The Shrink Next Door

This show is not a barrel of laughs and it's not supposed to be. I saw one reviewer wrote "Jewish people are funny and this should be a laugh riot." I'm not sure if that reviewer is Jewish or not, but either way, seriously? Sorry to sound like Joe Pesci, but are we clowns to you? Sorry the Jews and Jewish characters in the show didn't do their job of cracking you up. News flash: sometimes clowns are sad underneath!

This show is funny at times, but it isn't really a comedy. At most, it's a dark comedy. It's based on a true story of how a person was ruinously manipulated by an unethical therapist who needed therapy himself. You're chuckling one moment and cringing the next, which is exactly the reaction you should be having. In that sense, the show succeeds.

I'm not saying it's perfect. It can be slow at times, and Ferrell's other characters peep through quite a bit. He isn't the strongest player on the show, but he's committed and convincing enough. Paul Rudd is kind of a revelation as the smarmy climber who fools everyone, including his very lovely wife and to some degree even himself, into thinking he's doing good work on behalf of Ferrell's Marty. And Kathryn Hahn is Marty's sister Phyllis is terrific.

Don't watch it if you're looking for a lighthearted cynical romp. This is nuanced human drama about people, family, ethics, ambition, class and social machinations. It's complicated, dark, sometimes shocking and yes, sometimes funny. It's a very smart and engaging show with strong performances that sneaks up on you.

Everyone in this show ticks me off. Dr. Ike is a horrible person, Marty, just pisses you off with his decisions. Phyllis is overbearing... The list could go on and on. All that being said, they are all perfect. The casting is amazing, the acting is spot on. The emotions I am feeling while watching this train-wreck are excellently crafted and executed. Every episode leaves me feeling anxiety ridden and exhausted. A great watch, but I could not imagine binging this show.

I give this a solid 7/10 as it was slow, but the characters were quite good. It's been a long time since I hated a character as much as I do Rudd's.

This isn't a comedy and I don't think it's marketed as such, but for some reason people jump to that conclusion based upon the actors. I see some reviews saying things like "only 1 laugh per hour" or something like that. They have the totally wrong genre here.

This is a good show.

Been waiting for this and was not disappointed. I think every review should come with an age. I'm 44 and they don't make them like they used too.

I thought this was intelligentl, interesting and well acted. I love Will Ferrell, I think he is a comedy genius (sometimes) and I think he can turn his act to seriousness when the time calls for it. He's somewhere InBetween here. Really enjoying this show and Paul Rudd is fantastic too.

So much rubbish that disappoints but I'm looking forward to each episode.

... but that doesn't mean it's bad. The negative reviews reflect people's expectations, not the quality of the show.

"Not realistic" ... says one review. Problem Is, it's based on a true story.

"Not funny" ... but it's not supposed to be. Two mostly comedic actors play the two leading roles. Their comedic chops make the representation of these two characters pretty ideal. Farrell's innocence and Rudd's slick cockiness really work for these two people.

Watch as long as you're ready to be infuriated from watching the story of an influential man take advantage of a naive person who has never learned to stand up for himself. The fact you get infuriated means Farrell and Rudd are doing a great job.