TV Show review
September 8, 2016 · 23 min · TV-MA
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Better Things is a semi-autobiographical FX comedy-drama created by and starring Pamela Adlon as Sam Fox, a single working actress raising three daughters in Los Angeles while juggling auditions, parenting, and personal relationships. The series delivers candid, humorous, and emotional episodes focused on everyday family life, motherhood, aging, and Hollywood realities from a woman's viewpoint across five seasons. It features strong female perspectives and family dynamics with only minor, realistic exploration of one daughter's gender presentation, without activist framing, political lectures, or identity-driven messaging dominating the narrative.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Better Things.
Woke representation / casting
Naturalistic casting fits ages, LA setting, and family premise; one daughter's gender-nonconforming presentation is minor and story-logical with no forced diversity, quotas, or mismatches.
Woke political dialogue
Frank talk about sex, parenting frustrations, and Hollywood bias appears in everyday conversations; no activist speeches, identity lectures, or modern ideological framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Strong emphasis on female experiences of single motherhood, aging, and family dynamics; light, realistic handling of one daughter's gender questions without central queer or activist messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Personal frustrations with Hollywood ageism/sexism for actresses and single-mom challenges; presented as individual experiences rather than broad systemic, anti-patriarchy, or activist critiques.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Minimal to none; praised for realism with no notable backlash accusing it of woke agendas, forced representation, or propaganda.
Creator track record context
Adlon prioritizes personal female stories without political lens; early Louis C.K. input brought crude anti-PC style; supporting staff include Nisha Ganatra and Gina Fattore with some representation interests, but these do not define the series.
Production
