| Casual | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy drama |
| Created by | Zander Lehmann |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 44 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 25–31 minutes |
| Production companies | Right of Way Films Lionsgate Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | Hulu |
| Release | October 7, 2015 (2015-10-07) – July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) |
Casual is an American television comedy drama television series that premiered on October 7, 2015, on Hulu.[1] Created by Zander Lehmann and directed by Jason Reitman,[2] it centers on Valerie (Michaela Watkins), a newly divorced single mother living with her brother Alex (Tommy Dewey) and her daughter Laura (Tara Lynne Barr).[1] The cast also includes Frances Conroy and Nyasha Hatendi.
In advance of its premiere on Hulu, the first two episodes received a preview screening at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the festival's new Primetime platform of selected television projects.[3]
On October 19, 2017, Hulu renewed the series for a fourth and final season[4] with all eight episodes released simultaneously on July 31, 2018.[5]
Cast and characters
[edit]
Main
[edit]- Michaela Watkins as Valerie, a successful therapist divorcing her husband after finding him with a younger woman[6]
- Tommy Dewey as Alex, Valerie's younger brother who co-founded the popular dating site Snooger
- Tara Lynne Barr as Laura, Valerie's teenage daughter
- Nyasha Hatendi as Leon, Valerie's one-night stand whom Alex befriends
- Julie Berman as Leia, Valerie's assistant
Guest and recurring
[edit]- Fred Melamed as Charles, Valerie and Alex's hedonistic father
- Evan Crooks as Emile, Laura's ex-boyfriend
- Alisha Boe as Becca, Laura's friend
- Taylor Spreitler as Mia, Laura's friend
- Frances Conroy as Dawn, Valerie and Alex's mother
- Patrick Heusinger as Michael, Laura's photography teacher
- Zak Orth as Drew, Valerie's ex-husband
- Eliza Coupe as Emmy, Alex's free-spirited romantic interest[8]
- Katie Aselton as Jennifer, a therapist who works in the same building as Valerie[9]
- Dylan Gelula as Aubrey, a student in Laura's homeschool group[10]
- Britt Lower as Sarah Finn, Alex's ex-girlfriend[11]
- Vincent Kartheiser as Jordan Anderson, Alex's new partner in his company and Sarah's fiancé
- Britt Robertson as Fallon, Jordan's assistant[12]
- Kyle Bornheimer as Jack, Valerie's love interest, friend of Jennifer
- Rhenzy Feliz as Spencer, Laura's classmate and boyfriend, who has terminal cancer
- Jamie Chung as Tina[13] Valerie's landlord who becomes involved with Alex
- Nadine Nicole as Casey, Laura's boss and an environmental activist
- Maya Erskine as Rae, Alex's roommate and the mother of his daughter, Carrie
- Judy Greer as Judy, a single mom who also hires Alex to work in her company's IT department[14]
- Lorenza Izzo as Tathiana, Laura's girlfriend she met while traveling[15]
- Nicky Katt as Cyril, a mechanic. This was his last role before his untimely death in 2025. It was his first acting job in about 5 years.
