Man Seeking Woman

Jay Baruchel, who's always been the kind of adorable underdog people want to root for on-screen, is the perfect actor to maroon in the bizarro plot twists Man Seeking Woman throws at the audience. He's relatable and believable even when he's having an exorcism performed on his apartment to get rid of his ex-girlfriend's psychic influence or sending a woman a text so clumsy he's routed to the Center for Important Emergencies. His comic skill and warmth give the audience a solid anchor to hold onto throughout the deep weirdness.

If only Josh's female counterparts were given as much attention. The main flaw of this funny show is that it sets up Josh as "Our Hero" and the women he encounters as simply "Types." Yes, it's hilarious when his "Crazy Ex" Maggie tells Josh that her "relationship with Dolphy" (literally an 126-year-old Hitler) isn't any of his business, but when we're treated to so much of Josh's backstory and inner life, it doesn't sit quite right to have female characters be such tropes -- in one case, literally a mute, hairy, gray troll from the forests of Norway. The whole "What's the deal with women?" theme has already been played out many times on television; the show is slightly less fresh for dragging it out, even though the ultraweird execution certainly gives it an edge. Fewer stereotypes and a continued dose of absurdity could help Man Seeking Woman strike the perfect comedic balance.