Even though Apple +’s Physical got picked up for a second season, I think this first season is where I stop. I’m deeply disappointed that this black comedy-drama didn’t resonate with me more, mainly because Rose Byrne killed it here.
Yes, Byrne plays Sheila Ruben, a woman who is shuffling through life and dealing with stressors by binge eating followed by purging. That’s right, this show doesn’t shy away from the gruesomeness of eating disorders and definitely warns viewers before the show even has a start to begin. They also offer up some places to turn to for support, which was nice. Anyway, Sheila thrives on this eating disorder because she has got horrendous self esteem and this one thing is something she can control.
Well, she can control it until her self-centered husband gets fired and decides to run as a Republican candidate for the state of California. You need money in politics, and Danny thinks they’ve got that, but Sheila’s shady motel and large fast foods orders beg to differ. In order to scrounge up some cash she stumbles upon an “underground” aerobics class in the mall and decides to rob the couple running it. They also happen to be running a porn operation, too, but they can’t figure out quite yet that Sheila is using them. So they pay her and she thinks she can move forward.
Wrong. Her one taste of the aerobics class is enough to leaver her euphoric and desperately wanting more. Sheila begs to be let back into the class and ends up forming some sort of strange bond with Bunny and Tyler. It’s not long before Sheila thinks she should be running the show though. She works her way in innocently enough, and Tyler and Bunny are right to think they’re going to get duped again. Sheila has found her new control and she will stop at nothing to dominate. Of course, the binging still rears its ugly head at the most inopportune moment, but she seems to be flying under the radar for the most part.
I could never quite tell if the glitzy pre-recorded aerobics numbers were alluding to Sheila’s future or if it’s just a delusion she’s created in her head. There are plenty other scenes in the show that take surreal turns under Sheila’s gaze, so it’s hard to know if those success are real or imagined. I think there’s still a long way to go in Sheila’s journey, I just don’t think I’ll be on the ride with her. Despite trying to deal with her mental illness and subpar life, Sheila was a little too prickly for me to connect with. Also, for ten hour long offerings, it just didn’t feel like a whole lot was happening in the story. Sometimes, the hits just don’t resonate with me, and sadly, Physical is one of them.
Again, I have to say Byrne played it great, as well as the actress playing Sheila’s reluctant and eventual friend, Greta. She, too, had some great dramatic moments! Overall though, it just isn’t enough to keep me invested in future installments. Onward and upward to other Apple+ content!