I Feel Bad

Many sitcoms find their feet over the course of their first season. I Feel Bad starts with a strong grasp on its tone, characters, and voice, putting it miles ahead of many other comedies. Its first episodes may not have audiences laughing out loud, but the seeds of an excellent comedy are present.

The two episodes tonight give you a chance to see how a series can change post-pilot. One of the nerds disappears from the core work group, and Emet’s oldest son is dramatically recast. ... Bad’s supporting cast excels at tormenting Emet in the most loving ways.

I Feel Bad has appealing leads in the two younger parents, but is still trying to find a solid footing for itself amid some amusing moments now and then. The workplace segments take up too much of the show without rising above being a minor annoyance. And the domestic tribulations have a shopworn feel.

Jokes about farts, falling down, hypersexualized kids and grabbing the wrong person’s rear end ensue--but they’re obvious, predictable and not funny.

Over the first three episodes, I Feel Bad has largely erased that which (theoretically) made it stand out the most among fall newcomers--a comedy about culture as much as one about motherhood. The result is homogeneous and bland.

That women like Emet exist is beyond question, but most people would rather hang themselves from a hat rack in their office cubicle than engage with them. I Feel Bad's title will seem like profound prophecy to anybody who watches.

When it’s not burying us in an avalanche of creaky sitcom clichés, it’s creeping us out with inappropriate sex jokes.