Easy

This eclectic, star-studded anthology follows diverse Chicagoans fumbling through the modern maze of love, sex, technology and culture. First dates, friends with benefits, couples with kids. Whatever your relationship status is, it's always complicated.

Easy (2016-2019) is an American anthology comedy-drama created by Joe Swanberg for Netflix. Across three seasons and 25 half-hour episodes, it follows diverse Chicagoans fumbling through first dates, friends with benefits arrangements, long marriages and couples raising kids. Each season threads together loosely connected stories, so a character who is single in one episode may appear as a tangled partner in another. Raúl Castillo, Malin Akerman, Orlando Bloom, Hannibal Buress and Emily Ratajkowski appear among a large rotating cast, with most actors taking a single episode rather than anchoring the show. The engine of the series is the everyday friction of wanting intimacy while technology, careers and lingering insecurities get in the way, shown through awkward conversations, bedroom mishaps and quiet apartment-level domestic moments. The tone is witty, intimate and understated, with frank adult content and a naturalistic, improvised feel. Its mood is wistful and observational rather than cathartic. Fans of Love, Master of None and Modern Love will find resonance in its city-focused, sharply observed relationship vignettes. The show runs for three seasons and tells complete stories within each episode, rewarding viewers who enjoy grounded adult comedy about modern romance.

Reception is mixed, with audiences finding the Chicago relationship vignettes witty and intimate but uneven from episode to episode.

• Love (2016)witty intimate urban relationship vignettes, anthology format, modern dating anxieties
• Master of Noneensemble of urban romantic misadventures, comedy-drama tone, dating and relationship focus
• Modern Loveanthology of modern relationship stories with a sharp, observational tone

Created by

Joe Swanberg

Release Date

2016-09-22

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

6.9 / 10 (173)

What is Easy about?

An anthology of overlapping Chicago stories following diverse adults navigating dating, sex, technology and long-term relationships.

What is Easy like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Easy as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Easy violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Easy.

What did critics think of Easy?

Reception is mixed, with audiences finding the Chicago relationship vignettes witty and intimate but uneven from episode to episode.

Which shows are like Easy?

Shows with a similar feel include Love (2016), Master of None, and Modern Love.

How long is Easy?

Easy: 3 seasons, 25 episodes.

Is Easy still running?

No, Easy has ended.

Where can I watch Easy?

In United States, Easy streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.