Countless shows have tried to capture the discomfort of early adulthood – being young, broke, and vaguely directionless (I am a Gen Z, I can say it). Girls walked in the 2010s so shows like I Love LA, Adults and Overcompensating could run years later. But the latest addition to this well-worn canon might just trump them all. It Gets Worse perfectly encapsulates the euphoric highs and nauseating lows of being in your early 20s, without ever losing its sense of humour.
So if your twenties are currently testing you, everything you need to know about the series, below.
It comes courtesy of A24
As so many good things do. A24 has a growing profile of television series, and this one was produced in collaboration with the U.K.’s Channel 4 and Canada’s Crave (yes, the company behind Heated Rivalry).
Leo Reich wrote and stars in it
Reich is 28 and, while the series is not biographical, he’s definitely still close enough to the hellscape of your early twenties to write in a way that feels entirely honest.
Reich’s writing talents are not altogether surprising – he studied English at the University of Cambridge. Nor is his spot-on sense of humour: his stand-up show at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe, Literally Who Cares?!, was a certified hit. So much so that HBO picked it up as a comedy special, which caught the attention of none other than Lena Dunham, and led to Reich landing a part in her recent comedy, Too Much. Of course, if you’ve binged It Gets Worse, you’ll know that Reich returned the favour, casting Dunham as the egotistical millennial boss of a publishing house.
It also stars Emily Fairn and Olive Gray
Together with Reich, they make up the best friend trio at the centre of the series.
You might recognise Fairn from her role in House of Guinness – which is worlds away from the well-meaning but image-obsessed Abi, who has found herself in a passionless, pseudo-grown-up relationship. Gray, on the other hand, has been acting since childhood, beginning with the iconic Tracy Beaker series. In It Gets Worse, they play Sam, who has a high school English tutoring job that helps support their flailing Substack career.
There are several major cameos
The lead cast is stellar, but they’re backed up by a line-up of guest stars, including Andrew Scott, Amelia Dimoldenberg and Lena Dunham. All nail their somewhat insufferable characters – Scott as a psychologist Sam meets on Grindr, Dimoldenberg as Abi’s high school friend she dreads bumping into, and Dunham as the aforementioned nightmare boss.
Will there be a season two?
There’s been no word of a season two, but I’m certainly manifesting it. Watch this space.
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