Since we are accustomed to comedy series being longer in terms of number of episodes, it’s quite nice once in every blue moon to get a breezy run of six episodes. Feel Good on its first season moves forward rapidly, which in fact is its best feature because that stands out, especially on a streaming platform's catalogue where I came upon it. There is a lot to love here; uniqueness in storytelling, a confident visual look and snappy dialogue.
The cast is just purely solid all around which is pretty rare for a new show. Typically there are still some cogs trying to find their place in the wheel so it’s always a good sign when the actors fit the vision right from the get go. Then, if you want to take the show to the next level in its future seasons, you have the room to let one or two actors really take off. The main couple, Mae Martin (as Mae) and Charlotte Ritchie (as George), have superb screen chemistry and their dialogue and rapport is a big part of the show’s uniqueness. Supporting performers like Lisa Kudrow (Linda), Ritu Arya (Lava) and Sophie Thompson (Maggie) also each expand the type of humour that is present.
As the main character Mae is a comedian, the scripts by showrunners Martin and Joe Hampson do rely heavily on the jokes, build-ups and delivery. All of those things come alive rather well and it keeps you as a viewer laughing or breathing out of your nose regularly. With the witty dialogue and reactionary comedy, the show gets to say a lot more than many other shows do even in a larger episode count. Ally Pankiw shows up as the director for all six episodes, as do most of the department heads, which helps the show flourish visually; neon colour palettes taken presumably from comedy clubs were especially a nice touch. Though, a few things could be further improved, those being set designs and the art displayed within them. That’s probably where budget rears its head, but for a show so distinct in other avenues, the sets could certainly use a bit more character.
Smileys: Casting, humour, dialogue, directing
Frowneys: Set decoration
Feeling good about this one.
