Schitt’s Creek’s Annie Murphy hilariously satirized the problematic trope of the long-suffering sitcom wife in her underrated dark comedy seriesKevin Can F**k Himself. It takes a special kind of alchemy to make a great TV show, so it’s almost impossible for an actor from one hit show to land another one.
But it has happened.Seinfeld’s Julia Louis-Dreyfusscored another massive hit with HBO’s political comedyVeep.Married… with Children’s Ed O’Neill played another iconic patriarch inModern Family. Bryan Cranston followed upMalcolm in the MiddlewithBreaking Bad. And afterSchitt’s Creekended, Murphy landed another great comedy (albeit with a much more twisted sense of humor).
Schitt’s Creek’s Annie Murphy Is Brilliant In Kevin Can F**k Himself
A year after ending her tenure as the iconicAlexis Rose onSchitt’s Creek, Murphy began starring in a very different comedy series:Kevin Can Fk Himself. WhereasSchitt’s Creekis an uplifting, optimistic, feel-good show that makes its viewers feel warm and fuzzy inside,Kevin Can Fk Himselfis an unabashedly dark sitcom that gets laughs out of the grimmest subjects.
Kevin Can F**k Himselfis streaming on Prime Video and AMC+.
Murphy plays Allison McRoberts, the deeply unhappy wife of a brash, immature, self-centered man-child named Kevin. Kevin is presented to the audience as a lovable slacker, but we’re shown that, from Allison’s perspective, his callous and manipulative treatment of her borders on abusive. When she’s finally had enough, she plots to murder him.
Kevin Can F**k Himself Is A Pitch-Black Sitcom Satire
Kevin Can F**k Himselfis a spot-on satire of the sitcom trope of the long-suffering wife. We’ve seen the formula a million times: the goofy husband who never grew up gets into wacky antics with his friends, while his responsible wife stands on the sidelines, rolling her eyes, doing all the housework, and generally being the adult in the relationship.
It started withThe Honeymooners, but it could later be seen in shows likeThe Flintstones,Married… with Children, andFamily Guy. The most prominent recent example is Kevin James, who leaned into this archetype inThe King of QueensandKevin Can Wait. The titleKevin Can F**k Himselfis a tongue-in-cheek play on the latter.
Why Kevin Can F**k Himself Deserves More Love
Kevin Can F**k Himselfhas been widely praised by critics, but it deserves a lot more love from audiences. It has its own unique visual style that reflects its ingenious premise. When Kevin is in a scene, it’s shot like a typical brightly lit multi-camera sitcom with canned laughter. But when Allison is alone, it suddenly switches to a dark, gritty single-camera drama.
