Lady Dynamite

It's a bummer when reviewers bring down the overall rating for a show because it isn't their cup of tea or doesn't work for them stylistically. I have a feeling the negative reviewers here were not familiar with Maria Bamford before watching Lady Dynamite. This is all her, this is her brand of comedy, and she's f'ing hilarious. Clearly many in the comedy community feel the same way, given the number of amazing people she's brought in to be on the show--another major highlight of the show for me.

Comedic sensibility is very personal and certainly this show isn't for everybody, but that does not make it garbage, as I believe one reviewer called it. In terms of the kind of show and style of comedy it's going for, Lady Dynamite is knocking it out of the park! It just might not be your park; good thing there are plenty of other TV shows out there.

I happened to love this show and have rewatched several episodes and I laugh every time. Maria is truly a complex individual. She's got absurdist humor with a touch of black comedy so if you don't appreciate that, please don't bother watching. She doesn't seem to try to sell any kind of wokism as some reviewers indicated, she just wants to be a decent person to the characters she encounters. The theme song refrain is "I don't know what I'm doing, more than half of the time". Maria struggles with mental illness but it isn't the defining characteristic of her personality. She simply understands that there is really no RIGHT way to deal with this messed up world. Personally, I find her social commentary on the show absolutely BRILLIANT.

For those advising others not to watch: just because you don't get it doesn't mean "IT" isn't there.

This show is amazing. It's certainly surreal, but the characters are well developed and every episode stands alone. The show is produced by the producers of Arrested Development and you can definitely see their influence here. Lots of puns, sight gags, and intelligent writing.

I loved the story arc of Maria's relationships and if you've ever had anxiety or known someone who did, this show is extremely relatable. It's not for everyone, but those who get it will love it. Also: Dean Cain! Patton Oswalt! Bridget Everett! Fred Melamed! It's not your typical stand-up show. I had only kind of heard of Maria Bamford before watching Lady Dynamite and now I want to see her whenever and wherever she performs. Just watch it already.

I love comedy, especially stand-up. Louis, Chapelle, Hedberg, Burr, are who I consider Legends. I've seen Maria's stand-up in the past and I didn't quite get her or laugh at her comedy. Her name stuck though so I gave this show a chance. This show flings Maria at the world unapologetically. And I get her now! I see her unique talent. You can see that she has that incredible wit, that only comes with decades in the game. I'm really happy for Maria that this show is so great.

You work hard, and you just never know when your time is, well Maria's time is now it appears. She's very brave for sharing her depression, anxiety, mental illness with everyone-- Her humour overcomes it all in the end.

If I were to watch this show as a comedy, I would have found it incredibly irritating and outrageously offensive. The show isn't funny, and I don't think it's really supposed to be. It's actually quite sad and deep.

It's about struggling with bipolar disorder. As someone who struggles with mental illness myself, I find it fascinating. It's like looking through someone else's eyes. I find that the structure of the show how things transition and connect is very reflective of how my own mind works.

My recommendation: If you want to better understand what it can be like to live with a mood disorder, watch Lady Dynamite. Don't watch it as a comedy though; watch it as dark, serious drama.