How best to describe Canadian comedian Mae Martin? The heartbeat of the brilliant Netflix show Feel Good. Here’s my TV review on the 2-seasons comedy.
Probably with a still from Feel Good's first episode, in which protagonist Mae looks directly into the camera, with tears screaming down her face, and slowly declares: 'I am not intense.' She is lying, obviously.
"Her stand up is frantically brilliant, offering a nuanced portrayal of infatuation and addiction"
Fans of Mae Martin will be familiar with her characteristic intensity. Her stand up is frantically brilliant, offering a nuanced portrayal of infatuation and addiction, which is at once hilarious and emotional.
Mae's ability to move effortlessly between moods is one of her comedic hallmarks, as she takes the viewer on the type of emotional rollercoaster that she seems to endure on a daily basis.
Like that, the semi-autobiographical Feel Good perfectly encapsulates Mae Martin's style in a movement to the screen, which is as natural as it is entertaining.
"It centres around the relationship between Mae and her girlfriend George"
What's it about?
Feel Good, best defined as a comedy-drama, is centred around the relationship between Mae and her girlfriend George. It starts at their beginnings – they meet after George watches Mae's stand-up set at a local comedy club. George approaches Mae after the show, in part to apologise for her best friend Binky, who played on her phone throughout Mae's set. It also allows George to escape the romantic attentions of Jared, who tells tedious stories about Tupperware and ham.
Mae and George's chat turns into a date, and within ten minutes of the first episode (and a few montage scenes later), they are living together, and the real story begins. What follows is not a clichéd romantic comedy but a genuine portrayal of a complex relationship.
Mae is energetic, loves intensely, and is occasionally needy. Her image of English rose George, who she affectionately calls 'Princess Diana' and 'Mary Poppins', is shaped by infatuation and romanticism.
Mae's behaviour is, in part, a product of her addictive personality – she is a former drug addict and attends weekly narcotics anonymous meetings. This not minor piece of information is discovered by George during the first episode, when Mae's caustic tongued mother Linda, played by Lisa Kudrow, questions her about the meetings during a video call.
Whilst Mae conceals her past, George hides her present. She struggles with the connotations of her first queer relationship and lies to her dense and heteronormative friends, telling them that she is in a relationship with a man.
George is more withdrawn than Mae (although practically everyone is more withdrawn than Mae), and her repressive behaviour invariably provokes Mae's insecurities, with predictably destructive results.
George's struggles illustrate that relationships never exist in isolation but are influenced by interactions with friends, family, and acquaintances.
"Lisa Kudrow is particularly brilliant as Mae's mother Linda"
A full house
The secondary characters are consistently engaging in the show, with the possible exceptions of George's one-dimensional school friends. We have George's zany housemate Phil from Hollywood, who is warm and kind, as is Mae's maternal sponsor Maggie.
The list also includes an insecure macho banker who boasts about his income and plays a rival love interest, as well as a diverse string of stand-up comedians.
Most vividly, there are Mae's parents, whose words and actions linger long after they have left the screen. Lisa Kudrow is particularly brilliant as Mae's mother Linda, delivering a string of devastatingly blunt lines. Like that, Feel Good's secondary characters all contribute to its story in meaningful ways and have their own, often surprising, character arcs.
Overall, the series is excellent and moving, which shows the full face of humanity, good and bad. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and at points, it will make you want to scream at the screen.
Its talented cast is anchored by Mae's brilliant and charming performance. For fans of Mae Martin, it's a home run (or the appropriate ice hockey term). But it's recommended watching for anyone who likes raw emotion with their laughs.
Feel Good's second and final season was released on Netflix in the UK in June.
About the Author
Tim is a writer and editor who loves cinema, comedy, and literature. He has written for television projects, apps, and various publications.
You can find him on Twitter ✎
Love what you read?
You can enjoy more stories like this in our latest issue. Order a PRINT or as a Digital copy ✈︎
Want to get it for free every month? Become a Life Lovers Members to access all our content, and get exclusive discounts:
