‘Lady Dynamite’ Is The Only Show That Captures How Paralyzing Mental Illness Can Be

We’ve come a long way since the sappy teen soap portrayals of depression and eating disorders. In recent years, thoughtful takes on mental illness have sneaked onto our screens, specifically out critically-acclaimed comedies. However, as excellent as You’re the Worst and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are, there’s one show that perfectly captures the unique horror that is living with mental illness — Lady Dynamite.

Maria Bamford‘s zany Netflix show is a difficult one to review because it often feels like a show that was created completely by Bamford’s id. The colors are bright, the characters are wacky, and almost every animal has a voice and backstory, some of which are more developed than the show’s actual characters. Lady Dynamite is a cartoonish roller-coaster, so it makes since why the show would be divisive to even Bamford’s most die-hard fans. But what has always been Lady Dynamite‘s grounded and endearing counter balance has been its portrayal of mental illness. Season 1 painstakingly explored the many ways bipolar II slammed the fictionalized Maria back to reality, often when she was at her happiest, most successful, or most manic. The first season of Lady Dynamite was a show of extremes, one that portrayed Maria’s quick rise in the comedy scene as well as the crippling and all-encompassing depression that threatened to be her ruin. It was an unexpectedly emotional season of television for a show that featured a Japanese game show about Maria’s bipolar boyfriend and too many pugs to count.

If last season was all about showing what Maria’s brand of bipolar II looks like, Season 2 is all about living with it. The big change this season is Scott (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), Maria’s new semi-serious boyfriend. Scott is a great addition to the show, standing as a more somber and level-headed alternative to Maria’s zaniness while inverting the well-worn sitcom trope of the big, bumbling husband and the attractive, shrill wife. It’s easy to buy into Maria and Scott’s awkward but lovely chemistry from the first time they’re together in Season 1. However, lurking above Maria’s newfound happiness and stability is that goblin, bipolar II. And it’s ready to take her down any minute.

A self-aware string of panic runs throughout this entire season. The main ‘Future Day’ plot revolves around Maria making and starring in a show for Elon Musk’s new streaming service, Muskvision. The show-within-a-show is essentially a weirder and more absurd version of Lady Dynamite, which is fun for anyone who enjoys the more meta elements of this series. However, in order to make this show, please her manager (Ana Gasteyer), keep up a successful relationship with Scott, and stay on her friends’ (Lennon Parham and Bridgett Everett) good sides, Maria has to wear herself a bit thin and make a lot of sacrifices. Legally, she can now no longer use her regular “baby voice,” meaning she has to use her breathy but hilarious woman voice at all time. She also has to deal with her ever-anxious and insulting manager (Fred Melamed) and a friend from her past who threatens to monopolize her life again. Every element is stressful in its own way, and as Maria juggles it all, you can see her panic and likely remember her Target-related breakdown. No matter how successful she is or how well she’s doing, the possibility of losing it all because of her own mind and emotions is always a possibility. It happened before. Why wouldn’t it happen again?

That small, dangerous question echoes throughout this season, and more than any other show on television, this possibility colors what it’s like to live with mental illness. Other shows have done an excellent job capturing the crippling effects of these kinds of breakdowns. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has been documenting for seasons the increasingly disturbing and anxiety-driven decline of its protagonist Rebecca (Rachel Bloom). Both You’re the Worst‘s Gretchen (Aya Cash) and BoJack Horseman‘s titular character (Will Arnett) have done excellent jobs capturing the specific horrors of depression. However, in every other show, audiences have the opportunity to leave their mentally ill heroes. Sure, we experienced an entire episode trapped in BoJack’s dark head, but we were also given several fun stories about Todd (Aaron Paul). Lady Dynamite doesn’t allow for that luxury. We’re with Maria, her worries, and her insecurities from beginning to end, and that’s final.

With its second season, Lady Dynamite continues to be one of the most delightfully strange shows on television, but in its own way, it also stands as deeply sad and at times terrifying watch. But even with all of the mental wellness questions lurking in the background, it feels good to be back in Maria’s head.  The world as a whole and television especially are filled with characters trying to be something that they’re not. Lady Dynamite feels like an authentic version of Maria Bamford, warts and all, and there’s something deeply beautiful about that.

Stream Lady Dynamite on Netflix