FX
Fleishman Is in Trouble (premiering November 17 on FX on Hulu) is not just a sterling adaptation of a novel—in this case, Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s 2019 best-seller, which the author herself expands over the course of eight episodes—but a great work of art about middle age, as rich in complexity and detail as it is in emotion.
The series tells the story of a group of tri-state area friends reconnecting at a particularly chaotic and calamitous turning point in their lives. It locates universes of profound truths in quotidian encounters and experiences, tracing lines between yesterday and today, the heartbreaking and the euphoric, and the glorious and the grotesque in an effort to understand that precise moment when youth ends—and, with it, a sense that anything and everything is still possible. Funny, touching and wise, it asks a fundamentally difficult question—“How did I get here?”—and then, miraculously, manages to answer it.
Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg) is a Manhattan liver doctor who recently moved into a ho-hum new apartment in the wake of his contentious split from theater talent agent Rachel (Claire Danes). Introduced to the wonders of dating apps, Toby is a historically insecure man transformed into a kid in a carnal candy store, drowning in sexts and one-night stands of every kinky variety. Having never enjoyed such delights before—since this techno-hook-up scene emerged after his nuptials—Toby is giddy over the promise of every new phone message.