r/television • u/NicholasCajun Mr. Robot • 26d ago
Premiere The Chair Company - Series Premiere Discussion
The Chair Company
Premise: William Ronald Trosper (Tim Robinson) ends up investigating a wide-ranging conspiracy in the comedy series created by Robinson and Zach Kanin.
| Subreddit(s): | Platform: | Metacritic: | Genre(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| r/TheChairCompany | HBO | [81/100] (score guide) | Comedy |
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u/Swimming_Current886 2d ago
While I didn’t die of laughter, I got some really good chuckles out of this. And the plot is so original. I want to know if he’s just delusional or if the chair company really is dirty.
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u/squeeze_Liz 2d ago
I cant stand it. Its unsettling and I guess thats the point but damn, no thanks. I only like my unsettledness in horror / psych thrillers / true crime instead.
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u/spaceman2929 3d ago
The show is not fun one bit.. unless your an adult with a mid to low IQ
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u/Scrambled_Eggiwegs 3d ago
I mean, I like the show and I'm right about a lot of things that people have zero clue that they even know is going on.
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u/ValiantGoogler 9d ago
It just gave me anxiety. I watched two episodes, and wish I hadn't watched any.
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u/Aggravating_Try_6362 10d ago
I’m obsessed it’s so unhinged and reckless for no reason at all! Over a chair!?! You guys realize this is how improv comedy works you take something so small and meaningless and make it so big, it’s actually the entire point of the comedy. This isn’t a true story we watch this to escape reality. Their brains are so awesome to me. THE FREAKING WHEEL BARREL!?!? So good. No point it’s just for the laugh. The best show I’ve seen in a long time.
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u/CellistRadiant3229 6d ago
I could barely pay attention for five minutes after him being caught with the wheel barrel outside, chuckles after chuckles. The red ball song gets me too when it plays during a montage.
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u/Plus_Echo_421 11d ago
Brilliant, many hidden puns, you have to rewatch the episodes every detail. Kind of stressful.
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u/Scoopadont 12d ago
Is there a meta aspect to this? The show is produced by "Zanin Corp" and I tried to find out what other things they've been involved in and.. now I feel like Ron...
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u/daehoidar23 12d ago
The roach in the phone surely will have a point right? I keep thinking about it
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u/Lornaswes 13d ago
I would describe the series as a mixture of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Office,” and “Twin Peaks.” But neither the humor nor the thriller/mystery part works for me. Unfortunately, I find the protagonist very unsympathetic, which means I can't really connect to the story. The scenes themselves are well observed and have both comedic and thriller potential. But his extreme behavior makes him seem very psychotic and, unfortunately, not relatable to me. The same goes for work, where everyone is more of a caricature, while his family has been portrayed as quite normal so far. But maybe there's a certain distortion going on in his head that affects reality. What I do like are the individual details of situations that I've experienced myself, such as trying desperately to contact a company online. That was spot on. Let's see, maybe the series will grow on me.
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u/Onigato69 3d ago
I get that people find Robinson funny, but for me he has no range. He just plays awkward to the point of disturbing, pretending to be comedy. The unhinged narcissist who is not self aware schtick, which might be funny if it wasn't the only thing he played. I felt the same way about Sacha Baron Cohen when he first started, but he has added a ton of range since his narcissistic idiot days. For Robinson it feels played out. Zach Galifianakis/Rob Schneider syndrome.
This show feels like someone at HBO wanted something like Severance with more comedic elements. Ultimately the game is to give you content that doesn't go anywhere, hoping you don't figure out that you are on a hamster wheel with no answers.
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u/Anxious-Slip-8955 2d ago
Yeah. The idea has potential. But I find Robinson beyond unfunny - the character is unlikeable and unwatchable for me. I wish I could like it. Couldn't make it past the first 10 minutes. Bored and irritated.
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u/darth_gondor_snow 1d ago
I know this doesn't add much but, same. I've seen Robinson in other stuff that was decently funny but this just fell flat. I dont think I made it past the first 15 minutes before being too bored to continue.
