I was just preparing myself to see Jon Bernthal at a local comic con when a trailer for BJ Novak’s The Premise came out. I saw Jon Bernthal pop his head in and that was all the convincing I needed. Not only that, but there were only five half hour episodes making up this anthology series, so I knew it wasn’t going to be a huge time commitment either. The results were bizarre, but the social commentary was like a blinding light, making me laugh quite a bit.
Each episode flaunted a pretty amazing cast, and they all played fairly interesting characters. Stand out actors for me included Bernthal (of course), Kaitlyn Dever, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Lucas Hedges. They all were in their own episodes, and played vastly different characters, but as I said before, each episode each had a pretty strong message about some serious topics in today’s day and age.
The first segment focused on a law firm that got sent evidence that would get a client off of a murder charge against a police officer. Only caveat? The video footage was actually in the background of a sex tape. The person who submitted the tape was called in and they managed to convince him that he’d be doing some real good for this black man, whose life has been ruined for no reason by the police. The trial ends up calling into question the actual sex life of the individual who turned in the tape, but ultimately, when pushed, he admits to not knowing what to do anymore. If his actions are too much and insincere or just not enough. An odd way to get there, but I’m sure it’s something a lot of people think about.
Perhaps the most compelling episode in the bunch featured a man who gets a new job in PR because they learn that his daughter was killed due to gun violence. He manages to integrate himself pretty well into the company, and befriending a co-worker, but it’s clear that an upcoming livestream is causing some strain. Everyone at the office, and myself included, think this man is going to mow down the office in retaliation for his daughter, so as they gun him down, it’s shown that he was just pulling out a picture of his daughter. All aired live. Really powerful stuff that manages to touch both sides of the seemingly never-ending gun debate.
Two other installments are just alright. Students battle to become valedictorian at their high school because the winner gets to have sex with a former student turned superstar. The girl who wins just wants to reconnect with the kid she met many moons ago. It was actually kind of sweet. The other episode centers on a social media influencer who lets the negative comments of one individual cause chaos in her life. Ultimately though, it helps her realize her happiness is kind of manufactured and that she’s unfulfilled. She tries to put it all behind her but is desperate to confront this commenter, and ultimately decides to start over.
All of those ridiculous scenarios don’t hold a candle to the final episode called “Butt Plug.” Seriously. That’s what it’s called, and that’s kind of what it’s about. I am going to stay mum on the details of it all because it really is worth watching, and I don’t want to ruin it for you. That might have truly been one of the most bizarre episodes of television I’ve ever seen! Overall, a strange series, but walked away with unique takes on some social issues that impact everyone. This isn’t a series for everyone, but with it being an anthology, you’re bound to find something you like! I’ll be interested to see if this gets picked up for another season.