‘The Chair Company’ TV Review: Tim Robinson Goes Off the Deep End in Unhinged Conspiracy Comedy [A]
I fell once when I was younger, playing baseball in a local youth league. I was running to catch a ball that popped into foul territory, where recent rainfall left standing water and slick grass that forced my legs to slip out from underneath me. In my ruminations after, I enlarged the issue more than was necessary, laser-focused on the response of everyone that saw. It’s even easier to do this as an adult, being hyperattentive to unnecessary details of daily interactions that can fuel paranoia about how we’re perceived by those around us. It’s enough to drive someone insane.
In their squirm-inducing and hysterical new HBO series The Chair Company, Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin – known for their creative partnership on both Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave – push anxiety-ridden television to the extreme while following Ron Prosper (Robinson), a project developer who leaps headfirst into a conspiracy after an embarrassing incident at work. Agonizing over someone to blame, he begins research that unearths findings of a company that might not actually exist, a board of directors that feel generated, and an uneasy feeling that he can’t seem to shake. It becomes his obsession, an affair he’s having away from his family that’s providing more emotional pull for him than he’s felt in recent years; there’s a newfound desire within him that’s desperate for answers. His stagnancy has been replaced by drive that especially surprises his family. He’s found purpose in finding someone to blame.
Ron’s wife, Barb (Lake Bell, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), hasn’t been feeling much different the past few years of their marriage. After quitting her career to invest her time in a style-centered breast pump, she’s lost much of that time to failed meetings with potential financial investors. Ron’s recent return to the office is a necessary change to help pay the bills, but going back to the office has his attention elsewhere, a potential conspiracy Barb isn’t privy to. Ron’s oldest child, Natalie (Sophia Lillis, It), is getting married to her oddly antagonistic partner soon and is mostly only concerned with getting her wedding venue changed to a real haunted house. His younger son, Seth (Will Price, Eleanor the Great), is constantly meeting college recruiters and already has an issue with alcohol abuse after recently trying it for the first time with friends. Ron loves his family, but has lost his purpose.
The Chair Company weaponizes discomfort to a suffocating degree, the air slowly leaving you as each episode immerses you deeper into a pit of unease. Ron’s obsession with his investigation causes problems at work as well, his boss quickly losing faith in his ability to aid in the creation of the mall he’s been tasked with developing. He’s becoming more abrasive with his employees, office assistant Jamie catching the worst of it after Ron leaves her having a panic attack in her car after almost being in a huge collision. The series doesn’t mind lingering in the awkwardness of any situation it puts one of its characters in, almost always to hilarious effect. Every interaction is fully realized and, for the most part, outrageous. Fans of Tim Robinson’s previous work will love The Chair Company and its labyrinthian descent into paranoia, the series reteaming him with director Andrew Deyoung, whose film Friendship is led by Robinson. It’s an absurd puzzle built on the back of conspiracy.
Over the seven episodes provided to critics for review, understanding Ron begins to be a bit easier. Ron’s interactions with his family are abysmal now, and by flashing back in time, the series investigates how the deeper malcontent he was feeling towards his life pressured him back to the office to provide for them. He’s taking things too far now, looking into conspiracies because he feels incomplete at home while hiding everything from Barb – her frustration with him is only growing. The Chair Company is peerless in its ability to turn excruciatingly unpleasant moments into ones of merit that deepen the audience’s connection with the characters. Each episode presents moments more awkward than the last while never cheapening the effect of the discomfort, only accentuating it with more character work that provides more understanding of Ron’s family life. There’s a surrealist quality to the levels the series operates on simultaneously, never letting up steam after the first scene, where Ron gets into a disagreement with a server on what constitutes a mall. The audience is introduced to a man who can’t move on from little things, especially if they are perceived slights. His ambition was sanded down by the world around him, and he’s finally found something that drives him again: revenge.
One of the best shows of the year, The Chair Company will have you sinking in your recliner. It’s an investigation into the anxieties produced by contemporary existence, and how the ruminations of those anxieties can drive someone mad. Tim Robinson is in top form, moving from his usual screaming and yelling to moments of tenderness with his family, especially in scenes with Sophia Lillis. It’s a welcome addition to Robinson’s catalog, one that surpasses the incredible discomfort of I Think You Should Leave with an astonishing level of empathy. The Chair Company will knock you out of your seat.
Grade: A
The Chair Company will premiere on HBO Max October 12 with new episodes streaming weekly.
- ‘Pluribus’ TV Review: Rhea Seehorn is the Worst Person in the World [A] - November 6, 2025
- ‘I Love LA’ TV Review: Rachel Sennott Finally Has Her Star Vehicle with Erewhon-infused Social Climbing Series [B+] - October 30, 2025
- ‘The Chair Company’ TV Review: Tim Robinson Goes Off the Deep End in Unhinged Conspiracy Comedy [A] - October 9, 2025
‘Frankenstein’ to Receive Visionary Honor from Palm Springs International Film Awards 
Robert Yeoman to be Honored with American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award 
National Board of Review: ‘One Battle After Another’ Tops in Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor; Netflix Lands Four in Top 10 
41st Spirit Awards Nominations: ‘Peter Hujar’s Day,’ ‘Lurker,’ ‘Train Dreams’ Lead