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Flaked

Depending on the type of Will Arnett fan that you are, you may or may not be in love with his Netflix original drama, Flaked. Chocked full of dark humor, relationship drama and general growing pains, the indie-esque series seems to paint a perfect picture of our everyday struggles with insecurity. Currently in its second season, viewers now witness Chip (Arnett) trudging through his efforts to become a better person, Dennis (David Sullivan) wearily invites his friend back into his life, and London (Ruth Kearney) look to other outlets to fill her void… and let’s not forget George (Robert Wisdom) and Cooler (George Basil).

Chip, as we know, took the fall for his ex-wife Tilly’s car accident that left London’s brother dead. He attends Alcoholics Anonymous under false pretenses and is constantly trying to keep up the facade and get ahead of his lies, all based on a deep unresolved love that he still has for Tilly. Although Dennis is now aware of the lie, Chip continues to struggle with letting go of the lie in Season 2 and instead, turns to service to try and make it up to his friend. I mean, we’ve all told a white lie that we’re not entirely proud of, right? Chip’s situation really puts those feelings on a screen and makes it so real to viewers.

Dennis, a recovering alcoholic, has now opened his own wine shop and is dating police officer and fellow AA member George’s daughter, who he’s withholding the fact that he’s in the program from. As he attempts to try and duck George and deal with his feelings of guilt from potentially betraying him, Dennis struggles with with trusting Chip (now his “sponsee”) again. He tends to come down on him pretty hard, which later gives him unbearable guilt when Chip relapses, resulting in his own relapse. If you’re a human being, you’ve definitely had at least one friend that let you down once or twice. It’s hard to forgive and forget, especially when you put so much trust in that person. Dennis elegantly displays this everyday insecurity on the small screen.

London (aka Claire), whose brother she still thinks was killed by Chip in the car accident, is still in a romantic relationship with Chip that is in the decline. Throughout the first half of the season, the couple searches for a place to live after losing the privilege to stay at their former quarters. With some animosity pointed at Chip and without a place to settle down, London finds a personal transformation center as a new outlet to fill her void. She seems to take a liking to the group’s leader, much to Chip’s disapproval. London exemplifies those everyday human feelings of abandonment and insecurity that are attached to coping with the death of a loved one.

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George has lost the trust of his daughter and although he disapproves of her dating Dennis because he has the potential to let her down the same way he did, he’s just desperate to use Dennis to get his foot in the door. The free-spirited Cooler struggles with being 40 and not having a companion or anything to show for it, or a direction in life for that matter. Both characters display the insecurity we feel when we feel like we don’t have control.

Although the Venice, California-based series (which is billed as a comedy) is brought to you by Arnett alongside Arrested Development mastermind Mitch Hurwitz, the show is an entirely different genre for the comedian/actor. Arnett’s character, in addition to everyone else in the show, seems to exemplify what it means to be insecure, almost to the point where you’re left wondering if the actor we all know for portraying GOB Bluth has more of a story to tell. Either way, the series really speaks for itself and if you haven’t binged on it yet, we urge you to do so.

Michael is a music and television junkie keen on most things that are not a complete and total bore. You can follow him on Twitter — @Tweetskoor