‘Take My Wife’ Is The Reason You Need A Seeso Subscription

There’s a part in Take My Wife where one of its stars, comedian and creator Cameron Esposito, is described as “a force to be reckoned with.” That sentiment more than any other perfectly describes one of the brightest and most hidden gems of 2016 comedy.

Take My Wife follows a fictionalized version of the comedian power couple Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher as they navigate the struggles of being in a relationship, pursuing careers in comedy, and being both gay and women in an industry that favors white straight men. For comedy nerds, which is Seeso’s target audience, the show is a godsend as it smartly attacks both overt and subtle sexism and homophobia in comedy. However, what sets Take My Wife apart from any other modern comedy is the show’s central relationship. (Note: From now on, I’ll be referring to the fictionalized versions of these comedians by their first names and their real-life counterparts by their last names.)

Perhaps this is largely because Esposito and Butcher are a married couple in real life, but there is a gorgeous amount of subtly to the show’s central relationship. When the series begins, Cameron is a fairly established comedian, but Rhea is new to the scene and stubbornly wants to make it on her own. Though the ever-eager Cameron is happy to throw connections, job opportunities, and gifts at her girlfriend, Rhea refuses as much as possible. You see both sides — one person attempting to selflessly give everything they have to help someone they love, and another person determined to prove they can do it on their own. But this constant fight between connections and independence is one of the most authentic portrayal of relationships on television. It’s through this battle that we watch two independent people forced to figure out what co-dependence can and should look like. It’s a transition that’s oddly terrifying and thrilling to watch in its own subdued way.

However, Take My Wife isn’t all subtle looks and panicked expressions connected to jealousy. This is a show that, much like its creators, can be fearlessly direct. If you were to only watch one episode of Esposito and Butcher’s creation, that episode should be “Punchline.” Featuring guest star / comedy goddess Maria Bamford, the core conflict of show’s second episode seems starts as something we can all relate to — Rhea feels as though she’s consistently being upstaged and forgotten beside her better known other half. Having to deal with your friend that constantly forgets to introduce you is always annoying, but the episode transforms from understandably frustrating to scathing when the comedian duo takes the stage to mock another comedian’s set about rape. Fittingly, “Punchline” pulls no punches as it calls out male fascination with rape, how sexual assault is thrown around so much in pop culture for “entertainment value,” and how often stories about women are intimately tied with men. The second half of the episode is so painfully on point, it would watch just as well if it were a series of literal mic drops from Cameron and Rhea.

The episode goes even further, featuring a scene where a series of characters casually admit to being victims of sexual assault in quick succession. The point of the piece is harsh and clear. Sexual assault is not funny, it affects more people than you think, and it does not define its victims. “Punchline” can be described as casually strong, a sentiment that defines most of the show.

Though Esposito and Butcher directly call out the sexism and homophobia present in comedy and pop culture, their criticism never feels heavy-handed. They’re not explaining these problems to their audience. They’re showing off this unpleasantness to an audience they assume understands, and the effect is even more jarring than if the show took a hand-holding approach. And yet, through all of these complicated and introspective layers, Take My Wife is consistently laugh out loud funny. Unsurprisingly, Esposito and Butcher have amazing onscreen chemistry together, Butcher’s effortless coolness balancing well against the delightfully hyper Esposito.

Seeso as a streaming service has developed some great original content. Specifically, The UCB Show, Thingstarter, and HarmonQuest are strong enough to run with their mainstream streaming show peers. Any one of these are just as good as some of Netflix’s lesser known comedy originals such as The Characters or F is for Family. However, the sweetly hilarious Take My Wife is the first show that proves if you haven’t yet tried out Seeso, you’re missing out.

[Where to watch Take My Wife]