Common Sense Media Review
By Angelica Guarino
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bulimia, harmful self-talk in dark '80s-housewife comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Physical
What's the Story?
PHYSICAL's Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne) didn't always play a supportive role in someone else's life. In her youth, she and her now-husband Danny (Rory Scovel) were members of an activist group involved in 1960s Berkeley protests against censorship and the Vietnam War. Now, in the early 1980s, they've conformed to societal expectations to get married and raise a family. While Danny continues some form of his activist work as a college professor of political science, Sheila stays at home with their young daughter, Maya, secretly using her time alone during Danny's workday to engage in bingeing and purging cycles brought on by her bulimia. When Danny suddenly loses his job at the end of an academic year, Sheila suggests he take the freedom as a sign that it's finally time for him to run for public office. He throws himself into strategizing sessions and fundraising events, though it always seems to be Sheila who saves him from looking unprepared or uninformed. Meanwhile, Sheila's regular trips to fast-food restaurants have secretly drained the couple's savings account, forcing her to figure out a way to replace the money before Danny finds out. Her answer is to teach aerobics classes in their town's new shopping mall, which sets Sheila onto a new obsessive path of doing as many aerobics classes as her body can handle.
Is It Any Good?
This '80s-focused dramedy is a welcome addition to the TV's recent narratives starring suburban wives who don't fit within the typical sitcom tropes. Physical shares some themes with Kevin Can F--k Himself and American Housewife but it's set apart in the offbeat, merciless humor through which Sheila sees the world. Sheila is utterly miserable, and it's sometimes difficult to feel sorry for her, yet we still root for her to fix her own problems. Woven into her domestic melancholy is a core mystery: Why did Sheila's life divert from academic potential and political passion to simply existing in an unhappy marriage in a small coastal town? Whose idea was it to get married and have a baby? Did Sheila choose to drop out of graduate school, or did Danny pressure her into doing so? What is stopping her from going back to work, despite pleas from a former teacher to not let Danny keep her away? Is she really enduring pressure from her husband to stay at home, or is she afraid of the success that would likely await her if she finished her graduate degree?
These questions linger in the air of every scene, and no answer would be surprising. The lack of simple explanations are part of what makes Sheila a deeply captivating character. While some may not be able to see past her incredibly mean thoughts about herself and those around her, others will understand that her eating disorder shouldn't, and doesn't, define her. Still, her actions are reprehensible, and being mentally ill does not absolve her from needing to be accountable for her mistakes. Though this all sounds heavy and serious, the show manages to ground itself as a comedy with subtle jokes placed at just the right moments, a testament to its ability to walk the lines of multiple genres and a wide range of moods.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the traditional roles that Sheila and Danny play in their marriage -- Sheila is the stay-at-home mother, and Danny continues to pursue his academic and political career. Do you think their relationship would look any different if they were free of these expectations? Why or why not?
Talk about Sheila's developing relationship with aerobics classes. Is it healthy? What benefits does it bring to her, and how does it enable her to continue negative habits? What does a healthy relationship with exercise look like?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 18, 2021
- Cast : Rose Byrne , Rory Scovel , Dierdre Friel , Della Saba
- Network : Apple TV
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : July 1, 2021
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