It’s Hilarious, Deal With It – American Housewife Pilot Review
Unapologetically brash, surprisingly relatable, and so… real it’s funny – American Housewife Pilot Review
Two Fitibits (LESLIE BIBB)
American Housewife is about Katie (Katy Mixon) and her family who have moved to Westport, Connecticut because the school district there is the best option for their youngest child Anna-Kat (Julia Butters). Anna-Kat is afflicted with high-anxiety and exhibits compulsive tendencies. However, Anna-Kat is Katie’s favorite and much prefers Anna-Kat and her issues over her other children. Katie’s son Oliver (Daniel DiMaggio) is becoming a heartless money chaser and her eldest daughter Taylor (Johnny Sequoyah) is going through puberty and becoming one of the rich bougie suburbanites that she despises. She is not alone and is loved and supported by her husband Greg (Diedrich Bader), who seems to take a more passive approach to everything. The show revolves around Katie and how she approaches the different issues and situations in her life. Which is to say, Katie is direct, brash, unapologetic, and hilariously real about it all; from her thoughts to her actions, Katie does not hold back and does not let others dictate how she lives her life.
This show really surprised me. I fully expected to dislike this show and write it off as WPP. I was completely and utterly wrong. American Housewife is the big comedy hit of the season! Katy Mixon is a star in every sense of the word. Her reactions, delivery, and expressions are not acted, they are real. Her reaction and inner monologue upon seeing a woman wearing two Fitbits is brilliantly delivered and portrayed. As is pretty much everything about the show. Diedrich Bader plays the straight man to Katy’s abrasive and brash approach, creating a charming ebb and flow between the two. They are a beautifully paired duo that really bring out the best in each other. Bader has a scene where he asks his daughter to shut the bathroom door, which she doesn’t, and he has an expression that captures his character’s general optimism yet his pure disappointment, that he immediately gets over. It’s very subtle, but it is very reminiscent of how he could deliver the most absurd lines with genuine naivete as Oswald on The Drew Carey Show. The kids are also amazing performers and I look forward to seeing where their characters go as the show develops.
The biggest surprise about the show is how relatable I found it. Not that I have experienced anything these characters went through, but it feels like I did. Or maybe it feels like I know people like them. It’s pretty much the same feeling I get from Blackish and Fresh Off the Boat. It’s funny, engaging, and feels like a statement is being made. Katy has no problem sharing her opinions, owning up to whatever situation she’s in, and even accepting things she dislikes. She also doesn’t have a problem being unapologetically selfish, yet still has a strong moral compass that guides her to do what is right. American Housewife is the best new comedy of the season. It is full of laughs, I can’t believe she said that (and to her kids) moments, and heart.
Katie’s friend my not get the most screentime in this episode, but they do get enough for the audience to know that they are THE BEST FRIENDS a person can ask for.
KATY MIXON, CARLY HUGHES, ALI WONG
American Housewife premieres tonight at 8:30 EST/PST on ABC. Stream it live at ABC.com
