Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Survival Of The Thickest’ On Netflix, Where Michelle Buteau Is A Woman Confidently Rebuilding Her Life And Career After A Breakup

We’ve been fans of fellow New Jerseyan Michelle Buteau for some time, from her standup, through her acting roles and hosting gigs. What we’ve enjoyed is an air of confidence that doesn’t feel forced or shtick; she has a bubbly vibe that is genuine and affecting. That vibe translates well to her new Netflix series, based on her book of essays.

SURVIVAL OF THE THICKEST: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Mavis Beaumont (Michelle Buteau) bounds out of a dressing area on a photo shoot, clips something on a model’s dress, and says, “Nothing like a chip clip to save the day! I just took that from my Cheetos bag! I’m kidding! Or am I? I’ve been up since 3 AM and I have no idea who I am!”

The Gist: Mavis works as an assistant stylist on fashion photo shoots, mainly working with her photographer boyfriend Jacque (Taylor Selé). During the photo shoot she’s on, for Essence, she makes a suggestion that the lead stylist scoffs at, but it turns out great, leading Jacque to lobby the magazine’s photo editor to let Mavis take the lead stylist gig for their next project.

She arrives at the apartment they share, talking to her best friend Khalil (Tone Bell) on the phone and needing to pee like crazy. She completely doesn’t notice Jacque in bed with the model from the shoot until she sits on the toilet and hears them together. She’s not just horrified that he’s stepping out on her, but that she sort of looks like the thinner version of herself.

Mavis decides then and there to move out, despite Jacque trying to tell her it was only the one time. She feels betrayed, mainly because she supported him as he came up in the fashion world and never pressured him for marriage, and this is the thanks she gets for it. “I’ma keep it moving, and keep my plants watered,” she says to Jacque before she leaves.

She finds a room to rent in Brooklyn and moves sight unseen; her new roommate, Jade (Liza Treyger) likes to slather herself with olive oil, and she has a white cat that she never mentioned on their Zoom calls.

Mavis goes to an old hangout bar and runs into Camden (Hugh Moore), an old friend from their agency days who still harbors a crush on her. It’s while they’re talking and hanging out that she realizes that she’s single for the first time in years. They drink, they dance, and they go back to her new apartment for a nightcap… well, maybe after she pukes first. She wakes up the next day realizing, though, that Camden is a nice guy (he’s putting together a bookshelf), but not for her.

Khalil comes over to rally Mavis into going to the meeting with Essence, and the photo editor is impressed. All looks like it’s going well, until she finds out she’s going to be working with Jacque.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Survival Of The Thickest has the same vibe as shows like Shrill and Everything’s Trash.

Our Take: Buteau created the series, based on her essay collection of the same name, with veteran producer Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (Up Here, Rel). It certainly is a function of the personality that Buteau has projected during her standup career, as well as the hosting gigs she’s had on shows like The Circle and her acting roles: An ebullient, confident woman who takes no shit from anyone. But the role also gives audiences a chance to see her vulnerable during the rare moments where she doubts herself.

Essentially, Survival Of The Thickest is going to be about how Mavis tries to advance in her career without Jacque’s help and despite the fact that she’s not stick skinny like the people she works with. She loves herself, though, and describes herself as having a “drumstick emoji physique: Meaty on top, nubby on the bottom… very delicious,” so that’s a start. She also knows how to pull herself together despite being hungover and in the dumps over her breakup. In other words, she knows she has it going on and can become a lead stylist without Jacque’s help.

It’s a body-positive message, for sure, but it’s also just refreshing to see a main character be confident in herself because she just knows she has the skills. Too many shows like this show a main character, usually female, who feels bad about themselves, or may be on the upswing from a lifetime of being told they’re not good enough, attractive enough, or creative enough. And, sure, it’s uplifting to see characters like that do well. But seeing someone start from a base of confidence, one that’s truly earned because they know what they bring to the table, is also exciting to watch.

That’s been the vibe we’ve gotten from Buteau during her entire career, and we’re happy to see that vibe continue for her series.

Sex and Skin: There’s some sex and some moderate nudity (not naughty bits) in the first episode, but it’s kept to a minimum.

Parting Shot: After telling Jacque that her identity got mixed up with his and she got lost, Mavis says, “You know what? Here the fuck I am.” And she struts out of the Essence offices with her head held high.

Sleeper Star: Tone Bell has the thankless task of being the best friend, but he throws in funny lines when needed, like when he sees the cat and says, “Oh, shit, that pillow got feet!”

Most Pilot-y Line: “You’re like a well-made bra; you’re supportive and uplifting,” Mavis says to Camden the morning after they sleep together. Not the sexiest thing a guy wants to hear the next morning, is it?

Our Call: STREAM IT. Michelle Buteau is fantastic in Survival Of The Thickest, and we’re looking forward to seeing how her character Mavis inhabits her world on her own for the first time in years.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.