User reviews

Just a real show about people who don't have their life together. I always end up with a smile on my face and laughing out loud. It's an enjoyable 30min show.

Seriously, this show is so terrific I feel like I'm getting away with something just watching it. Even better, every episode so has been better than the last.

Creators/directors the Duplass Bros. And stars Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller, (as Sam and Joel), are knocking it out of the park, but I would also gladly follow Sam's awesome dad around, or the one-in-a-zillion Fred Rococco.

It's feel-good, but real, with some achy heart and grit and Kansas grain thrown in. If you are alive, you will cackle.

I love this show! The actors are absolutely amazing, especially Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller. Their portrayals are so real, funny and down to earth. Great show, I would recommend anyone to watch...although I'm sure not everyone will connect with it or appreciate its understated charm.

I can't remember the last time I was this engaged with a show. The writing and the acting are incredible! One minute you're laughing next you're crying and each character is so compelling and wonderfully portrayed. I don't know when I wanted so badly to discuss each episode with other viewers as much as I do after every episode airs. Constantly left wanting more.

This show is filled with relatable situations and explores the connections we have with each other. It is full of hilarious moments but also heartbreak. The performances are unique skillful and nuanced.

I can't recommend this enough. We want more! We need more! Please don't stop making this show!

This is so good that I'm worried it won't continue. The type of humor and storyline may not be for everyone, but I love it and hope enough people are like me and it stays in production.

Everything about this show is great. The characters, the storyline, the sorrow, the happiness, the pain, the acceptance, the grief, the loneliness, the family and friends, insiders and outsiders...ALL OF IT...spot on. Real things happening. Real life ups and downs. It makes me laugh and it makes me cry. I love it and I need more of it. Period.

I am not a "misfit" in the traditional sense but this show TOTALLY nails the feeling of not being good enough, not fitting in, not feeling like you're "doing life right"... y'know, the feeling EVERYONE has to some degree or other. It's so relatable. And incredibly heartwarming already, only two episodes in (I teared up at some point watching each of them!).

I love these characters. I am already rooting for them and I'm not even sure what I'm rooting for -- I just know I want to be friends with them. SUCH good acting that feels so real, you seriously just feel like you're hanging around quirky, interesting, sometimes funny people, rather than watching people act.

Really looking forward to more!

This show brings me so much joy. I love the characters, the stories, the singing , and the little horn music at the beginning. I really wish this would continue on. The main character and her struggles are such a pleasure to watch. And I hope maybe another network will pick this up. ....................... I'm currently rewatching while watching the new season. If there was a way to continue I hope it happens. I'm sure this show brings joy to so many others. I tell all my friends to watch it. And they have grown to love it too. It's beautiful and funny and smart. It's simple and the character development has been a joy to watch. Congrats to all the actors. Amazing job.

Guess what? A series that is *not* about beautiful, young, rich people doing stupid crap while trying to figure out who to sleep with.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This show will make you smile from ear to ear with its heartfelt warmth and earnestness. Really a very lovely show. Highly recommend this.

"Somebody Somewhere" is a hidden gem in today's entertainment landscape, deserving of far more attention than it currently receives. In a world where superficiality often overshadows substance, this series shines with its genuine storytelling and heartfelt performances.

At its core, "Somebody Somewhere" embraces simplicity, capturing the essence of human experience in a profoundly relatable way. The characters feel like real people grappling with real issues, and their journey resonates deeply emotionally.

What sets "Somebody Somewhere" apart is its authenticity. It doesn't rely on gimmicks or shock value to grab attention but draws viewers in with sincerity and honesty. The writing is sharp and witty, delivering moments of humor and poignancy that resonate with audiences.

The performances are exceptional, with the cast bringing depth and nuance to their roles. All actors deliver a standout performance, infusing their characters with vulnerability and strength.

One of the show's strengths is its willingness to tackle difficult subject matter with grace and sensitivity, exploring themes of loneliness, isolation, and the search for meaning with honesty and compassion.

In a world dominated by superficiality, "Somebody Somewhere" reminds us of the beauty of simplicity and the power of genuine storytelling. Underrated though it may be, this series is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by discerning viewers.

