TV Show review
September 22, 2016 · 30 min · TV-MA
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Easy is a 2016 Netflix anthology series created by Joe Swanberg that follows various Chicago residents as they navigate modern relationships, sex, dating apps, technology, family pressures, and personal dilemmas through loosely connected standalone episodes. The show uses a naturalistic, improvised mumblecore style with graphic intimate scenes and explores topics like gender role reversals in marriages, open relationships, threesomes, and subcultural elements such as veganism. It features a visibly diverse cast with multiple LGBTQ+ storylines, including a central lesbian romance and polyamory arcs, plus light observational takes on societal gender expectations and activism pressures that some viewers would notice as identity-adjacent.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Easy.
Woke representation / casting
Diverse cast with Black leads in key stories, visible biracial and LGBTQ+ pairings that fit a modern Chicago premise; creator’s stated interest in reducing “whiteness” adds mild intentionality, but no obvious forced mismatches or signaling that clashes with the world.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional character conversations about gender expectations and roles (e.g., stay-at-home dad dynamics), presented observationally without explicit activist lectures or heavy framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Prominent queer elements including a lesbian romance episode, polyamory, open marriages, and threesomes, plus one vegan-activism subplot; LGBTQ+ visibility receives elevated weight and stands out to viewers, though not every episode centers identity.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Light, personal-level looks at traditional gender norms and modern relationship pressures without strong systemic, anti-patriarchy, or institutional activist messaging.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant; all original stories with no adaptations or reinterpretations.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Minimal to absent; no notable accusations of woke agendas, identity politics, or forced representation in mainstream or social media coverage.
Creator track record context
Swanberg’s mumblecore body of work stays personal and non-political, but he has acknowledged earlier diversity criticism and voiced interest in broader casting, showing mild responsiveness without activist patterns.
Production
