Fleishman Is in Trouble
Fleishman Is in Trouble
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Fleishman Is in Trouble

"What if it was all different?"

7.2
Yr 2022
Status Ended
Drama
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Series Brief

Overview

Recently separated forty-something Toby Fleishman dives into the brave new world of app-based dating with the kind of success he never had dating in his youth. But just at the start of his first summer of sexual freedom, his ex-wife disappears, leaving him with the kids and no hint of where she is or whether she plans to return.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 75 /100

Critical reception for Fleishman Is in Trouble is notably polarized, with critics debating whether the show's literary, internal-monologue-heavy style is a triumph or a source of frustration. Many reviewers praise the series as a sharp, thought-provoking examination of marriage and mid-life identity, often highlighting the excellent performances of the ensemble cast. It is frequently lauded for its ability to shift perspectives and its willingness to tackle complex, uncomfortable emotional territory.

Conversely, some critics find the pacing tedious and the characters difficult to relate to, labeling the narration as overly didactic or "whiny." While common ground exists on the show's technical proficiency and strong acting, there is no consensus on whether the adaptation successfully translates its source material’s literary devices to the screen, leading to a viewing experience that many describe as simultaneously rewarding and draining.

“A saga across time, relationships, and even bounds of empathy that offers the best kind of whiplash.”

“The series covers a surprising amount of emotional real estate, themes and tones over its eight-episode run.”

“The result is a frustrating showcase for very good actors as very whiny characters.”

“The series has an unsettled energy about what story it wants to tell. It refuses to be pinned down, even as viewers’ attention may wander.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Hulu
US
Disney Plus
CA • UK
Why fans love it

Fleishman Is in Trouble pulls apart a marriage with the precision of a surgical procedure. Based on the novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, the series turns a standard divorce narrative into a complex study of perception and middle-aged expectations. It examines the gap between how people represent themselves in dating apps and the actual reality of navigating single life while tethered to a previous life.

Jesse Eisenberg plays a doctor whose sudden shift into independent parenthood forces a confrontation with his own assumptions about his ex-wife. Because the perspective shifts among different characters, the series avoids a static take on the separation. It functions as a portrait of transition, focusing on the friction caused when two people who once shared a home suddenly occupy diverging realities. The tension centers on the frustration of trying to understand a former partner once the legal terms of a divorce are set, but the emotional terms remain unresolved.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 22
Longest run 8 eps
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg
as Toby Fleishman
8 episodes
Claire Danes
Claire Danes
as Rachel Fleishman
8 episodes
Lizzy Caplan
Lizzy Caplan
as Libby Epstein
8 episodes
Adam Brody
Adam Brody
as Seth Morris
8 episodes
Meara Mahoney Gross
Meara Mahoney Gross
as Hannah Fleishman
8 episodes
Maxim Swinton
Maxim Swinton
as Solly Fleishman
8 episodes
Josh Stamberg
Josh Stamberg
as Sam Rothberg
6 episodes
Juani Feliz
Juani Feliz
as Alejandra Lopez
3 episodes
Show 67 more
Ashley Austin Morris as Roxanne Hertz 5 episodes Jenny Powers as Miriam Rothberg 6 episodes Joy Suprano as Cyndi Leffer 6 episodes Eric William Morris as Todd Leffer 4 episodes Zack Robidas as Rich Hertz 3 episodes Ralph Adriel Johnson as Phillip 6 episodes Talia Castro-Pozo as Mona 4 episodes John Patrick Hayden as David Cooper 4 episodes Tara Summers as Tess 1 episode Josh Radnor as Adam Epstein 5 episodes Jimmy Fallon as Self 1 episode Julie Tolivar as Karen Cooper 4 episodes Ariel Ash as Young Woman #1 1 episode Kimberly Chesser as Young Woman #2 1 episode Erinn Holmes as Young Woman #3 1 episode Jhordan Munn as Jenny 1 episode Mariana Novak as Writer 1 episode Oscar Bennett as Miles Epstein 4 episodes Lucinda Lee Dawson Gray as Sasha Epstein 4 episodes Abbey Hafer as Lexi Leffer 2 episodes Marissa Feinberg as "Yoga + Vodka" Mom 1 episode Meghan Marx as "I Woke Up Like This" Mom 1 episode Stephanie Rocio as "Eat Sleep Spin Repeat" Mom 1 episode Amy Lynne Berger as Canvasser 1 episode Joshua Gutierrez as Messenger 1 episode Simone Norman as Young Drunk Woman 1 episode Bonnie Rose as Waitress 1 episode Joshua Perez as Man (uncredited) 1 episode Kathryn Prescott as Woman (uncredited) 1 episode Lauren Yaffe as Pedestrian (uncredited) 1 episode Michael Gaston as Dr. Donald Bartuck 2 episodes Mozhan Navabi as Nahid 4 episodes Ava Yaghmaie as Joanie Heydari 6 episodes Peter Grosz as Camp Director 2 episodes Pearl Sun as Dr. Janice Wong 3 episodes Cynthia Sosa as Sandra 3 episodes Tobin Cleary as Zach 2 episodes Christine McBurney as Ida 1 episode Clem Cheung as Dr. Loo 1 episode Aki Ando as Mrs. Loo 1 episode Tamir as The Beggar Woman 1 episode Walter Goldberg as Young Solly 1 episode Thea Schoenfeld as Young Hannah 1 episode Steve Jean-Baptiste as Hamptons Cop 1 episode Pamela Jayne Morgan as Caretaker 1 episode Vincenzo Amato as Dr. Romalino 2 episodes Seth Barrish as Toby's Father 2 episodes Daniel Hepner as Resident #1 2 episodes Justin Ahdoot as Resident #2 2 episodes Rebecca Kling as Delivery Room Nurse #1 2 episodes Dipti Mehta as Delivery Room Nurse #2 2 episodes Anne L. Nathan as Sharon Fleishman 3 episodes Sierra Rein as Cherry 2 episodes Sarah Bisman Storm as Toby's Sister 3 episodes Brian Miskell as Clay Clifton 5 episodes Frances Li as Vanessa 4 episodes Erin Breen as Allison 2 episodes Charles Everett as Golden Doorman 3 episodes Nina Kassa as Annie 2 episodes Tara Westwood as Amy 2 episodes Julianna Zinkel as Suburban Mom 2 episodes Todd Faulkner as Toby's Doorman Albert 2 episodes Christian Slater as Archer Sylvan 2 episodes Joe Tuttle as Glenn 3 episodes Yaron Lotan as Brian 2 episodes Nathaniel Levin as Bro #1 2 episodes Matthew J. Harris as Bro #3 2 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Executive Producer
Sarah Timberman Taffy Brodesser-Akner Jonathan Dayton Carl Beverly Susannah Grant Valerie Faris
Co-Executive Producer
Diana Schmidt Cindy Chupack
Production Design
Sharon Lomofsky
Editor
Josh Beal
Director of Photography
Corey Walter Tim Orr
Casting Associate
Tracy Kaczorowski
Other
Boo Killebrew Allison P. Davis
Producer
Anne M. Uemura
Director
Shari Springer Berman Jonathan Dayton Alice Wu Valerie Faris Robert Pulcini
Creator
Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Novel
Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Casting
Jodi Angstreich
Supervising Producer
Katie DiMento
Writer
Michael Goldbach
Art Direction
Alison Ford Anne Fleischman
Original Music Composer
Caroline Shaw
Set Decoration
Chryss Hionis
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Fleishman Is in Trouble overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

based on novel or book marriage doctor divorce ex-husband ex-wife relationship
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
November 17, 2022
Status
Ended
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
149