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The Chair Company Review: Tim Robinson’s HBO Show Is a Masterclass in Cringe Comedy
A New Comedy Conspiracy Hits HBO
If you’ve ever lain awake at night, seething over a minor slight or a trivial inconvenience, then you already speak the language of Tim Robinson. The comedian behind the cult hit I Think You Should Leave is back with his first HBO series, The Chair Company, a show that transforms a mundane office humiliation into an epic, conspiracy-fueled crusade. It’s a comedy, a thriller, and a startlingly accurate portrait of a man on the brink of unraveling.
The series, which debuted on October 12, 2025, has quickly proven its appeal, scoring HBO’s best comedy series debut in over five years with 1.4 million cross-platform viewers in its first three days . For fans of Tim Robinson’s uniquely cringeworthy style, this isn’t just another TV show—it’s a potential magnum opus.
What Is ‘The Chair Company’ About?
The Chair Company follows William Ronald “Ron” Trosper (Tim Robinson), a project lead at an architectural firm that builds shopping malls in small-town Ohio . Ron has what appears to be a stable, picture-perfect life: a supportive wife, Barb (Lake Bell), two kids, and a recent promotion . However, his life is upended by what the show’s marketing only vaguely calls “an embarrassing workplace incident” .
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Without spoiling the meticulously guarded joke—HBO asked critics not to reveal the specifics—suffice it to say that the incident involves an office chair and occurs during Ron’s big professional moment . This seemingly trivial event triggers a catastrophic chain reaction in Ron’s mind. He becomes obsessed with proving that the chair’s manufacturer, Tecca Chairs, is part of a far-reaching conspiracy . What begins as a series of frantic emails to customer service spirals into a full-blown investigation that pulls him into a strange and often dangerous underworld .
The Creative Team Behind the Chaos
- Co-creators: Tim Robinson and his long-time collaborator Zach Kanin, the minds behind I Think You Should Leave and Detroiters .
- Directors: Andrew DeYoung, who also directed Tim Robinson in the 2024 film Friendship, helmed the premiere episode .
- Executive Producers: The team includes Adam McKay and Todd Schulman, adding their comedic expertise to the mix .
Why ‘The Chair Company’ Is a Must-Watch (For the Right Audience)
1. It’s the Perfect Vehicle for Tim Robinson’s Comic Genius
Tim Robinson has built a career on portraying men who are one small embarrassment away from a complete meltdown, and Ron Trosper is his most fully realized version of this character yet. He’s “a stock Robinson character,” the only sane man in a world of absurdity who, through his own hyper-sensitive and irrational reactions, always ends up looking like the problem . His performance is a masterclass in physical comedy—all hunched posture, hyperventilation, and sudden, shouted line readings like “This is ssssstunning!!” .
2. A Bold Blend of Cringe Comedy and Surreal Thriller
While the show starts as a workplace cringe-comedy, it quickly expands into “mystery/thriller territory” . The narrative unfolds haphazardly, with director Andrew DeYoung sometimes filming Robinson as if he’s in a “paranoid 1970s movie thriller” . This creates a tone that critics have compared to Only Murders in the Building, Twin Peaks: The Return, and Mulholland Drive . The show suggests that Ron might actually be onto something, plunging him into encounters with burner-phone-toting goons like Mike Santini (Joseph Tudisco) and bizarre, coded interactions that feel pulled from a David Lynch film .
3. It Finds Heart Beneath the Humiliation
Beneath the “goofing” and the rage, the show offers “tender hints” that Ron is acting out because of deeper insecurities . He’s worried he’s too old to achieve anything and that his best days are behind him. His investigation becomes a misguided quest for significance. Moments of genuine connection with his family, particularly his daughter Natalie (Sophia Lillis), reveal that Ron is, at his core, a well-meaning guy lost in a world he finds increasingly incomprehensible .
A Word of Caution: Is This Show for You?
The Chair Company is an acquired taste. Its humor is purposefully uncomfortable, and the show forces you to sit with that discomfort for a full half-hour at a time . As one critic put it, “You’ll know immediately… If you like Tim Robinson’s work you will love this. If you don’t… you will hate this” .
The critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 35 critic reviews, but the audience reaction is more divided, illustrating its niche appeal . If you find cringe comedy exhausting or Tim Robinson’s manic energy off-putting, this might be a tough watch. But for those tuned to his peculiar wavelength, it’s “the funniest show of the year” .
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
Where can I watch ‘The Chair Company’?
The Chair Company airs on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max . New episodes are released weekly.
Do I need to be familiar with ‘I Think You Should Leave’?
Not at all. While the show shares a comedic DNA with Tim Robinson’s previous work, it’s a standalone narrative. However, fans of ITYSL will recognize and appreciate the same style of unpredictable, intense interactions with oddball characters .
Is the show a straight comedy or more of a drama?
It’s best described as a comedy-thriller . While it is packed with hilarious moments and “massive, stupid laughs,” it is equally invested in building a surreal, mysterious, and sometimes tense atmosphere .
How many episodes are there?
The first season consists of eight episodes, each about 32 minutes long. The season began on October 12, 2025, and will run weekly through November 30, 2025 .
Is ‘The Chair Company’ based on a true story?
No, the story is a fictional creation. However, its power lies in how it magnifies relatable, everyday feelings of humiliation and the irrational desire to blame a vast, unseen system for our minor misfortunes .
Final Verdict
The Chair Company is a triumph for Tim Robinson and his team. It successfully stretches his signature style of cringe comedy into a longer narrative format without losing the spontaneous, unpredictable energy of his sketch work. It’s a show that will make you laugh, make you wince, and might even make you look at your own office chair with a hint of suspicion.
In a television landscape often dominated by the safe and familiar, The Chair Company is a weird, wonderful, and daringly original entry. It’s a must-watch for anyone who believes comedy can be both profoundly uncomfortable and profoundly funny.
The Chair Company airs Sundays on HBO and is streaming on HBO Max.
