LIVING WITH YOURSELF: Funny, Enjoyable, and Engaging

The main character times two—that is, cloning on screen. How many times have we already seen this trope, so typical of science fiction? In short—it has been a great many times. The poor reception of Ang Lee’s Gemini Man may suggest that audiences no longer find anything remarkable in multiplying protagonists. Yet it turns out that, with the right approach, one can still draw something fresh from this theme.

The creators of the series Living with Yourself have succeeded in doing just that.

My first association, which came to mind during the viewing of Netflix’s new series, summoned up the film Multiplicity starring Michael Keaton. There, as in Living with Yourself, the clone serves the main character by performing tasks that he either cannot accomplish himself or has no time for. And all of this in a truly comedic, absurd, and very laid-back tone.

The difference between Michael Keaton’s character and the one played by Paul Rudd is this: the latter is unaware that the procedure he is undergoing is intended to create his own copy. Undergoing a mysterious therapy at a cutting-edge spa, he hopes only that, as a result of the revolutionary treatment, his life will finally be free from romantic and personal disappointments. He has long since failed to achieve success at work. And his wife is gradually drifting away from him.

Having little to lose, he decides to take the plunge.

As you might imagine, with the arrival of Paul Rudd’s perfect, self-aware duplicate, numerous hijinks ensue. After all, who will win the contest? Whose existence will be more justified? It must be admitted that these amusing skirmishes are a pleasure to watch. Yes, that is a fitting description. Living with Yourself is a very enjoyable series. First, it is well constructed. The episodes are short but brisk and engaging. The narrative, meanwhile, allows us to examine events from different perspectives. Second, it is a comedy aimed primarily at eliciting positive emotions from the viewer.

It harms no one, seeks to prove nothing, and carries no political agenda. It places the viewer in the very midst of the main character’s chaotic life and invites us to help bring order to it. As is well known, cinematic cloning is a pretext for an actor to showcase his range. Paul Rudd has carried out the task impeccably. He plays two versions of himself: the one worn down and crushed by life’s weight, and the new, fresh one intent on making changes. Watching his performance, we never doubt for a moment which variant he is portraying, which means he has convincingly drawn the distinctions between them.

We should also applaud the special-effects team, who placed both versions of Miles on screen without visible seams. I know that today this is standard, but generally in high-budget films rather than a modest television series. All the more satisfying, then, that the effect is so well crafted. In this case, the protagonist’s clone carries a very significant, even symbolic, meaning. He embodies all the qualities that Miles himself no longer possesses. He is the ideal, a man without flaw, whose story is being rewritten.

At first, everything suggests that the inferior, original version will have to give way to the superior one.

After all, he is more successful both at work and in his wife’s eyes. But the conclusion of this rivalry is thoroughly realistic—we are nothing but the sum of our failures. The scars on our image, formed after years of stumbling over life’s obstacles, are priceless experiences that cannot be substituted. These are valuable lessons that no amount of money can buy. One need only know how to use them.

The only discord I find is in the finale.

I am not sure what the creators intended by forcing such an overt happy ending. Perhaps it was a hedge against a continuation, but if so, I am not convinced that there is potential for it. Living with Yourself would have had greater impact if the creators had made it clear, once and for all, that certain resolutions simply cannot occur because they do not add up.

After all, through all the episodes they strove to prove otherwise—so I do not understand this lack of resolve at the end.

Because no, the fact that the clone “straightened” things out in ways the original would not have does not mean that… but anyway, see for yourselves.