Tim Robinson, celebrated for his Netflix hit, ‘I Think You Should Leave,’ is known for embodying a singular, unforgettable character: ‘That Guy.’ He’s the seemingly ordinary suburbanite, a man-child simmering with bizarre obsessions and simmering frustrations. Whether he’s running a cable channel or donning a hot dog suit, ‘That Guy’ is always, unmistakably, himself.
Far from a critique, this consistent portrayal is a testament to Robinson’s comedic genius. Few performers manage to craft a character as instantly recognizable and profoundly resonant with the peculiar, often infuriated spirit of our era. Robinson mastered ‘That Guy,’ bringing him to life in countless scenarios and effectively building an entire comedic legion around him.
Now, with ‘The Chair Company,’ premiering Sunday on HBO, ‘That Guy’ takes center stage in his own conspiracy thriller. This new series, co-created with his frequent partner Zach Kanin, blends the trademark absurdity of ‘I Think You Should Leave’ with unexpected depth, though occasionally, its extended narrative can feel a touch drawn out.
Initially, Ron Trosper (played by Robinson) appears to be the picture of suburban normalcy: a successful Ohio middle manager developing a new mall, with a daughter (Sophia Lillis) planning her wedding, a son (Will Price) nearing high school graduation, and a wife, Barb (Lake Bell), launching her own venture. His wire-rimmed glasses even give him a mild, Clark Kent-like demeanor, hinting that Robinson might, surprisingly, be portraying a genuinely mature adult.
However, Ron’s inner ‘That Guy’ soon emerges. During a family dinner, when his waitress casually remarks she hasn’t visited a mall in years, Ron is instantly triggered. He adamantly asserts that she must have, arguing that modern malls are merely ‘more naturalistic now and less intrusive.’ Despite her certainty, he stubbornly insists, even declaring the restaurant itself to be ‘kind of a mall!’—which, of course, it isn’t.
Insulted, humiliated, and a source of embarrassment to his family, Ron, true to ‘That Guy’ form, simply cannot drop the issue. He seethes, a living embodiment of an unaddressed grievance, much like an inflamed online review.
This very impulse fuels ‘The Chair Company,’ sparked by an event so pivotal it’s been kept under wraps as a spoiler. And perhaps rightly so, as attempting to describe its bizarre twists would likely sound like a child’s fragmented dream. Nevertheless, this incident plunges Ron into a state of intense humiliation and fury, launching him on a relentless quest for justice, convinced that the world itself is arrayed against him.
The intriguing twist, however, is that Ron might not be entirely wrong. His relentless pursuit, which jeopardizes both his career and his relationships, uncovers a shadowy underworld populated by fraudulent corporations, fabricated identities, clumsy enforcers, and disturbingly niche adult content.
Ron echoes a familiar archetype in antihero television: the middle-aged man searching for meaning, prone to leaving melancholic YouTube comments about life’s disappointments. Yet, in true Robinson fashion, there’s an unsettling immaturity about him. An early scene finds him retreating under his office desk, flailing in a tantrum of frustration—a stark portrayal of an adult unable to self-regulate, much like a toddler.
His bizarre investigation plunges him into a world brimming with eccentric characters and settings straight out of Robinson’s earlier sketches. He teams up with Mike (Joseph Tudisco), a melancholic tough guy harboring hidden emotional wounds. Along the way, he encounters colleagues who lack personal boundaries and fanatics obsessed with obscure shirt shops. Every individual feels slightly off-kilter and prone to overreaction, as if the world collectively forgot how to interact socially after prolonged isolation.
Robinson’s comedic genius also lies in his profound understanding of the link between humor and existential dread. Consider, for instance, an ‘I Think You Should Leave’ sketch where a man’s encounter with a pig in a Richard Nixon mask convinces him that ‘monsters roam the world.’ ‘The Chair Company’ appears to delve deeper, peeling back the layers of Robinson’s characters to expose the internal ‘boogeymen’ that drive them. While retaining its bizarre humor, the series introduces a richer emotional depth and an unsettling, almost supernatural atmosphere, reminiscent of ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ or ‘The Curse.’
Yet, ‘The Chair Company’ doesn’t consistently fulfill this ambitious vision (though the as-yet-unreviewed final episode of the season could change that). At times, it feels more like a collection of ‘I Think You Should Leave’ sketches loosely connected by a narrative thread, and the longer format unfortunately highlights the somewhat underdeveloped supporting cast.
Despite these minor missteps, I found myself thoroughly engrossed, eagerly anticipating the next peculiar and unsettling turn this wild ride would take. It seems ‘That Guy,’ after all, still has a few surprises left in him.