Earlier this month, Netflix released a new show called Easy. Easy is an 8-episode dramedy that consists of different vignettes focusing on different couples and their sex lives. Although the title of this show suggests something different, this show depicts the difficulties of intimate relationships through beautiful imagery in Chicago. All of the episodes are set in Chicago around the same time and they sometimes overlap. The director of this show is Joe Swanberg, who is known for his independent movies Drinking Buddies and Happy Christmas. This is the first television show he has directed for Netflix.
The show is filled with well-known actors, including Orlando Bloom, Dave Franco, and Aya Cash. Unlike some other vignette series, there is a consistent tone throughout all the episodes: melancholy. Each episode has its own type of melancholy, but whether it’s the reality of aging or the loneliness one feels when they’re with the wrong person, the emotion is there. While the show is filled with famous and talented actors, the viewer never really gets to know the character deeper than the surface. The episodes are filled with beautiful shots filled with emotional potential, but the potential is never reached because there is not a connection between the characters and the viewer. There are many opportunities for this because the characters are easy to relate to on the surface, but there is no glimpse into the thoughts or backstories of any of the characters, making this show visually stunning but emotionally dry.
Easy examines some topics like LGBT relationships and gender roles within relationships, but it tries too hard. The show has been described by critics as being “open-minded” and “a show for millennials,” when in reality, it is neither of those things. The only episode that depicts a lesbian relationship is a very frustrating portrayal of young love. The way these characters talk and interact with each other is something I have never witnessed before, and not in a good way. The conversations between the lovers are redundantly about subjects like veganism or being a lesbian. The characters re-enforce the stereotype that lesbians are not feminine and are all tree-hugging vegans. While the relationship is interracial, it’s barely progressive.
Another episode depicts a relationship and an affair with an ex-lover. In the episode the female has intoxicated sexual intercourse with her ex-lover that she initially resists. At the end of the scene she is pinned against the window where the man begins to have sex with her. The tone of this was very predatory. As a viewer I originally thought that the episode would then talk about consent but instead this event is never mentioned again in this episode or in the series at all. The show never addresses consent and the importance of consent. In almost every episode two characters have sex but the question of consent is never asked.
That is what makes this show unprogressive; the sex always just happens. While the sex is gritty and awkward, there is never explicit consent given in any of the episodes. It seems like there is unspoken consent in most of the episodes but there is no statement along the lines of “yes, I want to have sex with you,” which is something that I would’ve liked to hear.
That being said, there were a few things that the show did that I found refreshing. The depictions of human bodies were nice. Although all the female characters were skinny and conventionally beautiful, the sex was sweaty and uncomfortable to watch. It made sex seem intimate but not pornographic, even though there is a lot of nudity. The depiction of love in the show was also revitalizing. Unlike some other Netflix Originals (Love, I’m talking about you), Easy is realistic without being pessimistic. No couples ride off into the sunset, but they also aren’t mopey and saying love doesn’t exist. It’s clear that most of the couples love each other deeply, but struggle still exists just like it does in all real-life relationships. While there is a lot of conflict in this show, there are also some tender emotional moments that help the viewer believe in love again, an idea the world is absent today.
I would suggest this show if you’re the kind of viewer who likes ideas and scenery more than meaning and characters. The first time I watched this show, I loved it. It’s easy to binge-watch (each episode is only around 28 min long) and it’s very charming. When I looked closer, I realized that this show has some major problems that could’ve easily been fixed if the writers were more thoughtful in how they portrayed certain aspects of modern relationships. So, if you only watch series once without giving them much thought, love provocative depictions of sex, and love attractive men, I highly suggest this show. But if you think that the media should try harder in showing different body types, discussing realistic LGBT relationships, and think consent should be explicit and required, then I would say you should pass on this show. Instead, watch HBO’s Girls or Netflix’s Lovesick for some more meaningful and open-minded watching.
