Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The latest Netflix comedy, the Kathy Bates-led Disjointed, is not for everyone. In fact, it’s hard to figure out who it is for. The 10-episode comedy about a pot dispensary and the characters that work there isn’t quite going to appeal to true stoners, and it might be hard to hook those that do not partake. It’s stuffed with the signature cheesy sitcom jokes that only creator Chuck Lorre could supply, but it’s not without its highlights. The cast diversity is noteworthy (sigh, which also comes with unfunny stereotypical jokes), as are many of the family dynamics and Ruth’s (Bates) activism, and there’s a will they/won’t they (or two) that is cute but unoriginal. But it is the acknowledgement of PTSD that truly shines throughout the entire season of the show.
Tone Bell plays Carter, the dispensary’s security guard and an Iraq veteran. As the show begins, he mostly hangs in the background with a stern look on his face as the shenanigans take place around him. As his PTSD symptoms start to reveal themselves, first in the form of him zoning out to an animated slam poetry interstitial, played for laughs when he snaps back to the present, and then with Carter freezing at his desk before retreating to a room in the back of the store, where each of his coworkers tries to comfort him through the door. It’s a look at what shape PTSD can take in the workplace, even one as wacky as this, and it’s handled with such care that even the clichéd jokes can be brushed aside for a moment while things get a bit more serious and sentimental.
Disjointed does excel at bringing a new, honest perspective to PTSD for viewers that might not have first or secondhand experience with it. They don’t shy away from Carter revealing he lost 3 buddies on Thanksgiving while in Iraq, or having the character get emotional when he does finally smoke up with his colleagues by the end of episode 3. It’s a sobering look at a serious topic that TV shows, let alone comedies, tend to shy away from. You’re The Worst has also brought an interesting perspective to veterans and weed, but Disjointed’s look at it feels a bit more unexpected, and surprisingly refreshing in the way it is addressed and portrayed, with much credit owed to Bell’s acting here.
After Carter decides to partake, he’s almost a new person, much lighter and brighter and jokier for several episodes, really coming into his own and enjoying the company of his coworkers and the product they’re selling. The show responsibly acknowledges that a little bit of grass isn’t going to immediately turn Carter into a free spirit forever, and circles back in episode 8 to him asking Ruth for advice after admitting PTSD has ruined his relationships and made him “feel guilty just being alive,” so much so that he agrees to see a therapist she recommended.
The balance of tone can be a bit off when it comes to comedy and PTSD — it’s in no way the funniest topic to play with. That Disjointed decided to address the relationship between PTSD and pot is bold and important, especially for those that might not associate the two, and this show easily could’ve chosen a patient with a different affliction to display the benefits of weed. Through Carter, the show is able to breathe a large amount of heart into a workplace comedy that could’ve been unworthy of such a sensitive subject, and proves to be a true, and necessary, highlight of the season.
