It Gets Worse: A Sharp Gen Z Comedy on Paramount+
Leo Reich’s new series offers a cynical, realistic look at contemporary young adulthood.
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1A New Generation's Voice
Premiering November 6 on Paramount+, It Gets Worse serves as a definitive portrait of Gen Z life. Created by and starring comedian Leo Reich, the series captures the exhaustion of being in your twenties today. It moves beyond typical tropes, offering a grounded, cynical perspective on the struggles of modern young adulthood.
2Passing the Messy Torch
Lena Dunham makes a guest appearance as a casually inappropriate CEO, symbolizing a transition from millennial optimism to Gen Z realism. Her character offers a dead-end job to the protagonist, Abi, highlighting the lack of career fulfillment. This cameo serves as a self-aware nod to the legacy of the show Girls.
3Meet the Three Leads
The story follows three college friends forced to scatter after being evicted from their shared flat. Ethan, a self-deprecating gay man, struggles with a lack of direction. Abi chases mundane material comforts in a white-collar job, while Sam, an aspiring writer, balances tutoring wealthy children with navigating complex, messy romantic entanglements.
4Rejecting Millennial Optimism
The show’s title acts as a direct rebuttal to the It Gets Better Project, signaling a departure from previous generations' hopeful narratives. It argues that friends become family not by choice, but because biological families are disappointing. The series posits that dating is a nightmare and financial independence remains an unreachable goal.
5The Comedy of Doom
Despite its bleak outlook, the show avoids constant references to climate change or AI-driven job displacement. Instead, it focuses on the comedy of lowered expectations. Reich uses gallows humor to address the feeling of impending doom, effectively satirizing the pity older generations often offer to those currently in their twenties.
6Distinguishing from the Crowd
While many recent Gen Z comedies rely on vague cultural references or outdated tropes, It Gets Worse prioritizes realism. Shows like Overcompensating or Not Suitable for Work often feel like throwbacks to earlier eras. Reich’s series stands out by capturing the specific, weary atmosphere of the current social and economic landscape.
7Narrative and Style Choices
The series utilizes voiceover narration provided by Zadie Smith, which frames the characters' misadventures with a ruminative, unsparing tone. This stylistic choice adds depth to the six-episode season, emphasizing the internal existential crises of the leads. It balances humor with a sharp, observant critique of the characters' daily, mundane struggles.
8A Realistic Cultural Milestone
It Gets Worse succeeds by refusing to suggest that these struggles are merely a temporary phase. By portraying a world where goals are rarely achieved, the show cements itself as a significant cultural artifact. It may well establish Leo Reich as a vital voice for a generation defined by its skepticism.
Original article: TIME — It Gets Worse: A Sharp Gen Z Comedy on Paramount+