Kevin Can F**k Himself is the perfect follow-up to Schitt’s Creek. The series stars Annie Murphy, who played Alexis Rose on Schitt’s Creek, as Allison Devine McRoberts, alongside Eric Petersen as Kevin McRoberts. Their marriage is initially portrayed as a typical sitcom marriage, reminiscent of shows like The Honeymooners, The King of Queens, and Kevin Can Wait. The show’s title is a pointed reference to Kevin Can Wait, which controversially killed off the wife character played by Erinn Hayes offscreen after the first season, replacing her with Kevin James’ King of Queens co-star Leah Remini for the second season.
Kevin Can F**k Himself quickly reveals itself to be more than a sitcom; it is a thought-provoking dark comedy. Scenes featuring Kevin use sitcom tropes such as canned laughter, bright lighting, and a multi-camera setup, while scenes without him are shot with a single-camera setup and regular lighting, depicting the harsh reality of Allison’s life. The series received a 91% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and ran for two seasons, totaling 16 episodes, before reaching a natural conclusion.
The show is among 13 AMC original series being added to Netflix on August 19. Other AMC series like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and The Walking Dead have found wider audiences and become streaming hits after being added to Netflix. Kevin Can F**k Himself is poised to reach a broader audience and gain more recognition through its addition to Netflix’s streaming library, potentially bringing more exposure to this underrated show.
From start to finish, Murphy and Petersen deliver exceptional performances, offering commentary on problematic sitcom tropes. Allison’s journey is compelling as she seeks to escape an abusive marriage and take control of her life. She is not alone on this journey, as she befriends her neighbor Patty (Mary Hollis Inboden) and reconnects with her high school friend Sam Park (Raymond Lee). The series cleverly subverts the sitcom genre to tell an empowering, important, and sometimes uncomfortable story.
