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The small screen is constantly creating innovative and refreshing original programs, and in recent years the world of television has more than held its own against big Hollywood movie productions, often being the content choice of entertainment-seeking streamers. After the unprecedented success of the fan-favorite sitcomSchitt’s Creek,thegifted Annie Murphy set her sights on her next acting endeavor: the black comedyKevin Can F**k Himself. The AMC original series completely turns the traditional sitcom format on its head and tackles outdated TV tropes and cliches, with Murphy brilliantly leading the innovative series.
The streaming juggernaut Netflix has recently acquired AMC’s extensive library of television hits, withKevin Can F**k Himselfjoiningshows likeInterview with the VampireandThe Terroron the popular platform and attracting a new and eager audience in the process. Fans of both Murphy and the black comedy genre should definitely check out the underrated experimental TV show, which features two sensational seasons as well as fantastic performances by its decorated cast members.
What Is Kevin Can F**k Himself About & Who Stars In It?
Emmy Award-winner andSchitt’s Creekbreakout star Annie Murphyheadlined the 2021 dark comedy seriesKevin Can F**k Himself, in which the talented actress appears as the disillusionedAllison McRoberts, an unhappy young woman who yearns for a different, more fulfilling life after growing resentful of her self-absorbed and lazy husband Kevin (Eric Petersen). After discovering a dark and sordid secret involving her man-child spouse, Allison employs the help of her eccentric neighbor and friend Patty (Mary Hollis Inboden) to break free from her suffocating confinement and take back both her life and dignity.
The engrossing and thought-provoking series utilizes two conflicting perspectives of storytelling and chronicles Allison’s lackluster world in Worcester, Massachusetts.Kevin Can F**k Himselfdepicts her as a stereotypical housewife whenever Kevin is around and a woman on a soul-searching journey when away from the presence of her boorish husband. Throughout the dark comedy’s two seasons, Annie finds herself facing dark and tempting thoughts of murdering Kevin in a slew of colorful ways and also reconnects with her old high school friend Sam Park (Raymond Lee), with whom she shares unresolved romantic feelings.
A Refreshing & Unique Take on Storytelling
The title of the dark comedy is a direct allusion to the 2016 Kevin James-led sitcomKevin Can Wait,which was heavily criticized after actress Erinn Hayes (his character’s wife on the show) was abruptly written out of the second season.What makesKevin Can F**k Himselfso unique is the experimental nature of how the characters are presented, as the series shifts between being a traditional multi-camera sitcom and compelling, single-camera drama, with the comedy alternating styles whenever Kevin is around.
Murphy’s embittered character, Allison, knows she deserves far more than simply being the wife to an irresponsible and repulsive buffoon like Kevin, and along with her close pal Patty, the duo begins to plot the demise of the titular man, yielding hilarious and entertaining results.Kevin Can F**k Himselfis modeled after the cliche set-up of a beautiful and intelligent wife married to a sloppy, unpolished husband, drawing upon popular shows of television’s past like the classic sitcomsThe Honeymooners, King of Queens, and of course, the aforementionedKevin Can Wait.
How Kevin Can F**k Himself Exposes the Sexism in Sitcoms
AMC’s Kevin Can F**k Himself brilliantly exposes the blatant sexism in most sitcoms with excellent acting, lighting, and storytelling.
The creators ofKevin Can Fk Himselfwanted to explore the associations of traditional gender roles in classicAmerican family sitcoms, and the comedy’s producers Valerie Armstrong and Craig DiGregorio set out to masterfully blend genres and deconstruct the overdone trope of what being a sitcom housewife entailed. Armstrong (who also created the program) revealed ahead of the show’s premiere thatKevin Can Fk Himselfwas about far more than Kevin and an unhealthy relationship,telling Collider in 2021:
“It’s not about Kevin.It’s about how women can get each other out of toxic situations. And so, when I realized that I was actually breaking a story between Patty and Allison joining forces and realizing that their savior had been across the room from them for 10 years, that’s when I understood the point of the show and where I wanted it to go, ultimately.”
An Underrated Critical Knockout
Kevin Can F**k Himselfmade its sensational debut on July 30, 2025, captivating audiences with its tenacious and resilient lead character Allison and intriguing take on the traditional television sitcom. Annie Murphy was fresh off the massive success of herbeloved comedySchitt’s Creek, and was able to further showcase her immeasurable talent and refined skills as an actress in the dark and edgy role, one that was the polar opposite of her former free-spirited character, Alexis Rose.
The first season ofKevin Can F**k Himselfattracted praise for itscomplex storyline, superb weaponization of common TV tropes, and stellar cast performances, all of which helped the comedy earn an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score. The second and ultimately final installment of the experimental program truly went out with a bang, further chronicling Allison’s personal journey of self-growth and her endearing bond with her friend Patty, while alsogiving her character the proper send-off she deserved.Erinn Hayes (fromKevin Can Wait) even made a cheeky appearance in the follow-up season, further giving the proverbial middle finger to overdone TV cliches.
20th-Century Sitcoms We’re Still Watching for Comfort
Ranging from The Golden Girls to Friends, these 20th-century sitcoms offer a gleeful escape from moments of hustle and bustle in today’s modern world.
The final seasonofKevin Can Fk Himselfattracted universal critical acclaim and received a highly-coveted 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, with the exceptional performances of Murphy and Inboden (and their endearing on-screen camaraderie) being singled out by fans of the innovative hit. In their glowing review ofKevin Can Fk Himself,with theNew York Timesdeclaringthat the dark comedy,“is like that bottle; it will make us see the horror in what we’ve been trained to see as harmless, even if it has to smack us upside the head. It may be as subtle as a blow to the skull, but it’s an inventive meta-critique of TV.”
