman is in Trouble, in theory, was a show that had been done before. In practice, however, I mostly think its plot execution, overall casting, and general wittiness help it break away from a conventional mold.

Yes, Fleishman is in Trouble captures some of the charms a New York sitcom would have; Josh Radnor, who played Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother, plays an unspectacular husband. And Fleishman’s (Jesse Eisenberg) aforementioned foray into dating certainly adds to this.

The show is more than that, though. It keeps you guessing in terms of the reveals (I won’t spoil anything significant, but Fleishman’s assumptions about what happened to his wife are constantly challenged). It goes in interesting directions with narration and flashback scenes.

The show is also set in 2016, which makes for a fun time capsule. No COVID-19 pandemic, and the Clinton-Kaine signs took me back.

Ultimately, this show stands out through its performances. Eisenberg and Radnor seem like great stylistic fits for their roles.

Libby (Lizzy Caplan) — an ostensibly reliable narrator as of now — and Seth (Adam Brody) both encapsulate different friends a person encounters in young adulthood; Libby as the settled-down spouse and Seth as someone who still seems excited about casual dating. What I expected was the archetypical characters of young people in New York City.

What I didn’t expect was that they would be endearing. Plenty of shows people have been clamoring for have seen their respective heydays as of late.

Fleishman wasn’t something that I — or a lot of other people for that matter — were probably demanding in the same way a person who owns swords wanted the House of Dragon or The Rings of Power to come out. Although, that might be what makes it great: the show and its main character, both unassuming, have surprised among strong competition.

Color me surprised, at least.

Have you seen Fleishman Is in Trouble? Let us know your thoughts and opinions about the show in the comments below!