Work in Progress

In the four half-hour episodes provided to critics, “Work in Progress” sensitively mines comedy from body shame, mental illness, trans literacy, consent, and gender policing — all through Abby’s hilariously neurotic point of view.

At the moment, Chris seems too good to be true, and a character put to work mostly in the service of enlightening the lead, everything else about Work in Progress suggests that this minor flaw will soon be remedied. Abby may say she feels like an eternally unfinished person, but this show is already fully fledged.

Smartly edited, full of odd little montages and visual juxtapositions. It has its own distinctive, salty vibe, driven by McEnany’s simultaneously self-loathing and self-aggrandizing swagger.

Tightly, smartly written and with the enormously sympathetic Ms. McEnany at its center, “Work in Progress” exists mostly within an LGBTQ galaxy, but its universe will be familiar to everyone.

Work in Progress never loses sight of its premise, though it remains bleak without beating you over the head.

By the time the four Work in Progress screeners (out of eight episodes) ran out, I wasn’t hugely worried about what choice Abby would make, but I did very much want to spend more time with her and that dwindling nut collection.

Offbeat slice-of-life comedy. [25 Nov - 8 Dec 2019, p.11]