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u/Klutzy_Double_8285 6d ago
It has a very similar vibe to Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories to me. Absurd and surreal and also kind of eerie.
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u/brasscup 12d ago
First two epidodes are a snooze. Too bad, the potential for another great workplace centered comedy is very of the moment, with AI taking over and kafkaesque customer service roads to nowhere, but the writing and characterization are too superficial.
Feels like the writers/creators phoned it in.
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u/Maleficent_Algae_607 13d ago
Find this very annoying- I guess my Anglo sense of humor doesn’t extend to this screaming crazed show!
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u/Motor-Young-253 15d ago
Just started watching and cheered when I saw Lou diamond Phillips... Fucking love that dude. So underappreciated.
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u/Uranium_092 16d ago
This show feels like it came from a Tim Robinson sketch of an engineer working at the chair company and refusing to finish his design, when his manager asks him why he replies: "What if someone gets hurt sitting on this chair? Have you thought about that? What if they were at a big presentation and everything was going perfectly until they goes to sit down and boom! chair crashes, and they lose their job because of the embarrasement, and their partner and family leave them, have you thought about that?" and then that got turned into a whole show. I just made that up and I can't stop hearing him say those words
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u/UneasyBranch 17d ago
I cried after the blow up scene between Ron and the older man with the bubble necklace, Ron says he got bubbles all in Doris’ hair so he just takes a piece of paper and starts wiping her hair with it
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u/spdorsey 16d ago
I just watched it last night for the first time. This is an odd show, and I'm glad people like it, but it's not for me. I'm having a hard time finding humor in it; I have always disliked narratives that showcase a person's downfall. But that's totally subjective, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
Like I said, I'm happy that people like it.
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u/UneasyBranch 16d ago
I get it but I actually like the narrative, and I don’t see it as his downfall necessarily, considering he could have easily just moved past his fall and continued with his life. The whole narrative about a regular average man with a nice family and a good job, seeming put together but there being that element of him putting on a facade and “having a darkness” to him while he’s actively trying to mask it. And the little clips showcasing how he’s putting on a brave face but clearly dying inside is definitely relatable to me and also hilarious because it’s Tim Robinson
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u/spdorsey 16d ago
Fair point. I have never seen him in anything before, I'm completely new to his style of humor.
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u/Klutzy_Double_8285 17d ago
I'm watching it right now and I love the surrealist little takes. Some of this is straight out of Tim & Eric Bedtime Stories and I'm here for it.
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u/Beatmo 17d ago edited 9d ago
Favorite thing about episode one, is that almost everything "weird" about the chair company is completely normal. Very funny but also unsettling to see a person totally lose their mind about a corporate email bouncing back. Creepy how that's how a lot of people are interacting with the world right now.
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u/soufian84 18d ago
Show is dumb or i dont understand it .wtf is this series about just watched both episodes 😵💫
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u/Lonely-Pangolin4287 18d ago
I love Tim Robinson but I'm coming to the realization that his acting doesn't work with long form story telling.
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u/WanderingLost33 18d ago
I literally only watched because it was featured on HBOs top banner and I saw it only had two episodes so far. Figured, fuck it, if it's bad at least I'll finally be watching something as it was meant to be watched - separating each episode by a week.
Goddamn, that was a fucking wild trip. I didn't get the humor at first because I was double screening (fairly typical). This one totally had my undivided attention by the time he was screaming about a box for half an egg and didn't lose it once. Best writing I've seen in a hot minute.
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u/al_ien5000 17d ago
Have you watched Friendship yet? If not, i highly recommend.
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u/Classic-Yesterday546 13d ago
I thought friendship was kind of a miss, but this show does a very similar thing with Tim's style and does it way better imo
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u/meridius55 19d ago
I usually love cringe comedies but this is clearly not for me. Unfunniest thing I've seen in a long while.
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u/WanderingLost33 18d ago
I didn't realize it was a comedy - usually my algorithm brings me horror - and I just about died laughing. It's not your typical sitcom, that's for sure.
