Feb 25, 2015lukasevansherman rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Even though it was on HBO and starred a number of well known actors, "Enlightened," which ran for two seasons, slipped under the radar. It begins with Laura Dern's character having a breakdown and losing her corporate job, where she's having an affair with a co-worker. She goes to Hawaii for a self-help therapy retreat and returns home to live with her mother (played by Dern's actual mother, Diane Ladd), rebuild her life, and get her job back. While technically a comedy, it doesn't shy away from dark themes and moments. I think it might have fared poorly because the protagonist is exasperating and not always likable. We expect this from our male protagonists (a recent book on all the great TV is called "Difficult Men"), it's far less common to see a screwed up female at the heart of a show ("Orange is the New Black" is bucking this trend). The excellent cast includes Luke Wilson as her addict ex-husband, writer/co-creator Mike White as a meek co-worker, Robin Wright as her yoga friend (in one episode), and one of the dudes from "Undeclared" as her jerky boss. Note: Contrary to another comment, Dern's character is not an "extreme FEMINIST" and she won the Golden Globe because she gave a great performance not because of some conspiracy. A sadly ignorant comment.
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Enlightened. The Complete First Season