Mid-Century Modern (Hulu Series)

Hulu's new sitcom with 10 episodes is made by the creators of 'Will & Grace', so naturally I had to see the show asap and I did manage to watch it in one sitting having heard some excellent reviews. Set in Palm Springs, the series follows three gay male best friends of a certain age who find themselves living together following an unexpected death. While co-habitating, the trio navigates aging, grief, love, long-held secrets and everything in between. Though the show does lean into several stereotypes of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s all done in good humor and with a bit of flair. Interestingly, I somehow thought the show was just ok and maybe only two or three times I did laugh out loud, but other than that it felt mostly like sitting, watching a sitcom and thats that. Either t was my mental state or whatever else, I didnt find the show 'very funny' at all. Maybe more on that later.

The show starts with Bunny, Arthur and Jerry reuniting at a friends funeral who was also ex-lover of Jerry. The three reminisce back at the enormous Palm Springs mansion Bunny shares with his mother Sybil, and it’s not long until Bunny invites the two to move in. Bunny is the wealthy owner of the lingerie brand Bunny Hutch, who has filled his Californian mansion to the brim with the titular mid-century modern style. He’s lonely and single, partially trapped by a dependent relationship with Sybil and partially trapped by his insecurities. Arthur is a fashion maven, formerly of Vogue, struggling to make ends meet in New York. He’s the sharpest-tongued and tailored of the trio, usually cutting through every scene with a dry wit. Jerry is a himbo archetype, extremely handsome yet dumb who can easily bed anyone he wants and works as a flight attendant. Through the next 10 episodes we see how these three gay men along with Bunny's mother and sister go about the daily lives. Bunny, is constantly searching for the life-changing romance he’s never experienced, and he doesn’t quite believe he’s worthy of it. Arthur hasn’t gotten over the shock of being ousted from the New York City fashion scene, and often allows his controlling nature to run amuck. Jerry, is a cheery, beautiful, former Mormon who is more brawn than brains. Finally, Sybil is the overbearing house mother who is critical but well-meaning to a fault. 

Each episode is a slice of life in their day-to-day existence as the trio deals with love, dating, the past, and so on. The three male leads try to find love and lust in almost every episode, signifying that gay romance and friendships don’t have an age limit. They go out on the prowl, invite over a conservative politician, attempt to find a new housekeeper, and more over the course of a 10-episode season. In true sitcom style, Mid-Century Modern has evolving characters and repeating, developing themes, but the episodes themselves revolve around many singular, one-shot adventures. The thing is this show would have been outright hilarious in the 90s likely. The jokes are half-baked and something that may have been quite in the age of sitcom network television. Or maybe its bogged down by the huge expectations that I had given the makers, the cast and the glowing reviews I had read. The actors do their jobs fine but somehow I feel the characters were a bot underwritten. I know I am being extremely critical at this point, but honestly I am disappointed because more often than not, I did not find the show funny and honestly I went into the show hoping to forget stress and have a good laugh. Some jokes do get raunchy but it’s very predictable. The three actors suit their part and do their best, as far as I can tell. The scene stealer is of course the mother Sybil, who in real life, sadly passed away and this show is her last acting gig ever. Bunny's sister Mindy, who becomes the recurring character does a fine job of her expected role. 

The title of the show is a play on the ensemble cast’s age and famous Palm Springs architecture, a fitting title for a sitcom about gay men of a certain age looking for love in all the wrong places. It’s their friendship that binds them. And as much as I wanted to really really like the show, somehow it missed the mark for me. I just expected more and maybe thats my fault. Having said that, I would still recommend the show for it did make me smile, if not laugh out loud. (6/10)