Entertainment
This Ridiculous 96% RT 3-Part Sitcom Is Officially the Perfect Weekend Binge
In today’s world, where stress and chaos run rampant, it’s super easy to feel like you’re living and working in a world full of idiots, and you wouldn’t be alone. That’s the premise of Fisk, a stellar 3-part sitcom—one of the best of all time—created by Australia’s very own Kitty Flanagan, who also stars in the show’s lead role.
Seasons 1 and 2 of what is pretty much the most hysterical, ridiculously relatable workplace comedy ever arrived on Netflix in 2023, just 2 short years after its Australian premiere. Its wider international release quickly found a new audience and left them not just wanting but also craving more of everything about the sitcom’s titular character, her attitude, and the way she navigates living and working in a most absurd modern-day world. The show’s 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes proves that Fisk is officially the perfect laugh-out-loud weekend binge you didn’t know you needed.
‘Fisk’ Playfully Examines Navigating the Absurdity of Life and the Stupidity of People
As one of the best international TV shows, Fisk is an Australian workplace comedy that you’ll find yourself watching over and over again. Its titular character, Helen Tudor-Fisk (Flanagan), has had it with people and their blatant stupidity. She’s not a fan at all, and it shows in nearly every single one of her interactions, regardless of whether they’re with clients, co-workers, or her father and his husband, whom she hilariously likens to “a couple of geriatric carjackers who forgot what they’re doing.”
A high-end contracts lawyer in Sydney, Helen’s life is great until her husband runs off with an older woman. In the wake of the stress, she loses her patience and snaps at a client, then is subsequently fired from her job. Forced to return to her hometown of Melbourne, she sets herself up with an employment agency, hoping to land a job that doesn’t involve a lot of client interaction. As the world’s biggest cynic, her appearance and desire to blend into the background reflect her mood and outlook: drab, oversized, and punctuated with black combat boots and unkempt hair. When she winds up working a job at a small, low-rent wills-and-probate firm full of quirky co-workers, her mouth gets her banned from the downstairs coffee shop on the first day, and she winds up with what proves to be one of her most absurd legal cases ever.
To give you a taste of what you’re in for, the case involves a woman who wants to insert a clause into her mother’s will demanding that her brother, who makes a living painting art with his manhood, get a vasectomy if he wants to see any inheritance. Helen tries in every way to explain to her client why that’s illegal, but when the client continues to insinuate that she doesn’t understand why she can’t have what she wants, Helen snaps, rolls up the contract like a megaphone, and loudly repeats herself. It’s Fisk’s first rib-tickling moment that not only gives audiences a deeper glimpse into who Helen is but also helps to reinforce the tone of the satirical TV show and its presentation of modern-day absurdities.
‘Fisk’ Is Stellar, Audiences Love It, and Rotten Tomatoes Proves It
Though the stellar sitcom has no official critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, it does have a slamming 96% audience score. Audiences love Fisk for its dry, deadpan humor, and they frequently compare the show to a more wholesome, Australian version of The Office. They also adore its relatable commentary on living and working in a ridiculous world littered with stupid people.
Fans on Reddit have frequently described the show as “comfort viewing” and “comedy gold,” thanks to its refreshing take on formulaic sitcoms. They also love that Fisk finds colossal humor in the most mundane, everyday situations as well as in its flawed yet likable characters. It’s witty and fast-paced, with comedic timing that will incessantly tickle the funny bone of quick thinkers. The running gags are funny but not overdone, and Helen’s blunt, low-stakes humor is a welcome departure from typical, over-the-top sitcom protagonists. Moreover, Fisk offers a lighthearted alternative to the chaotic modern comedies of today, and it tops everything off with a stellar Aussie twist on British wit.
In addition to its smart, observational, anti-office humor, the show features a perfectly crafted ensemble of oddball characters. Roz (Julia Zemiro) is a dominant, passive-aggressive mediator in control of the entire office, Ray (Marty Sheargold) is a flamboyant, slightly incompetent principal solicitor, and George (Aaron Chen) is the endearingly awkward receptionist and office “webmaster.” There’s certainly no shortage of comedy in this hidden gem sitcom.
If you’re looking for something ridiculously low-key and cozy to watch that’s also unusual, extremely well-written and performed, with no filler content, and that gets better with each episode, settle in for a laugh-out-loud weekend binge with Fisk. The 3-part sitcom consists of six episodes per season, and all are currently available to stream on Netflix.
- Release Date
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March 17, 2021
- Directors
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Kitty Flanagan, Tom Peterson
- Writers
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Kitty Flanagan, Penny Flanagan