The last few years have been great for Tim Robinson fans. I Think You Should Leave, with its easy meme-ability, seems to only grow more popular with age, and this summer saw the release of Robinson’s first starring role in a feature with Friendship. Robinson has such a unique voice, with an absurdity and escalation that makes even the most simple frustrations feel like grand nightmares. Robinson’s sense of humor might be best summarized by the very first sketch of I Think You Should Leave, where, after a job interview, his character would rather force a door open the wrong way until it snaps off its hinges rather than look like he didn’t know which way the door was supposed to go. We’ve seen Robinson’s brand of comedy in plenty of sketches, both in episodic form like the canceled-too-soon Detroiters and in feature films like Friendship, but we’ve never seen how an extended season-long arc of a show would work through Robinson’s point of view. Given the often anxiety-riddled nature of Robinson’s humor, it’s a style that seems like it would be best in bite-sized chunks, rather than over the course of eight episodes. However, The Chair Company, created by Robinson and frequent collaborator Zach Kanin, proves that this type of uncomfortable, absurd, and downright weird comedy that Robinson does so well can succeed and thrive over the course of a hilarious and bizarre season of television.
What Is ‘The Chair Company’ About?

Robinson stars as William Ronald Trosper, who has recently been put in charge of creating a new shopping mall in Ohio. After some ups and downs over the last few years, Ron taking on the role of project lead for this mall is a big deal, one that he’s very excited about tackling. But after an embarrassing incident at work, Ron finds himself getting deeper and deeper into a conspiracy of ludicrous proportions. As Ron sees how far this rabbit hole goes, his wife Barb (Lake Bell) is trying to get her own business off the ground, his daughter Natalie (Sophia Lillis) is getting married to her girlfriend, who is abrasive and odd, and his son Seth (Will Price) has mounting problems of his own. Ron has to juggle all of this while also working on the mall project, his unusual coworkers (who include legendary SNL comedy writer Jim Downey, who is seemingly obsessed with his necklace that blows bubbles), and keeping his boss, Jeff Levjman (Lou Diamond Phillips), happy. Without spoiling where The Chair Company’s story goes, the show does feel like an escalation of the ridiculousness of the usual Robinson situation that gets out of hand. The difference here is that there’s room for this story to grow and grow to unbelievable levels and go down paths that one would never expect. If this were a regular show, it would seem truly nuts. For a project from Robinson, it’s a natural progression of what one would expect in extending one of these scenarios into four hours of television.
‘The Chair Company’ Is Just as Weird as You’d Think, Coming From Tim Robinson

At its core, The Chair Company is essentially a mystery, but through the humor of Robinson and Kanin. Imagine if Chinatown was created by and starring the guy who made Dan Flashes, Sloppy Steaks, and Karl Havoc, and that’s basically what you’re walking into here. As The Chair Company progresses, the story gets wilder, the diversions get crazier, and a lot of it is clearly nonsense, but Robinson always keeps this unhinged story entertaining. For fans of Friendship, The Chair Company certainly has a similar vibe to it, as that film’s director, Andrew DeYoung, directs the first few episodes that set the tone. Like Friendship, the series grounds itself in suburban life and that ambition for something slightly more, but also lets Robinson loose into that world that will escalate to extremes over even the most basic ideas. Sure, there’s a mystery to explore, but really, that’s just the narrative outlet in which we can watch Robinson go bonkers, and no surprise, it’s always a blast to watch that occur. But as Robinson tries to solve… whatever the hell is happening, some of the best moments come down to the real weirdos he meets along the way. Despite its main cast, The Chair Company relies mostly on unknown actors willing to go on this journey. In a way, this cast of unfamiliar faces and the way they present themselves reminds of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and that show’s ability to bring new faces to the screen, give them strange lines of dialogue, and watch them act with a delightfully awkward woodenness that somehow manages to enhance what’s being said. The Chair Company is packed with these oddballs, and they’re often just as entertaining as Robinson. Joseph Tudisco is a fantastic standout as Mike Santini, whose story interacts with Ron in wild ways, and the two play off each other brilliantly throughout the show. Of course, The Chair Company is all about watching Tim Robinson get in over his head and the hysterical moments that come from that. As always, Robinson can make anything funny, either with a crazy reaction or the way he delivers a line in the only way he can. From the more serious moments that he ruins with Lake Bell’s Barb, to not being the weirdest person in his office, Robinson is a blast alongside everyone in the cast, and just as great on his own. While some might be slightly disappointed that The Chair Company isn’t at the same level of joke density as I Think You Should Leave or Detroiters in terms of the sheer amount of jokes that you’ll want to reference back to, the preposterous nature of the series is plenty entertaining for those wanting more of Robinson’s humor. The Chair Company is one of the most offbeat and outlandish shows you’ll see this year. Robinson and Kanin have yet again found a great playground for Robinson’s antics to run wild, and it’s impressive how they’re able to stretch out this joke for an entire season, and have it remain just as funny throughout. The Chair Company is a strange adventure, but with Robinson at the helm, it’s one definitely worth going on. The Chair Company premieres on October 12 with new episodes airing on Sundays.

Release Date

October 12, 2025

Network

HBO

Directors

Andrew DeYoung

Pros & Cons

Tim Robinson is as hilarious as you’d imagine in a mystery series centered around him.
The Chair Company is one of the oddest shows you’ll see this year.
A great cast of actors, both known and unknown, play brilliantly alongside Robinson.

The joke density might not be as consistent as other Robinson projects.