HBO’s three-season Somebody Somewhere was flawless and underrated from start to finish. Despite its perfect form, the show flew under the radar throughout its original run, culminating in its premature cancellation ahead of season 4 and star Bridget Everett’s disappointment. Even with its abbreviated run, though, Somebody Somewhere made an impact that is still being felt today.
Alongside Everett, the show starred Jeff Hiller, whose career has taken off in the short time since Somebody Somewhere‘s conclusion. The actor has since made meaningful appearances on two of Apple TV’s buzziest new shows, the similarly off-beat Widow’s Bay and the record-breaking Pluribus. In every instance, Hiller demonstrated the impact of his unique comedic voice.
Beyond Hiller, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson joined Somebody Somewhere in a recurring role in the show’s third and final season. He played the quiet and kind love interest of Everett’s Sam in one of the show’s most emotional and outwardly sweet storylines.
Since Somebody Somewhere, Ólafsson took on an increasingly prominent role as Mr. Drummond in Severance, a character who couldn’t have been more different from Somebody Somewhere‘s Iceland.
Given the relative unrecognizability of these actors before their stints on Somebody Somewhere, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the show served as a springboard for their fame, though one that was entirely well-deserved. Somebody Somewhere may be more exciting to watch now that its stars have somewhat familiar faces, but the show was of a rare level of quality from the very start.
The Cast Members Of Somebody Somewhere All Deserve To Be Stars
Somebody Somewhere took a unique approach to its comedy in that every joke was also accompanied by a feeling of heaviness. In a premise evocative of Schitt’s Creek, small-town friends Sam (Everett) and Joel (Hiller) bonded over a shared, risqué sense of humor that was genuinely entertaining, but their connection served to get them through their otherwise challenging lives.
As Sam worked to rebuild her life in the wake of her sister’s death, Joel grappled with the conflicting nature of his sexuality and his faith, something that had brought about a deep loneliness in him. Throughout the show, both characters grieved the lives they thought they would have as they approached middle age, and every joke they made, no matter how funny, was a way of processing that sadness.
Yet even as Somebody Somewhere allowed Sam and Joel’s pain to be felt deeply, so, too, were the show’s bright spots genuine and meaningful. The joy they found in each other, as well as the rest of their community, was real, and the show became a realistic but uplifting depiction of allowing those around you to help you reach a better place.
To encapsulate this tone, Somebody Somewhere‘s cast had to strike a delicate, emotional, and comedic balance, and their success in that is what elevated the show to the underrated classic it has become, complete with one of TV’s greatest, and increasingly rare, achievements.
Somebody Somewhere Has Accomplished Something Its More Famous Counterparts Haven’t
Two years after the release of its final episode, Somebody Somewhere has maintained its 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. This is an honor that is few and far between, as many of television’s most famous and historic shows fall short of a perfect score. Even the comedies whose massive popularity left Somebody Somewhere in the dust can’t compete with the heartfelt comedy’s stamp of approval.
Despite The Studio, Hacks, Widow’s Bay, and The Bear all taking turns as recent Emmys darlings and pop culture sensations, none of them have earned the coveted perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. Of course, these shows still saw an impressive ranking, and there is much more to a show than a number, but Somebody Somewhere‘s score is truly representative of the show’s quality.
Somebody Somewhere was consistently funny, but bold enough to pair its humor with sadness in a true-to-life reflection of the less-than-glamorous, deeply painful struggles of everyday life. It was a risk that paid off as it truly captured what Somebody Somewhere could be going through at any point in time.
