If you haven’t yet heard of Please Like Me, prepare to experience the full realm of 20-something awkwardness in all its hysterical glory. Thanks to the Australian grown comedian/actor/writer/director Josh Thomas, this true-to-life comedy encompasses all things millennial, including LGBTQI relationships, mental illness and a charmingly unrefined look at the realities of young people today.
Please Like Me follows Josh, a freshly hatched gay-ling, as he attempts to navigate his way around the tribulations of relationships, friendships and slightly unhinged parents in the 21st century. After being dumped by his girlfriend (played by the brilliant Caitlyn Stacey), Josh realises his true sexuality and begins the ever-so uncomfortable ritual of dating. Accompanied by his on and off-screen best friend, Tom (played by Thomas Ward), the endearingly gawky Josh Thomas is the epitome of 20-something-year-old uncertainty while managing to provide us with some hilarious one-liners along the way.
“I look like a fifty-year-old baby.”
“You can’t threaten an Atheist with Hell, Peg… It’s like a hippie threatening to punch you in your aura.”
The show also offers a sincere and often touching look at all things less-than-polished. As Josh deals with his mother’s attempted suicide, we can see the complexity of mental illness, including the often-clumsy ways in which family members attempt to cope. As the season progresses, we come to know and love other characters who reflect the everyday-man experiences with depression and anxiety.
While the show does deal with some serious topics, it avoids being over-indulgent with the perfect blend of irony and self-deprecating hilarity. Additionally, I am proud to announce the inclusion of ACTUAL gay sex. Call me sipping on some cucumber water in the Caspian Sea because I am REFRESHED.
Fast-forward to now and Please Like Me is finally starting to garner the praise it deserves. Not only is the scruffy favourite in its third season, but it is now available to be streamed in the United States on Pivot and Hulu. In fact, after the show was compared to HBO’s “Girls”, even Lena Dunham has become a fan of Josh Thomas’ relatable comedy.
“All I ever want is to be curled in bed watching Please Like Me. This show soothes my existential unrest. I love you @JoshThomas87”
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) June 4, 2015
So, let’s talk about season 3. Well, Josh begins a romance with Arnold (Keegan Joyce) who is basically the boy version of an adorably small hummingbird and has already sent the twitter-sphere into meltdown. There’s also a coming out, the progression of mental health exploration and even the adoption of three baby chickens aptly named “Adele, Beyonce and Shakira” (and let’s be honest, if that doesn’t convince you nothing will).
