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Season 5 – Better Things

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1:57

2022

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

"Better Things" is the story of Sam Fox, a single mother and working actor with no filter trying to raise her three daughters -- Max, Frankie, and Duke -- in Los Angeles. She also looks out for her mother, Phil, an English expatriate with questionable faculties who lives across the street. Whether she's struggling to keep her daughters close or trying to push one of them out of the nest, Sam approaches every challenge with fierce love, raw honesty, and humor. At the end of the day, Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' changing lives, survive her family, have fun with a friend or two, and also -- just maybe -- squeeze in some private time.

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Critics Consensus

Bittersweet, funny as ever, and brimming with wisdom, Better Things's final sendoff is as good as it gets.

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Joe Clay

Times (UK)

It’s sharp, moving and very funny.

Aug 5, 2022

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Will Ashton

Slant Magazine

Better Things is a frank and open-hearted depiction of weathering life’s ups and downs. As such, it’s only fitting that the series, which debuted in 2016, has only gotten better with age.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 18, 2022

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James Poniewozik

New York Times

Few shows on TV have funneled as much complicated feeling through a camera lens as “Better Things.” And the terrific final season lets you have it at full blast.

Jul 18, 2022

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Prahlad Srihari

Firstpost

Better Things bids goodbye as TV’s most honest, thoughtful and funniest perspective on being a single working mom.

Aug 8, 2022

Full Review

Matt Roush

TV Insider

I don’t know what her next act will be, but after five seasons with Sam, I feel I know Pamela Adlon, and I trust her.

Jul 18, 2022

Full Review

Yohana Desta

Vanity Fair

As befits the show’s general vibe, there is a deeply engrained sense of hope and happiness in the finale, which has a loose, casually profound plot.

Apr 27, 2022

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K A

I will miss this show so much :(

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/21/23

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dani m

A sweet, funny and joyous send off to a great show.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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andrei d

Needs much more closure

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Such a great series. I'm glad I got to binge it all at once. Loved it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The first two season were amazing. By season three, although the main story of Sam being bewildered at everything life throws at her still had legs, the show lost some energy, and the ideas weren't as fresh. Teens being teens is universal and is gold to be mined indefinitely, but something troubling began to seep in, and it is hard to ignore. I had hoped that it would be dropped in season five, but here it is again. Every single person of color in this show is a one dimensional prop used to show how awesome Sam is. They loves 'em some Sam. Can't get enough. Fawning adoration where ever she goes. This isn't diversity. This was beginning to be borderline exploitative in season three, and now in season five, has crept closer into full blown exploitation. There is no real conversation about race issues, there is no actual courage in the writing, there is no character development for anyone but the White actors. How can there be so many people of color in one show without any real depth? How can someone be expected not to notice this? And how can producers who claim the progressive title not have any clue about what they're doing?

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/09/23

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Pamela Adlon

Creator

Louis C.K.

Creator

Pamela Adlon

Sam Fox

Celia Imrie

Phil

Mikey Madison

Max

Hannah Riley

Frankie

Episode 1

Aired Feb 28, 2022

F... Anatoly's Mom

Sam learns some things about her family.

Details

Episode 2

Aired Feb 28, 2022

Rip Taylor's Cell Phone

Sam makes a choice.

Details

Episode 3

Aired Mar 7, 2022

Oh, I'm Not Gonna Tell Her

Sam volunteers.

Details

Episode 4

Aired Mar 14, 2022

Ephemera

Sam learns about pronouns and finance.

Details

Episode 5

Aired Mar 21, 2022

The World Is Mean Right Now

Sam makes borscht.

Details

Episode 6

Aired Mar 28, 2022

San Francisco

Sam goes to San Francisco for a job while Max holds down the fort.

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Episode 7

Aired Apr 4, 2022

Family Meeting

Sam fights zombies and Frankie dresses up.

Details

Episode 8

Aired Apr 11, 2022

Jesus Saves

Sam deals with anxiety.

Details

Episode 9

Aired Apr 18, 2022

England

Sam and family take a trip; Sam needs the circle to be complete.

Details

Episode 10

Aired Apr 25, 2022

We Are Not Alone

Sam and their village.

Details

Legit

94%

99%

Legit

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Unsupervised

28%

81%

Unsupervised

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Louie

93%

95%

Louie

Watchlist

Mr Inbetween

95%

98%

Mr Inbetween

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Mr Inbetween

The Comedians

58%

78%

The Comedians

Watchlist

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