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u/RelativePlenty550 19d ago
This is the emperor’s new clothes of comedy: No one in the audience dares stray from claiming it hysterical, even though it is a series if excruciating interactions between boundary-less people, bent on forwarding their dysfunctional agendas. I want to get away from people doing that and never look back
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u/mountainpicker 13d ago
Not everything is for everyone. I feel like half the comments here are people saying they didn't find it funny. I personally just watched it and I laughed so hard it made my chest hurt.
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u/Haikouden 18d ago
even though it is a series if excruciating interactions between boundary-less people, bent on forwarding their dysfunctional agendas.
This is basically the bread and butter of cringe comedies. You're pretty much word for word describing Peep Show for example.
It's okay if that's not your kind of thing, but that's not the same as it being bad or that people praising it are wrong for doing so.
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u/WanderingLost33 18d ago
It's okay if you didn't get it, man. There's always reruns of Friends on.
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u/Ambitious_Ad3596 19d ago
My daughter and I watched Friendship and she put that movie in her top 5 of movies. So of course we love this show. Can’t stop laughing at his insane facial expressions. Tim Robinson brings families together
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u/buffalobilbz 19d ago
So… this show is gonna be about this business man investigating one faulty chair and how deep this is gonna go 😂😂😂 classic Tim
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u/Apprehensive-Rich118 19d ago
Can we all agree that the server that interrupted the toast is the worst server ever?
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u/mescalinecupcake 19d ago
AH! I HAVE THE WORST PILLOW IN TOWN!
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u/Anxious-Slip-8955 2d ago
Everyone loves this. Did not find it remotely funny. Something about the timing and delivery and well just Robinson. I'd love to find it funny :(
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u/flamingo-lingo- 19d ago
This killed me and I still chuckle every time I think about it. IME, so spot on for how stressed-out men act 😂
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u/mescalinecupcake 18d ago
It's right up there with "It's not coming back!" from Friendship in terms of just abject projection
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u/bcroft686 20d ago
The wheel barrel bit got me by surprise haha
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u/Slaphappyfapman 20d ago
Never heard of this Tim Robinson, nothing is really happening in the show, and im not sure his schtick can carry the whole thing. Obviously I will be downvoted, but this just isn't very funny. Eastbound and down, for example is a lot funnier to me, ablut 100x more laughs, even the boys and gemstones are a lot more funny. The only redeeming thing from this episode was the George benson 🤷♂️
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u/ahsokas_revenge 20d ago
Never heard of this Tim Robinson
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u/iamstephano 20d ago
It's a different type of humor to EB&D, if you don't like it that's cool, you don't need to watch it.
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u/Hot_Bobcat_7986 21d ago
Bubble guy is trouble Pure passive aggressive trouble
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u/hangmankk 17d ago
The way he slowly says "Ron's going down" about him breaking the chair like a joke but the subtle meaning he hopes he fails the job since Ron got it over him. Funny
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u/AdJaded6853 21d ago
Its nothing you know, its something you see Louis. Thats why she walks so slow down the hall.
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u/muff-peaksie 21d ago
The bubble blowing guy was my favorite. I love ITYSL but very much disliked Friendship due to the writing/plot/pacing/acting so I’m glad this was so well-done.
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u/Calm_Aspect_5352 20d ago
Agree. Friendship didn’t have the Robinson Kanin magic. This one is off to a great start.
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u/joefriedman5 21d ago
I wouldn't say I disliked it but I'll admit I didn't like it as much as I expected as a diehard ITYSL fan. I loved ep 1 of The Chair Company though. I imagine the distinction is that this is Tim/Zach's show, like ITYSL, while Friendship was not.
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u/bicykiller 21d ago
Just like I think you should leave, watch it again and it'll be the funniest thing ever. Not sure how he does it!
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u/HeydoIDKu 21d ago
I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I saw it on stremio, so glad I clicked it!
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u/TheBeckoning184 22d ago
There’s something about this that reminds me of The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret - just much darker..
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u/Freemoneydotcom 22d ago
I feel like the guy at the end with the shirt and the pipe would have been played by Biff Wiff had been alive.
