Easy (TV series)

Easy is an American comedy-drama television anthology series written, directed, edited and produced by Joe Swanberg. It consists of 25 half-hour episodes. The series is set in Chicago.

The first season was released on Netflix on September 22, 2016. In April 2017, Swanberg revealed the series had been renewed for a second season, which was released on December 1, 2017. In August 2018, the series was renewed for a third and final season that premiered on May 10, 2019.

Background
Easy follows several individuals living in Chicago who are trying to navigate issues such as love, relationships, and general knowledge. A review described the series as a microscopic portrayal of the different varieties of modern love. It has an episodic anthology format, with standalone episodes that do not require previous ones to watch. The series does include recurring narratives such as the story of the married couple Kyle (Michael Chernus) and Andi (Elizabeth Reaser), which was first introduced in Season 1. The story was revisited in Season 2 and Season 3, with their respective episodes focusing on the development and effects of their decision to enter into an open relationship. While some characters were created completely from scratch by the producers, others, such as Odinaka Malachi Ezeokoli, Karley Sciortino, and Jane Adams's characters in Season 2, are based on the real-life personas, personalities, and/or jobs of the individuals cast in the roles.

Cast

 * Jane Adams as Annabelle Jones (season 1–3)
 * Zazie Beetz as Noelle (season 1–3)
 * Michael Chernus as Kyle (season 1–3)
 * Kiersey Clemons as Chase (season 1–3)
 * Aya Cash as Sherri (season 1–3)
 * Megan Ferguson as Samantha (season 2–3)
 * Dave Franco as Jeff (season 1–3)
 * Stephen George as Stephen (season 1–2)
 * Evan Jonigkeit as Matt (season 1–3)
 * Danielle Macdonald as Grace (season 2–3)
 * Marc Maron as Jacob Malco (season 1–3)
 * Kate Micucci as Annie (season 1–3)
 * Elizabeth Reaser as Andi (season 1–3)
 * Jacqueline Toboni as Jo (season 1–3)
 * Jaz Sinclair as Amber (season 1–3)
 * Marz Timms as Van Howard (season 1–2)
 * Jake Johnson as Andrew (season 1, 3)
 * Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Sophie (season 1, 3)
 * Aislinn Derbez as Gabi (season 1–2)
 * Rebecca Spence as Cheryl (season 1, 3)

Season 1

 * Suzanne Adent as Penny
 * Malin Åkerman as Lucy
 * Andrew Bachelor as Andrew
 * Orlando Bloom as Tom
 * Hannibal Buress as Jason
 * Raúl Castillo as Bernie
 * Noah Hopkins as Russ
 * Mauricio Ochmann as Martin
 * Emily Ratajkowski as Allison Lizowska
 * Lucas Von Kampen as Allan
 * Jake Weber as Wally
 * Arthur Agee as himself

Season 2

 * Aubrey Plaza as Lindsay
 * Lawrence Michael Levine as Harrison
 * Joe Lo Truglio as Mike
 * Michaela Watkins as Karen Treska
 * Judy Greer as Gretchen
 * Danny Masterson as Annie's boyfriend
 * Kate Berlant as Lauren
 * Karley Sciortino as Sally
 * Jennifer Kim as Annie
 * Lindsay Burdge as Amy
 * Odinaka Ezeokoli as himself
 * Alex Ross Perry as Mr. Pope
 * Parker Sawyers as Jason
 * Kate Lyn Sheil as Annie's roommate
 * Timothy Simons as Chris Whitman
 * Craig Butta as Frank Bruno

Season 3

 * Lydia House as Lydia
 * Sophia Bush as Alexandria
 * John Gallagher Jr. as Lucas
 * Melanie Lynskey as Beth
 * Kali Skrap as Skrap
 * Kris Swanberg as Kris
 * Nicky Excitement as Hugh
 * Cliff Chamberlain as Ryan

Production
In March 2016, it was announced Netflix had ordered a season of eight episodes, with Joe Swanberg writing and directing the series, with Michael Chernus, Marc Maron, Elizabeth Reaser, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jake Johnson, Aya Cash, Dave Franco, Jane Adams, Hannibal Buress, Kiersey Clemons, Orlando Bloom, and Malin Åkerman starring.

Episodes
Some characters appear in one or more episodes as the protagonist, and in other episodes as background characters.

Reception
The first season of Easy received positive reviews from film critics. It holds an 85% approval rating on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 7.53/10. On Metacritic, the season holds a rating of 72 out of 100, based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The show's second season received similar reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 86% approval rating based on 14 critical reviews, with an average rating of 9/10.