PLEASE LIKE ME: Much More Than Just a Comedy

Nowadays many series are produced—some better, some worse. All, however, compete for what is most important: the viewer’s attention. In creating new titles, the CW network leads the way, continually producing a new story about a hero from the DC Comics universe. Anyone who wished to follow that universe in its entirety must be aware that they will spend a great deal of time in front of the television. What chances for success does a series have in such an abundance of offerings if it was created by a young, merely twenty-nine-year-old comedian from Australia, who not only decided to write his own series but also to serve as one of its writers and directors, and moreover star in the lead role? If we add the fact that Please Like Me —for that is the series in question—was originally to be broadcast on the Australian television channel ABC1 but was deemed a series more suitable for youth and moved to ABC2, it becomes truly intriguing.

ABC1 quickly realized its mistake, however, and six months later purchased the series as well, recognizing that Please Like Me did not belong to the—often saccharine—tales for school-age viewers. Although most of the characters in the series are young, in subsequent episodes we find moments that are distinctly comedic as well as those focusing on serious, life matters and problems.

The same conclusion was reached by Pivot, an American cable network that debuted on August 1, 2013. Interestingly, Pivot ceased operations rather quickly, on October 31, 2016, yet the story written by Josh Thomas reached its fourth season.

What is Please Like Me about? It begins rather innocently, promising something resembling an ordinary situational—or verbal—comedy.

Josh’s girlfriend (the main character shares his name with the actor who plays him), Claire (portrayed by Caitlin Stasey), informs him that she is ending their relationship because she has realized that her boyfriend is a homosexual, in other words, a gay man. Josh’s astonishment knows no bounds, but over time he notices that Claire may have been right and tries to find a new kindred spirit, this time seeking one among men. Yet all of this is new to him, and rather charmingly and awkwardly he behaves in this entirely new situation, instantly arousing our sympathy and compelling us to root for him.

However, Please Like Me would not be so valuable a title if it focused only on one subject. Indeed, series about searching for love or the object of one’s affections can be interesting, but Thomas’s work reaches much deeper. Because Josh’s mother, Rose, decides to commit suicide by overdosing on Panadol.

Thus our hero has two serious problems on his hands—coming to terms with his own sexual orientation and attempting to find himself within it, as well as dealing with his mother’s troubles. On top of that is the fact that Josh’s parents are divorced and Alan has no desire to care for his ex-wife, since he has already begun a new relationship with Mae.

How does the series’ soundtrack fare? At times a series’ plot may be interesting, yet the viewer cannot stand music that irritates their sensitive ears and decides to stop watching.

That certainly will not happen here. The tracks illustrating each scene are truly satisfying, and the theme song is so catchy that one might find oneself humming it in the shower—if not there, then at some other suitable moment.

Since we already know that the plot concept can engage us, and the music will not make us want to cover our ears and hide under the armchair, what can we say about the acting? It is clear that even the best show cannot sustain itself if the actors deliver their lines like proverbial wooden stakes, investing no heart or emotion in their performances.

Someone once said that a good performer, when portraying their character, must forget their true personality and somehow step into the character’s skin.

Both Josh Thomas himself, Caitlin Stasey, David Roberts (as the father), and Debra Lawrance (as the mother) performed excellently. Watching subsequent episodes, one can forget that what we see before our eyes is fiction, a television series, and feel as if we are watching the story of a friend who, with a video camera, shares what has recently happened to him.

Thomas strikes as truly convincing and natural, and special attention is due to Debra Lawrance, whose performance perfectly conveys the struggles of a person battling depression.

Mental illness and the daily fight faced by those suffering from such conditions is the second aspect frequently addressed in Please Like Me. The series’ creator himself stated that it was very important to him for society to pay more attention to the problems of the ill, to focus more on their needs and providing them with help, and—most importantly—for such individuals to be better understood within their environment and be able to rely on the support of their closest family.

It is impossible here not to mention the character Arnold, appearing in the second episode of the second season, brilliantly portrayed by the young twenty-seven-year-old actor Keegan Joyce. Viewers of Rake have surely already heard of him, but for a sizable number of people he may be completely unknown.

Arnold is probably the most challenging role to portray in the entire series of episodes.

He is a young man suffering from anxiety disorders, striving not only to grapple with the world around him and not let the illness defeat him, but also to find a way to inform his parents that they should not count on a daughter-in-law in their life. Similar issues—both anxiety disorders and fear of lacking acceptance by one’s nearest and dearest—afflict many people today, who may identify with Arnold and root for him, all while learning for themselves how to cope in difficult situations.

It is difficult to categorize Please Like Me definitively.

On one hand, it is a comedy with plenty of humorous accents, including placing a live chicken on someone’s head; on the other, it is a serious series dealing with matters very close to us—those of us, our families, or our friends. This diversity and the excellent preparation of the actors for their roles make Please Like Me a truly good title, one well worth exploring. Indeed, it has been recognized not only by viewers but also by critics, winning—for example—the Best Television Comedy Series award at the third annual AACTA Awards.