Forget fun TV, Rose Byrne's physique is a show of spiked brilliance
The thing I like the most Physique is the show’s unwavering refusal to be liked. Led by Rose Byrne and her rich hair Jaclyn Smith, this 1980s comedy-drama Apple TV+ about a San Diego housewife who finds her self-purpose with the advent of aerobics is fueled by a sting of self-loathing. Now in its second season, the series is full of hilarious period details and brief discontent; for the main character, happiness is almost always an illusion that disappears too quickly. The lack of cuteness is interesting. The strongest voice – so powerful that it is almost a separate character that deserves its own bill – is the monologue in Byrne’s Sheila Benson. It’s been around since Sheila’s first apparition in 1981, nonchalantly looking at herself in the mirror and delivering a verdict she’s eager to share but is afraid that others will find out. “Do you really think you did all this?” he asked with rhetorical bitterness. Every installment since th...