Hulu is one of the best streaming services, in no small part because it pulls in shows from other networks, particularly FX. Now, it's just added one of the best new comedy shows of the year: "English Teacher" on FX.
I'll admit that this show initially slipped by me. Luckily, one of my friends recommended it to me after the first two episodes premiered on FX this past Monday (Sept. 2) and after I hit play on the first episode on Hulu I immediately fell in love with the show.
I'm not the only one either. As of this writing, the first season of "English Teacher" has a 96% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here's why this new comedy is the next show you need to be watching.
What is 'English Teacher' about?
Created by actor/comedian Brian Jordan Alvarez, "English Teacher" stars Alvarez as Evan Marquez, an English Teacher at Morrison-Hensley High School in the Austin, Texas suburbs. The first episode starts with him under investigation for kissing his (now ex) boyfriend in front of a student, who has subsequently come out as gay.
Alongside Alvarez, the show also stars Stephanie Koenig as Gwen Sanders, Evan's fellow teacher and friend and Enrico Colantoni as school principal Grant Moretti. There's also Jordan Firstman as Malcolm, Evan's ex-boyfriend and Langston Kerman as Harry, a new teacher at the school that seems set to be Evan's budding love interest.
But the star of the show outside of Alvarez might be Sean Patton as the school's gym teacher Markie Hillridge. Markie is the yang to Evan's yin. He's at least moderately conservative, certainly not "woke" and while his heart is in the right place the words coming from his mouth ... less so. He serves as an excellent foil for Evan as well as politically incorrect comic relief in what's already a hilarious show.
'English Teacher' is uncomfortably hilarious
As you might have gathered from the synopsis above, this show isn't afraid to get political. In fact, the show essentially serves as a mirror for our current culture of political toxicity, polarization and absurdity.
Because that's the essence of the show, things can get uncomfortable. Whether it's Markie referring to Evan as "Froot Loop" because there's nothing gay about Cheerios, or a parent complaining that "The Great Gatsby" is too lewd for high school English, the show makes no attempt to steer away from political correctness, wokeness and censorship, instead choosing to slam headfirst into it.
But just because this is how the show delivers its comedy doesn't mean that it's an exercise in judgment. In fact, despite the name "English Teacher" there's very little teaching through the first episode. The mom who has a vendetta against Evan and F. Scott Fitzgerald may, admittedly, be a bit of a villain, but Markie absolutely isn't. Despite his clear lack of sensitivity and different political leanings, he views himself as Evan's friend and honestly, that's an accurate description of their relationship.
This show isn't teaching you to be woke. To quote Raydheyan Simonpillai's review for The Globe and Mail, "Being woke is exhausting. English Teacher, a sharp and outrageously hilarious sitcom, is here to give us all a pat on the back for even trying."
Stream the first two episodes of 'English Teacher' right now
Right now, you can watch the first two episodes of "English Teacher" on Hulu. New episodes will drop on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT every Monday until October 14, when the eighth and final episode of the season "Birthday" airs on the cable network.
If you want to watch on FX, make sure to subscribe to one of the best cable TV alternatives so you can watch the episodes as they're released. Otherwise, you can wait for them to arrive on Hulu the next day.
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