After watching the first two episodes of Fleishman is in troublebased on the 2019 book of the same name by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, something strange happened: I spent about a week with Phantom Planet’s 2002 song “California”. swirling on a loop in my head. I can only assume that this unique, unintended side effect was my body’s way of reminding me of it almost two decades later That’s OK Premiere, Adam Brody remains a crush — a truth that’s further emphasized with each new installment of the FX drama.
As mentioned in our review, Fleishman is in trouble, which follows the recently divorced Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg)’s struggle to navigate a world without his ex Rachel (Claire Danes), invites characters and viewers alike to reconsider their nostalgic relationships. Storylines aside, it’s an effortless task at first thanks to a stacked Millennial Comfort Cast™ that includes Lizzy Caplan, Josh Radnor and, of course, Brody. Together the ensemble is pure magic. But longtime fans of Brody will be particularly intrigued — both by his ability to make the insufferable Seth Morris (not Seth Cohen) charming and the fact that he’s aged like the finest wine.
Brody’s Seth is one of the old friends that Toby reunites after the divorce. He’s an unmarried financial brother, has no children, and still lives an adventurous bachelor lifestyle of bar hopping and shenanigans that lasts until the sun comes up. He takes care of Toby’s “completion rate”; figured out how to “beat the system” by getting dating apps to give him women under 35; and says things like, “Dude, the world is your oyster now. Lick it up.” Under normal circumstances, I’d loathe this man. But even if he spits out eye-roll-worthy lines, Brody adds Fleischman‘s Seth with the same accessibility as his adorable idiot OK Character.
In college flashbacks, Seth wears casual clothes and exudes confidence amid a sea of solo mugs. But in modern scenes, Brody plays a man who thrives on the surface and squirms on the inside. Between losing his job, meeting up with college friends, and helping Toby process his divorce, Seth must face one of his greatest fears: that despite his best efforts at clinging to youth, he is aging. As he takes stock of his own life, acute nostalgia leads to inner fear and loneliness. It’s hard to feel sorry for a teenaged, grown man who has yet to actively advocate for change, but the warmth Brody brings to the role offers viewers unexpected windows of relationship building.
If Seth Morris were played by someone else I’m not convinced this series would work because in addition to Brody’s acting skills, its specific shades of sexiness at the same time soften and emphasize its character. Whether he’s rocking a graphic tee, jeans and sneakers in goofy flashbacks, or looking stylish in a suit and munching on a grilled cheese as an adult, Brody — and please forgive me, Leighton Meester — looks good, AF.
At the age of 42, this man may be hotter than ever. And that realization hits like a ton of rocks in scenes where Seth lies on a blanket in the park, sips rose wine from a can and just exists with his sleeves rolled up, face scratches, sunglasses and a shirt slightly unbuttoned to reveal a few tantalizing strands chest hair.
From time to time, photos of Brody and his wife Meester — who married in 2014 and have two children together — go viral on Twitter simply because they’re so hot. Some believe they were blessed with the timeless Paul Rudd genes, while others feel their youth is a direct result of minding their own business and being relatively lowly in Hollywood. Whatever the secret, it works. And although we no longer have the delightful single parent to at least show the couple sharing the screen Fleischman is here to deliver weekly doses of Brody’s latest sexy Seth role.
New episodes of FX Fleishman is in trouble Premieres on Hulu on Thursdays.