Episodes
[edit]Series overview
[edit]Season 1 (2015)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Jason Reitman | Zander Lehmann | October 7, 2015 (2015-10-07) | |
| 2 | 2 | "Friends" | Jason Reitman | Zander Lehmann | October 7, 2015 (2015-10-07) | |
| 3 | 3 | "Animals" | Max Winkler | Zander Lehmann | October 14, 2015 (2015-10-14) | |
| 4 | 4 | "..." | Max Winkler | Zander Lehmann | October 21, 2015 (2015-10-21) | |
| 5 | 5 | "Mom" | Michael Weaver | Sheila Callaghan | October 28, 2015 (2015-10-28) | |
| 6 | 6 | "Biden" | Michael Weaver | Liz Tigelaar | November 4, 2015 (2015-11-04) | |
| 7 | 7 | "Home" | Tricia Brock | Harris Danow | November 11, 2015 (2015-11-11) | |
| 8 | 8 | "Bottles" | Tricia Brock | Zander Lehmann & Harris Danow | November 18, 2015 (2015-11-18) | |
| 9 | 9 | "Mars" | Fred Savage | Halsted Sullivan | November 25, 2015 (2015-11-25) | |
| 10 | 10 | "Dave" | Fred Savage | Zander Lehmann | December 2, 2015 (2015-12-02) | |
Season 2 (2016)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Phase 3" | Jason Reitman | Zander Lehmann | June 7, 2016 (2016-06-07) | |
| 12 | 2 | "Trivial Pursuit" | Jason Reitman | Liz Tigelaar | June 7, 2016 (2016-06-07) | |
| 13 | 3 | "Such Good Friends" | Karyn Kusama | Zander Lehmann | June 14, 2016 (2016-06-14) | |
| 14 | 4 | "Big Green Egg" | Karyn Kusama | Harris Danow | June 21, 2016 (2016-06-21) | |
| 15 | 5 | "Bicycle Thieves" | Iain B. MacDonald | Zander Lehmann | June 28, 2016 (2016-06-28) | |
| 16 | 6 | "100 Cows" | Iain B. MacDonald | Molly Smith Metzler | July 5, 2016 (2016-07-05) | |
| 17 | 7 | "Threesomes" | Lynn Shelton | Liz Tigelaar | July 12, 2016 (2016-07-12) | |
| 18 | 8 | "The Magpie" | Lynn Shelton | Zander Lehmann | July 19, 2016 (2016-07-19) | |
| 19 | 9 | "The Lake" | Marielle Heller | Marguerite MacIntyre | July 26, 2016 (2016-07-26) | |
| 20 | 10 | "Reunion" | Marielle Heller | Rosa Handelman | August 2, 2016 (2016-08-02) | |
| 21 | 11 | "Death and Taxes" | Michael Weaver | Harris Danow | August 9, 2016 (2016-08-09) | |
| 22 | 12 | "40" | Michael Weaver | Liz Tigelaar | August 16, 2016 (2016-08-16) | |
| 23 | 13 | "The Great Unknown" | Fred Savage | Zander Lehmann | August 23, 2016 (2016-08-23) | |
Season 3 (2017)
[edit]On June 23, 2016, Hulu renewed the series for a 13-episode third season. The season premiered on May 23, 2017.[16]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 1 | "Ashes to Ashes" | Lynn Shelton | Zander Lehmann | May 23, 2017 (2017-05-23) | |
| 25 | 2 | "Things to Do in Burbank When You're Dead" | Carrie Brownstein | Zander Lehmann | May 23, 2017 (2017-05-23) | |
| 26 | 3 | "The Table" | Carrie Brownstein | Liz Tigelaar | May 23, 2017 (2017-05-23) | |
| 27 | 4 | "The Sprout" | Lake Bell | Marguerite MacIntyre | May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30) | |
| 28 | 5 | "Look at Me" | Lake Bell | Harris Danow | June 6, 2017 (2017-06-06) | |
| 29 | 6 | "Troubleshooting" | Amy York Rubin | Molly Smith Metzler | June 13, 2017 (2017-06-13) | |
| 30 | 7 | "The Rat King" | Amy York Rubin | Rosa Handelman | June 20, 2017 (2017-06-20) | |
| 31 | 8 | "Venus" | Michael Weaver | Tommy Dewey and Michaela Watkins | June 27, 2017 (2017-06-27) | |
| 32 | 9 | "Fresno" | Michael Weaver | Marguerite MacIntyre | July 4, 2017 (2017-07-04) | |
| 33 | 10 | "Cake Walk" | Gillian Robespierre | Harris Danow | July 11, 2017 (2017-07-11) | |
| 34 | 11 | "Firesale" | Gillian Robespierre | Molly Smith Metzler and Rosa Handelman | July 18, 2017 (2017-07-18) | |
| 35 | 12 | "99" | Jason Reitman | Liz Tigelaar | July 25, 2017 (2017-07-25) | |
| 36 | 13 | "The Hermit & the Moon" | Jason Reitman | Zander Lehmann | August 1, 2017 (2017-08-01) | |
Season 4 (2018)
[edit]On October 19, 2017, Hulu renewed the series for a fourth and final season[4] with all 8 episodes being released simultaneously on July 31, 2018.[5]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 1 | "Carrie" | Gillian Robespierre | Zander Lehmann | July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) | |
| 38 | 2 | "The Missing Piece" | Gillian Robespierre | Cara DiPaolo | July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) | |
| 39 | 3 | "Virtual Reality" | Hannah Fidell | Zander Lehmann | July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) | |
| 40 | 4 | "Dreams Stay With You" | Hannah Fidell | Harris Danow | July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) | |
| 41 | 5 | "The Last Super Bowl" | Zander Lehmann | Rosa Handelman | July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) | |
| 42 | 6 | "Polytropos" | Helen Estabrook | Tess Morris | July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) | |
