The Australian sitcom Fisk became an unexpected hit for Netflix two years ago because it was a funny, quick watch that has a good sense of who its characters are. It helped that Kitty Flanagan, the show’s star, co-creator, co-writer and co-director, so thoroughly personifies the brown-baggy-suit-wearing persona of Helen Tudor-Fisk. Now the show’s third season has arrived on Netflix in the U.S.
FISK SEASON 3: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: Helen Tudor-Fisk (Kitty Flanagan) walks into the newly-dubbed Gruber & Fisk (though none of the signs have been changed), toting a huge box on a cart. Neither George (Aaron Chen) or Viktor (Glenn Butcher), sitting at the front desk, help her.
The Gist: Helen has just been made partner at the estate firm where she works, and she’s going to make some exciting changes. So she calls a “big meeting”, but disappoints George when she says there’s not going to be any big-meeting mud cake.
The big change? An espresso machine, which at least helps Helen avoid coffee shop conflicts. The problem is that the grinder, brewer and frother make a ton of noise. There are other changes going on: Roz (Julia Zemiro) is trying to get her mediation services business off the ground, and Ray (Marty Sheargold) is wearing a turtleneck, which was a suggestion from his “lady love” Melissa (Justine Clarke), who is a “fashion psychologist.”
Melissa is part of the Business and Breakfast networking group that the Gruber siblings are a part of, and Roz reminds her brother of the rule about not having dalliances with members of the group. This means Ray has to leave, and the prospect of the flinty Fisk taking his place makes both Grubers nervous. It ends up that the “wills and estates” slot in the BAB will be up for a vote, and Helen will have to make a speech, which fills everyone with dread.
In the meantime, Helen’s neighbor Murray (Carl Barron) tries to get free legal advice from her when he finds out his late father owed a local landscaper a few thousand dollars. Of course, Helen tries her best not to give him advice for his specific situation, but some specific advice comes out, anyway. This leads to an angry visit from the landscaper’s mother; the landscaper in question is only 12 years old.
Photo: Australian Broadcasting Company
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Fisk is a workplace comedy in the tradition of The Office, Parks And Recreation, Animal Control and many others.
Our Take: At this point in Fisk‘s run, everyone’s roles, and the humor those roles bring to the show’s stories, are pretty well established. Flanagan, who created Fisk along with Penny Flanagan and Vincent Sheehan, has settled into who Fisk is, which is definitely someone who isn’t a “people person,” but is an effective attorney who can actually navigate the crazy situations her clients are in. She’s introverted and a bit grumpy, but no more so than the rest of us. It’s that general attitude that makes her so relatable.
She’s certainly not checked out, else Ray wouldn’t have made her a partner. But she knows her limitations, as do Roz, Ray, Viktor and George. It’s why, before the networking group election, the four of them meet to decide which topics that they need to steer Helen away from during the mixer part of the meeting. And, as we see, pretty much any topic, from the idea of not having a dog to bees, could get Helen slightly irritated, which is a networking no-no.
Is the show silly? Sure. Much of that silliness is in the form of Ray, who somehow keeps this firm in business despite not having any particularly keen legal skills. He’s dating a “fashion psychologist” who thinks that “helps you realize it’s what’s on the outside that counts.” It’s a line and a situation that is more sitcommy than realistic, but it also speaks to the blustery self-regard Ray has for himself. In other words, even the silly stuff mostly comes from the characters’ personalities. That’s what a good comedy does, and it’s certainly what Fisk is doing in its third season.
Photo: Australian Broadcasting Company
Sex and Skin: None.
Parting Shot: Helen follows some of Ray’s advice and does some networking in a local gym’s sauna… while wearing her signature baggy brown suit.
Sleeper Star: Aaron Chen is funny as George, who tries hard, but not quite hard enough to get things right.
Most Pilot-y Line: Viktor asks to borrow the pitcher that Helen uses to froth milk, and walks away with it, saying she’ll get it back at the end of the day.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Fisk is a show that has occasional big laughs, but lots more grinworthy moments due to all of the great characters that Flanagan and her collaborators have created.
Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.
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