Peacock Review: ‘Laid’ is a Sex-Driven Buddy Comedy with a Fantastic Pairing of Stephanie Hsu and Zosia Mamet

Everyone has regrets from past relationships that didn’t work out, but they don’t usually prove fatal. In the case of one woman, however, in Peacock’s newest comedy series, when her exes all start dying, she realizes the fact that she had sex with them is the common thread. While the zany investigation into the science of how this could be happening does occupy a good portion of the plot, the primary focus is fortunately and fittingly on what kind of a person this protagonist really is and whether she deserves this fate.

Stephanie Hsu, who earned an Oscar nomination for playing a daughter with an extremely complicated, multiverse-spanning relationship with her mother in Everything Everywhere All at Once, is a phenomenal choice to anchor this show. She and costar Zosia Mamet are well-versed in the art of talking at lightning speed thanks to their television experience on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Girls, respectively, and their characters’ friendship is the glue that holds this show together. Just as Hsu’s breakout film role was all about the dynamic between mother and daughter, this is a show about the bond two best friends have even if it’s ostensibly about the many bad choices made by just one of them.

As Ruby and AJ, Hsu and Mamet are sincerely entertaining, especially when AJ creates what she calls a “sex timeline” to help determine the order in which Ruby’s hookups are dying. The Ruby audiences meet is reckless and disorganized, but she’s also occasionally capable of putting on a good front, like when she prepares to plan a grand party for the parents of her attractive young client Isaac (Tommy Martinez). But she knows nothing can happen between her and Isaac unless she wants to condemn him to death, and the response from the people, both men and women, that she’s tracked down to give the bizarre news of their impending demise has not been positive, particularly in the case of Richie (Michael Angarano), who wastes little time in telling Ruby that she’s not a good person.

Laid, which is based on the 2011 Australian series of the same name, comes from showrunners Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna, who both have extensive television comedy experience and previously collaborated on Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. The writing here is sharp and allows for fast-moving half-hour episodes that still feel packed to the brim with content and dialogue, and there aren’t clear-cut rules for the format of each installment, like the introduction of only one ex or a definitive path from tracking them down to seeing them die suddenly. It’s that flexibility that makes a show like this, which would certainly be difficult to explain scientifically, work so well.

Those put off by this show’s title, which shouldn’t feel all that uncommon in today’s boundary-pushing age of media, may be pleasantly surprised by the minimal amount of onscreen sex, though it more than makes up for it with extensive verbal descriptions of past acts and desires. That’s where Hsu and Mamet truly shine, in their ability to fire off so many zippy one-liners that it’s almost dizzying to process the entirety of what Ruby has done over the course of her adult life. With just eight episodes in its first season that should prove very quick and easy to binge, Laid absolutely makes the case for further episodes and story exploration. Hsu is a star, Mamet is just as good, and this show knows well how to balance comedy with exposition. Laid is definitely one of the most engaging and entertaining new comedies on the year, an optimistic sign for the future of television.

Season Rating: 8/10

Awards Buzz: Too late-breaking to catch any year-end accolades, this show is likely to be an Emmy player if Peacock pushes it enough. Hsu is already an Oscar nominee and should be known to Emmy voters, and while Mamet missed out on bids for both Girls and The Flight Attendant despite other Emmy love for them, she could also be nominated if this show proves tasteful enough for the Emmy crowd.