‘Somebody Somewhere’ TV Review: HBO’s Underrated Heartland Comedy Closes as Hilarious as Ever

Maybe a cunt pillow is the last thing you’d expect to get shipped out of Manhattan, Kansas, but Somebody Somewhere has proven through its first two seasons that there are people in different places defying the expectations of those who don’t live there. In its third and final season, the HBO comedy spends seven episodes allowing its characters the chance to begin the next steps towards the rest of their lives. 

Sam (Bridget Everett) stops into an animal shelter to look around, forming an immediate attachment with one of the dogs there, but says she needs time to think over an adoption. She can’t commit to another relationship on impulse, even one with a domestic animal. Sam’s inability to deal with her own emotions rolls into every aspect of her life, including taking Pepper home. Just last season, she and Joel (Jeff Hiller) found a rift forming between them after Joel’s dishonesty about his new relationship with Brad (Tim Bagley), so seeing her hesitance here adds a layer to her feelings about new relationships: she craves but fear drives her away. Tricia (Mary Catherine Garrison) is newly single and, as expected, setting up dates as if time is slipping away in front of her. Her business selling pillows that have different phrases that include the word “cunt” is doing great but there’s a clear void. She even walks out as Sam is coming to spend time with her, leaving to flaunt her ability to go on dates now. Everyone in Sam’s life is moving into a different phase of their life, including Fred Rococo (Murray Hill), who doesn’t even want french toast for the table anymore at traditional appointment brunches with Sam and Joel since his fiancée, Susan (Jennifer Mudge), has him concerned for his ongoing health. She goes to collect rent from Iceland (Darri Ólafsson), the man currently staying in her mother’s home that she has nicknamed for his birth country, with an immediate curiosity brewing upon meeting him. It’s clearly difficult for Sam to be around so much fluctuation, but even so, goes back to the shelter for Pepper, only for her hopes to be dashed at the news of the dog’s adoption by another family. 

Somebody Somewhere has a distinct ability to find humor in the moments of daily life, the small jokes told between friends while they’re waiting on another to arrive, the infectious laughter that spreads amongst a group during a party. The simplicity of the series is its greatest weapon – it feels complex without being overly grand, focused without feeling constricted. There’s a weightlessness that comes with watching the show and disappearing into this small town in Kansas that’s impossible to replicate. Bridget Everett has now given three seasons of an exquisite lead performance, she’s able to shed Sam’s insecurities and give space to more intimate moments, even small ones with Iceland where she’s clearly out of her depth. Sam’s flirting with Iceland is painful, hopeful, and hilarious all at once, his natural stoicism positioned as an obstacle for her curiosity to know him. Everett elevates every moment – already packaged within a beautifully written season – and seems certain of every decision she’s making as a performer. An episode that finds her on a trip to a trade show in Kansas City with Tricia sees her revealing to her sister that she’s found herself having feelings for someone, but lacking her sister’s confidence, doesn’t feel equipped to approach him emotionally. 

There’s a shift in the characters as they settle into how the series will leave them. Joel, who has otherwise loved his new relationship, finally tells Brad he wants to spend more time with his friends. He’s clearly someone who thrives when his romantic needs are met, but without his platonic relationships being nourished, will feel constricted. They have a conversation in the front seat of Joel’s car about it and Brad agrees, Joel surprised the compromise is found so easily. He’s the type of person to ruminate on the possible outcomes of a situation without proceeding forward, doomed to not find out what will actually happen if he does. He finds the courage to be honest with Brad and sees how easily relationships can be managed when two people are willing to put in effort. If Sam is the soul of the series, Joel is the heart. Jeff Hiller is heartwarming and hilarious in the role, an eagerness to his performance as a man truly looking to see the good in others. Every actor on the show feels perfectly cast and have all been able to seep into these characters over the course of three seasons, but the final outing allows these moments for them to shine. Murray Hill continues to give a delightful performance as Fred Rococo, whose cheerful optimism never goes unnoticed and is a welcome addition to any scene. Fred is guilty of trying to manage all parties in any conflict or situation, but that’s only because of his deep compassion for the people around him. His engagement to Susan causing problems with his friends is a nightmare scenario for him and it’s clear he feels it necessary to attempt a compromise to promote a better relationship for his friends and fiancèe, especially Sam, who took the french toast rebuff pretty personally. 

What keeps Somebody Somewhere elevated is its sincerity, which never feels forced or unearned. Throughout the final season, the series puts its greatest strength to use, morphing casual conversations into ones that will plaster a smile on any audience member’s face. Tricia’s commitment to experiencing her casual single life leads her to a trip to urgent care for a check-up, and the moments shared between her and Sam before and after the doctor visit are some of the best moments of the series. The existence of love creates a comfort and intimacy, which Somebody Somewhere understands entirely, giving audiences scenes like these that are both tender and joyous. Even in moments that feel suffocating by embarrassment, there is a silver lining to be found, perhaps even a lesson to be learned. These characters are willing to accept consequences, they’re able to lightly judge themselves and one another enough to figure out how to proceed next. Watching a group of people just exist in their small town shouldn’t be so entertaining but creators Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen have figured out a powerful formula to create hilarity in the existence of those in such a town. 

The final season of one of HBO’s most delightful comedies solidifies its place as one of the greats of the decade so far. It’s a tightly constructed season that feels easy to settle into and hilarious to watch, with some of the most overlooked performances currently on television. The series has created an atmosphere so specific that the title card alone invites the viewer into this specific realm of America, a Manhattan for those not looking to live in the big city. Somebody Somewhere has proven over three seasons that the delicate moments of life can be felt by anyone anywhere. 

Grade: A

The HBO comedy Somebody Somewhere returns for its seven-episode third and final season on HBO Sunday, October 27.