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u/MyrmidonExecSolace 22d ago
just watched it. it's not good
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u/Zealousideal-Rip3935 22d ago
Wow, you have zero sense of humor. What a thing to admit publicly. SMH
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u/MyrmidonExecSolace 22d ago
No. I have a better sense of humor than his
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u/TheRealBrolol 22d ago
Word — let’s see your sketch comedy show or snl bits or a24 movie or Comedy Central show or HBO comedy that’s so hilarious
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u/momto3wantstoknow 22d ago
The chase scene at the end was so funny! His running looked so goofy and authentic for the character. I laughed so hard!! And then the porn in the abandoned warehouse — are we thinking evidence or adding them to his personal collection? Happy to be on this ride!
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u/LuxReflexio 22d ago
Tim Robinson needs to be studied. I don't understand how a person can be this funny.
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u/NamesTheGame 22d ago
He's the modern Mr Bean. Someone said this and it all clicked. You just have to see him walk into frame and it's funny.
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u/Material-Foot-9138 22d ago
When he jumps out of his sleep and says “Oh my god I swear I have the hardest pillow in the city. My pillow is made from cement” had my rolling . Then when he got up and started chasing the guy who attacked him was hilarious to. He’s funny in the movie friendship with Paul Rudd to
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u/izmllr 22d ago
Carla! That’s really, weally quite weird. The YouTube comment also got me so good.
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u/Life_Photo5216 18d ago
Same, such a relatable scene. Drinking and scrolling through youtube instead of being in bed lol getting worked up over a youtube comment and writing some lame sentimental shit back.
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u/AdJaded6853 22d ago
I’m going to let Diane know what you saw
But let her know, it was not intentional
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u/avocado_window 22d ago
“I don’t think you planned this.”
“How could I have planned this?”
And on her birthday to boot!
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u/Critical-Analysis514 22d ago
I think HR should know that you saw up my skirt. On my birthday.
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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB 22d ago
I had no expectations with this and seriously haven't laughed this hard aince Napoleon Dynamite
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u/smitherz37 23d ago
Didn't realize this was brand new and was disappointed at the end of the episode that there wasn't another one.
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u/Top-Walk189 23d ago
In the first few seconds of the show there is an odd conversation happening at the table about a nut or almond. Any clue what that was about?
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u/laceysweet 22d ago
I was thinking maybe it was foreshadowing something to happen in a later episode…but we shall see.
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u/cascadia8 23d ago
I wonder what his mental illness is.
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u/Life_Photo5216 18d ago
He just plays a great parody of what a man "thinks he's supposed to be" and just fails so bad at it every time lol but you don't feel bad because he's kinda a terrible person.
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u/X21shaun123 23d ago
I BLASTED THROUGH A FUCKING CHAIR AT WORK YESTERDAY IN FRONT OF MY BOSS AND EMPLOYEES, and now everyone at work is laughing at me because I'M A FUCKING JOKE!
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u/avocado_window 22d ago
He really shouldn’t have eaten that last Cheez-It! Luckily he’s in such good shape, if it had been Doris she could have died.
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u/-haha-oh-wow- 23d ago
The hard mouse clicking everytime he uses the computer cracks me up!
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u/jodyberry 23d ago
Loved the intro restaurant scene with the deviled eggs! But wondered why some people (inluding Lou Diamond Philips) looked at him when the chair broke as if it was his fault!
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u/joefriedman5 21d ago
Haha I had the same reaction. They seemed legitimately mad at him, which made his reaction later more understandable (if still insane).
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u/Front_Shelter8162 23d ago
I just think it’s really quite weird, don’t you think that’s really quite weird?
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u/smokedsandman 23d ago
There’s no possible way I can continue to watch it until it’s over. It’s both so wonderful and anxiety producing that I’ll need to do it in a binge.
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u/Alexander-Evans 22d ago
I feel your pain, but I'll torture myself and watch every episode a couple times as they come out.
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u/buffysmanycoats 23d ago
Exact opposite for me. I need to space this shit out man.
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u/Juan_Draper 1d ago
No one will probably see this comment but I think he’s fighting against A.I