SMILF is the latest addition to “Struggle Parent” TV trend

The Ringer

From Better Things to Stranger Things, from Black-ish to Fresh Off the Boat, we’ve never had so many TV parents who are well-intentioned, constantly overwhelmed and just plain crude, says Rob Harvilla. “Raising kids,” he says, “has only gotten harder in the internet age, and the penalties for doing it wrong more severe. (After all, your kid might grow up now and make a prestige-TV show, or at least a high-profile YouTube account, detailing what a lousy influence you were.) This new breed of Struggle Parents is struggling more than ever, and articulating that anxiety more painfully than ever. It’s terrible, and it’s also great; it’s pure, and it’s grody as hell. And the newest/grodiest of this new breed of parenting shows is SMILF…”

ALSO:

• SMILF is all over the place in terms of voice, story and motivation
• Frankie Shaw’s character is fascinating and complicated, yet her whole series feels messy
• SMILF can’t decide if it wants to rely on broad stereotypes or tell nuanced stories