"Somebody Somewhere" (2022 release; 7 episodes of about 30 min each) brings the story of Sam, a 40-something woman in Manhattan, KS. As Episode 1 opens, Sam is at work in a test grading center, where she runs into a HS classmate of hers, a guy she doesn't remember at all (but he remembers her for her choir singing back in the day). Meanwhile we learn that Sam's sister Holly has passed away not too long ago (but we don't know the circumstances of Holly's passing). At this point we are less than 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this TV series is produced by Mark and Jay Duplass, and this right away should give you a good indication of what to expect: a quirky outsider who after years of living in Lawrence, KS, has returned to her original home town of Manhattan, where all of her family still lives. She has a hard time adjusting to the "redness" of the town but she finds a life line in a group of other outsiders who gather at a local church for song and dance. Please note that this series is billed as a "comedy" but I found very few laugh-out-loud moments, ok none. Yes, a chuckle here and there, but this is more about observing a slice of life about someone having a hard time fitting in and finding a purpose in life, even as she is well into her forties. It all culminates with Sam singing the Kate Bush part on Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up duet. It gave me the chills, frankly.

"Somebody Somewhere" premiered this past weekend on HBO and is now available on HBO On Demand and HBO Max (where I caught it). New episodes air on Sunday evenings. I'm looking forward to seeing how this will play out in the weeks to come. If you are in the mood for an off-center slice of life in deep-red Kansas, I'd readily suggests you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

The memories many have, of not quite fitting in in high school, of being the butt of cruel jokes and gossip then and sometimes decades later, especially if you're from a small town or community. Of still trying to be a good person, do good work and have a good life, but the losses, the banality of the privileged and being made to feel unwanted and weird because of how you look, who you love or don't love begin to add up and you feel lost and maybe even a loser.

The pilot introduced the main character through her current living situation and parts of her past which are revealed during conversations and reminiscences with others. It's done in a subtle way that fits the succinct honesty I remember well growing up in the rural South. It was suggested Sam had a romantic relationship with another woman before in a way that positively normalized there are millions of same gender relationships that loving and they miss someone now gone just like anyone else.

The new/old acquaintances Sam meets in an "underground" church clearly show a range of personalities, ethnicities and suggested gender or sexualities who welcoming and comfortable around each other because they are their Real selves. That's it's more about finally finding a supportive group of people who accept and appreciate you for who you are, instead of attempting to force you into roles or to be autamatons they think you should be to keep them comfortable. And ironically, which many of them force roles or criticize others because they're trying to redirect away from their own repressed feelings, desires and emotions.

This was a pleasantly surprising start to series that occasionally features naturally occurring humor, but I certainly would not label it in any way a comedy. I found the pilot to perfectly understated yet powerful.

Can't say what it is about this show that's appealing because it's not exciting, nor does much of anything happen. It feels real, though. She's still navigating grief and finding her way in a small town. Making friends. I like the dynamic between Sam and Joel.

I didn't have much interest in this from the trailer, but it got rave reviews and my girlfriend had friends recommend it, so we watched it. And she loved it. And I have no idea why.

I mean, it's heartfelt, the performers are good, but it's only mildly, occasionally funny and the drama is rather maudlin. Mainly it's just kind of dull.

Because my girlfriend loves this, and she only watches TV in the evenings with me, I have had to suffer through it for two seasons. And I just can't get into it. I can say that it's an interesting, inclusive view of smalltown life. I can say it bravely fills the screen with unattractive people and a main character who is only fitfully likable, but I don't need brave, I need entertaining.

Anyway, people love this, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with my taste in TV.

I have read a lot of reviews that seemed to trash this gem of a tv show.

I don't really understand how anyone can't see the brilliance of this show from the writing to the acting to the direction to the cinematography just absolutely brilliantly done and one of the best first season I have had the absolute pleasure to view.

I stumbled across this show and instantly fell in love with it. The dark humor, the self-deprecating moments, the subtle feistiness. Sam and Joel are the friends you want to curl up with on the couch, talk about life, and protect each other from the harsh realities of life. Trish cracks me up! Every person who has ever been wronged can feel what she is going through! Fred, true to himself, is like the Yoda everyone needs! These characters are REAL, and earnest. The writing is spot on. It is so nice to take a break from the scary world, make a Tini, and hang out with friends in Manhattan, Kansas.

