Before Severance, Britt Lower Starred in This HBO Hidden Comedy Gem With 98% on RT
It is The Big Lebowski if it was made as a series 20 years later.
Who is your favorite character in Severance? Ben Stiller's show is a dramatic gem that manages to string together intriguing mysteries as brilliantly as it does revealing characters, so that every MDR employee gets his share of the audience's love.
But the fan favorite is undoubtedly Helly/Helena, portrayed by Britt Lower. The way the actress plays two completely different characters is nothing short of admirable.
If you want to see another show starring the actress, check out the little known but excellent HBO series that has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – High Maintenance.
What Is High Maintenance About?
This is a series about a New York pot dealer known simply as The Guy. He arrives at his customers on a bicycle and either witnesses various stories from the lives of modern city dwellers or gets into trouble himself.
For example, one of the episodes tells the story of the modern homeless woman, who looks like an Instagram star, changes partners every week, and exists at the expense of others without causing any trouble.
High Maintenance Is One of the Best Comedy Shows Released in Recent Years
High Maintenance is a millennial parable, a kind of 2020s TV version of The Big Lebowski. It's one of those rare HBO shows that wasn't a huge hit, but was good in its own local way. In fact, it may be the best modern sitcom that hasn't lost its charm in four seasons.
The vibe of High Maintenance can be described as similar to Woody Allen 's: the series is a slightly grotesque depiction of modern New Yorkers, many of whom are mired in neuroses and drowning in their own delusions.
The Guy Is Reminiscent of The Big Lebowski's The Dude
At first, The Guy, whose self-assured pacifism is clearly reminiscent of his near namesake from The Big Lebowski, remains a quiet, smiling witness to all sorts of things.
We learn little about him: he is a dedicated cyclist, an individualist, sociable, curious and open to the world. But the further we go, the more we find out about his biography.
We meet his ex-wife, with whom they remained friends and never officially divorced. We see him starting new relationships. The Guy turns out to be not just a faceless observer, but one of many, many characters of this story.
High Maintenance's Lee Has a Lot in Common With Severance's Helly
Britt Lower appears in the third season playing one of The Guy's love interests. Her character, Lee, is trying to get her life back on track after divorcing her director husband who was accused of sexual assault at work.
There's a lot of Helly in Lee. She's charming, has a good sense of humor, and has a genuinely kind heart – Lee pays for gas for stressed-out moms.
Where to Stream High Maintenance?
High Maintenance is available to watch on Hulu and Max.
