Critical Condition: Forever

Forever | Amazon Prime Video, from Friday

➢➢ “Not long after I started watching this exquisite eight-episode dramedy from Alan Yang (Master of None) and Matt Hubbard, I realised why the folks at Amazon have been so intent on keeping a lid on its central premise. It seems like a show about two nice, normal suburban yuppies named Oscar and June Hoffman (SNL chums Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph, in fine form) who are stuck in a marital rut. Then, in a major swerve, Forever becomes a much deeper and almost philosophical look at the concept of eternal love.” — The Washington Post.

➢➢ “Forever is one of the best new shows of the fall TV season. But here’s the thing: I can’t fully tell you why. Amazon, which will premiere Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen’s dramedy on its Prime Video platform Friday, has asked critics to stay mum regarding many of the major details that might ordinarily appear in a review. You know, little things like what this show is actually about. In this case, I completely get the desire for secrecy. One of the joys of Forever— and there are many — is that it constantly takes unexpected left turns, shifting the show’s premise and genre more than once.” — New York.

➢➢ “Forever was created by Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, and at times it’s like Master of None, the Netflix relationship comedy that Mr. Yang created with Aziz Ansari, but from the other side of commitment. It keeps turning over in its hand the weird idea of monogamy, wondering how people can manage being with one person indefinitely, and how they can manage not being so … You will think you have figured out what kind of show Forever is, and you will be wrong, and you will figure it out again, and you will be wrong again.” —  New York Times.

➢➢ “A new and secretive series from Amazon is a lovely little meditation on marriage and happiness … When Forever wants to be funny, it can be ragingly funny, especially over little things. That’s no surprise given that Hubbard and Yang worked on two of the funniest comedies that TV has ever birthed, 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation. But both Master of None and Forever are decidedly more interested in small moments and the intricacies of human nature than they are in setups and punchlines.” — The Hollywood Reporter.

➢➢ “You’ll have to trust me when I say there’s never been a romantic comedy quite like Forever. I can’t go into too much detail, because there’s a sense of constant discovery and surprise in these eight magically sublime, funny-sad episodes that go beyond the realm of spoiler alerts … This series explores the joys and challenges in the long-term marriage-without-children of … [a] couple on an existential journey like no other, one that’s still universal in how it poignantly and humorously confronts the big issues of life and love.” — TV Insider.