‘The Chair Company’ Review
The rise to comedic stardom that Tim Robinson has seen since leaving Saturday Night Live has been the gift that keeps on giving for those attuned to his particular brand of anxious humour. With projects like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Robinson and fellow SNL writing alum Zach Kanin have carved out a niche within the comedy space where everyday concerns collide with absurdism in hilarious—and occasionally depressing—ways. Robinson and Kanin’s latest creation, The Chair Company, retains the trademark insanity of the best sketches in I Think You Should Leave with the dark atmosphere and escalating cringe found in Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship (who directs episodes of the show and whose film serves as another showcase of Robinson’s style of humour). There is nothing quite like The Chair Company: a show that is emotionally potent while still delivering the perfect marriage between sketch comedy and conspiracy theory.
Anxiety and social awkwardness fuel almost all of Robinson’s work, showcasing the ways in which negative thoughts can make an individual spiral if they’re not dealt with properly. Throughout Netflix’s I Think You Should Leave, the relatability of Robinson’s characters often stems from saying the quiet part out loud or letting the inner voice take control in uncomfortable situations. It was a show that emerged just before COVID-19 forced much of the world into lockdown and garnered a newfound appreciation for its single season of six 15-minute episodes, thanks to its exploration of the mundane everyday life. It’s specifically the office scenes where Robinson and Kanin tap into the disruption that ordinary happenings can exact on the socially anxious, even if that anxiety may just be a tiny feeling in the back of your head. Of course, the scenarios often go beyond a simple introspection and reveal the extremes to which something normal can become uncomfortable.
Challenging the status quo in the wake of embarrassment is how Ron Trosper (Robinson) is introduced to audiences in the pilot episode of The Chair Company. His company, led by CEO Jeff Levjman (Lou Diamond Phillips), is about to break ground for a new mall on which he is the project manager. After suffering an embarrassment in the workplace, Ron takes it upon himself to ensure that no one endures the same fate through an investigation that takes him deeper down a rabbit hole of conspiracy. However, he struggles to keep the ramifications of his snooping at arm's length from both his personal and work life. While his investigation continues, Ron’s wife, Barb (Lake Bell), pursues her own career ambitions, and their daughter, Natalie (Sophia Lillis), prepares for her wedding. Meanwhile, their son, Seth (Will Price), is suffering from a myriad of teenage problems that have him turning to vices as he prepares for university. The family is at a pivotal point in their lives, leaving Ron in a dangerous situation if not handled appropriately.
The comparison point I found most apt while watching the seven episodes provided for review of The Chair Company is, surprisingly, Joel Schumacher’s The Number 23—a conspiracy thriller that takes a silly concept and commits to it with unwavering self-seriousness. Robinson and Kanin understand how absurd Ron’s obsession is throughout the show, though, as they structure each episode as a tug-of-war between Ron’s beliefs and the reality that is expected to come crashing down on him. Every interaction and realization Ron has is treated with sincerity, but even as his detective work yields believable results, there’s an underlying acceptance that this could still all be nothing. Much like how The Dude wanders into something that seems larger than it actually is in The Big Lebowski, Ron is frequently pulled back into his convictions when something starts feeling off. Every episode is structured similarly and toes the line between reality and obsession in a way that is enrapturing, hilarious, and distressing.
Throughout each episode, there are minor detours that feel like sketches straight out of I Think You Should Leave. Characters such as Mike Santini (Joseph Tudisco) and Douglas (Jim Downey) embody sad characters who try to find joy in their respective situations, as they continually interject themselves into Ron’s life in varying capacities. Their quirks, which in any other capacity would merely result in laughs, are laced with misery in a way that mirrors Ron’s own obsessive qualities. Many of the men in The Chair Company are attempting to evade failure or disappointment from others, and in doing so, risk making things worse for themselves. Ron’s own investigation threatens the safety he has in a loving family, and it’s something that the show contends with in a poignant manner. Beneath all the laughs of a Tim Robinson character is always a deep-seated sadness. How it manifests usually invites comparisons to cringe comedy, but The Chair Company handles it with a sensitivity that reveals a family man honestly trying to do the right thing, yet perhaps deep down understands that it could destroy him.
Andrew DeYoung and Aaron Schimberg are among the directors of each episode of Robinson and Kanin’s creation, and they’re perfect matches for the kind of sombre absurdity contained within. DeYoung’s Friendship seamlessly brought together all the trademarks of Robinson’s comedy with an undercurrent of horror, creating an equilibrium of comedy, cringe, and anxiety that made everything in the film work in harmony. Schimberg has been working within a similar wheelhouse with 2018’s Chained for Life and 2024’s A Different Man, confronting a sense of self through a surreal lens. The most surprising aspect of The Chair Company is its willingness to be vulnerable, a quality that contrasts with many of Robinson’s projects, which often mask vulnerability to emphasize it. Here, the family core becomes a crucial component of why the show can sustain itself without losing momentum at a certain point. There are moments here and there, closer to the end, where the show feels like it’s spinning its tires, but the family dynamics keep it compelling enough to string together more hilarious jokes.
Your mileage may vary is always a worthwhile note to add when recommending any Robinson project, but The Chair Company might be his most ambitious work yet. While each episode tends to follow a similar trajectory, creating an opening for diminishing returns, the show's escalation is propulsive enough, and the surrounding mystery is tantalizing—even if it always feels like it might be nothing. Even if the mystery doesn’t intrigue, the show’s ability to integrate jokes that feel ripped from I Think You Should Leave into a longer format is reason enough to tune into the series. Its laughs are relentless and much like Robinson and Kanin’s previous projects, feel weaponized for audiences to rip out of context for viral stardom. For those of us already Robinson-pilled, The Chair Company represents a comedic duo at the top of their form, exploring familiar territory in a more vulnerable and ambitious manner—all while retaining their signature blend of cringe comedy and social anxiety.
The HBO Original comedy series ‘The Chair Company,’ created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, will debut Sunday, October 12 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes of the eight-episode season will debut weekly leading up to the season finale on Sunday, November 30.