After seeing the ads for season 3 all over HBO, and hearing Bridget Everett's interview on Fresh Air, I decided I needed to give this show a look. Less than 24 hours later, I've watched every episode. As This is honestly one of my favorite shows of all time now, and I want to scream it from the rooftops.

While this show is definitely offbeat and may not be for everyone, i think that's kind of the point of it. Representation matters, and whether you're a member of the LQBTQ community or a member of the lifelong club of "theatre kids," this show represents all walks of life equally as real humans, and it does a fantastic job of it. Not only do all the characters struggle with real life problems, the actors play their roles so wonderfully that I felt like I was right there with the characters living along side them. Props to the casting director and writers, as well; they found the perfect actors for each of the characters, and wrote them so well that they truly feel like real people.

Each episode manages to deliver both comedy and dramatic realness in such a perfect way. Very few shows can successfully skirt the comedy/drama line, but this one does it. I think I've only ever seen one other show that does do it successfully, and it is Parks and Recreation, a show that like this one, would be so touching in one moment and then in the next I'm laughing through my tears.

My only complaint is that HBO did a terrible job of marketing this show for the first two seasons. I didn't even know it existed until I started seeing the ads for season 3, and it's kind of aggravating because I am curious if larger viewership may have made the show go beyond 3 seasons.

Capturing the complexities of Midwestern life is something not many have tried- much less succeeded at. These characters feel like neighbors and friends from my own small town. I quickly felt at home. The situations were real, raw, and authentic. The main character's emotions were easy to fell throughout the show, which made empathizing with her effortless. Seeing parts of my life within Somebody Somewhere was refreshing and I can't wait to watch more.

........ and I am hooked. It's relatable. I think for so many people, it will be. Maybe not all of it. But pieces of it.

Jeff Hiller. So good. Love the casting so far in general.

And that scene at the end has broken my heart. But in a good way.

A nice change of pace. It's cute, funny, charming, sad and dramatic. All elements are there but in perfect bite sized portions. I am not familiar with small town USA but it seems like it also is a love letter to such places, not necessarily a true to life representation, which is totally fine.

I wish for many more episodes but would understand and agree with it being a one or two season story to not overdo it.

I love love loved the 1st season, I have only good things to say about it, 0 complaints. I just finished episode 6 of season 2 and Ive been waiting for something good to happen. Yes, each episode has some light moments, but the overall theme is just sadness, despair, shame, guilt... Of course sadness is real, sadness is a part of all of us, but that's just it - I have enough sadness of my own, I don't want to feel crappy at the end of every episode. I'll watch episode 7 since I think its the last one of the season, but I don't think I'll be back for season 3 unless something good happens to Sam. Its a shame, because I agree with so many others who say its unique, its not sanitized, its not fake, its real people in real life, etc.

It's not a comedy and not quite a drama, but I find myself attracted to the characters. I can't quarrel with some of the negative reviews. It's not for everyone, but the characters are real and the show does a good job of portraying small town life - especially for younger people who feel left behind.

I watched two episodes and I don't think I will continue. That's enough for me. This TV series looks like a dusty potato in the Kansas countryside.

It doesn't seem like a comedy, it's more of a drama with a bit of sad humor, here and there ... The script is mediocre, there are no memorable lines, the actors couldn't do more. The characters are colorless, gloomy, monotonous. People, whether they are depressed, bitter, disillusioned or appear strange to us, spend their lives dull, slandering or staring blankly. And the way all of this is expressed in the film seems to me unsuccessful and boring.

To give a good rating to this TV series, either you identify with some characters (and then it's normal to like them), or you have some low standards so that you are satisfied with any banal and boring nonsense.

This is the absolute most beautiful television program i have ever seen in my entire life. It made me remember why life is worth living <3

for me, this is an absolute must watch. It's also so genuinely funny...like the kind of things that you laugh about in real life somehow this show just seems to nail exactly what it feels like to be alive, all the most beautiful and difficult and real parts.

I wasn't super intrigued by it at first it didn't seem like the type of show I usually watch, but by the end of the first episode i was absolutely hooked. Please, please give this show a watch i promise you will not regret it!!