| 43 | 7 | "All About You" | Michael Weaver | Nick Jones, Jr. | July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) | |
| 44 | 8 | "Finale" | Michael Weaver | Zander Lehmann | July 31, 2018 (2018-07-31) | |
Reception
[edit]The first season received critical acclaim. On Metacritic the first season holds a rating of 77 out of 100 based on twenty critics’ reviews.[17] Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a 93% rating based on twenty-eight critics’ reviews, with the critical consensus reading, "Jason Reitman's Casual is a funny -- albeit very specific -- look at modern dating, sharpened by edgy dialogue and self-assured performances."[18] For the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, the series was nominated in the category for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy.[19]
The second season received similar acclaim. It holds an 87% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on fifteen reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Well-written and solidly acted, Casual offers a profane -- yet profound -- take on life's many challenges".[20] On Metacritic, the season holds a rating of 88 out of 100, based on seven critics.[21] The third season also has a critics' rating of 88%.[22]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "See a not-so-happy Michaela Watkins in a first-look photo from Jason Reitman's Casual — exclusive". Entertainment Weekly, August 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Hulu Picks Up Jason Reitman 'Casual' Comedy Series in Lionsgate TV Pact". Variety, October 30, 2014.
- ↑ "TIFF's First-Ever TV Lineup Includes Jason Reitman's 'Casual' and 'Heroes Reborn'". Indiewire, August 13, 2015.
- 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (October 19, 2017). "'Casual' Renewed By Hulu For Fourth & Final Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- 1 2 Schwartz, Ryan (January 14, 2018). "Casual: Hulu Will Release Final Season All at Once, Netflix-Style". TVLine. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ↑ Fernandez, Maria Elena (October 8, 2015). "Michaela Watkins on the Interesting Women She's Played, From Sarah Koenig to Casual". Vulture. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
- ↑ Jarvey, Natalie (May 7, 2015). "Eliza Coupe Books Arc on Hulu's Jason Reitman Comedy 'Casual'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (February 22, 2016). "Julie Berman Upped To Regular On Hulu's 'Casual'; Katie Aselton Joins As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (March 11, 2016). "Dylan Gelula Joins Hulu's Casual; Tiffany Dupont in TNT's 'Murder In The First". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Britt Lower Joins Hulu Comedy 'Casual' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. March 2, 2016.
- ↑ Iannucci, Rebecca (March 16, 2016). "TVLine Items: Britt Robertson on Casual, Oprah's TV Return and More". TVLine. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (February 2, 2017). "'Casual': Jamie Chung Joins Hulu Comedy Series For Season 3". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (February 6, 2017). "Casual': Judy Greer Set To Recur On Season 3 Of Hulu Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (February 27, 2018). "'Casual': Lorenza Izzo Set To Recur On Season 4 Of Hulu Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (June 23, 2016). "Hulu Renews 'Casual' For Third Season; Inks First-Look Deal With Jason Reitman". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Casual - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Casual: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Golden Globe 2016 Nominations - Full List". Rotten Tomatoes. December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Casual:Season 2 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Casual : Season 2". Metacritic. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Casual : Season 2". Metacritic. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
External links
[edit]Categories:
- 2015 American television series debuts
- 2018 American television series endings
- 2010s American comedy-drama television series
- 2010s American LGBTQ-related comedy television series
- 2010s American LGBTQ-related drama television series
- Television shows about casual sex
- English-language American television shows
- Hulu original programming
- Lesbian-related television shows
- Television series about dysfunctional families
- Television series about siblings
- Television series by Lionsgate Television
- Television shows set in Los Angeles