Loudermilk’s strong performance from Ron Livingston, along with the perfect cast of alcoholic dysfunctional characters, makes this endearing dark comedy about a rock critic turned recovering alcoholic one to watch. Apparently, I’ve been living under a sober rock. I recently discovered this binge-worthy series on Amazon Prime Video, which already has two seasons under its sober belt, with a third season on the way.
Even more baffling is how I missed out on a comedy show that is based in Seattle, with the main storyline being about sobriety, or, shall I say, attempts at sobriety. My name is Alysse, and I’m an alcoholic who has lived in Seattle (sober) for the last 15 years. And I work for a TV station! And I pride myself on being the queen of sober pop culture. GAH! Can I blame the pandemic? The good news is, my 19-year-old sponsee tipped me off of the series, as I was grumbling that I don’t currently have anything good to binge-watch. So grab your favorite mocktail, pop the popcorn, and get ready to get your sober comedy binge on. Because Loudermilk was clearly made to bring some snarky humor to the recovery community.
Loudermilk Season One:
Imagine the scene: a group of men from all walks of life, sitting in a church basement on hard metal chairs, talking about their feelings. If you’re in recovery and a practicing 12-stepper, then you will know this scene all too well. Although basically nothing portrayed in the “Sober Friends” daily meeting even closely resembles what actually happens in a traditional 12-step meeting, I wasn’t mad about it. I love to laugh and laugh at alcoholic comedy maybe one of my favorite past times. There are so many alcoholic one-liners and zingers in this show that you really need to pay attention.
“You’ve got to stay sober, or you’ve got to go-ber.”
Sam Loudermilk (Livingston) is a rehab counselor and is a real piece of work to his clients, his friends, and basically any random person who crosses his path. A recovering alcoholic, Loudermilk is somewhat nicer to his best friend and (usually) sober sponsor, Ben Burns. Frankly put, Sam puts the S.O.B. in Sober. This guy is snarky AF and is a dick most of the time. But, once and a while, the good parts of him sneak out. Those will be the parts when you’ll find yourself cheering on Sam.
The 10 episodes of season one will twist and turn with some pretty ridiculous portrayals of what friendships look like in the rooms of recovery. While many of the storylines are largely exaggerated and factious for comedic reasons, it only took a few episodes before I was hooked. It turns out we’re really not a glum lot after all.
The Mindful Binge Sobees Score: 5 out of 5
Loudermilk Season One Trailer
Interview with Ron Livingston re: AA Meeting Experience Researching for Loudermilk
Loudermilk Season One Cast Q&A
Loudermilk Season Two:
Sam (Ron Livingston) is back in Seattle after a relapse in New Orleans but finds there are more stumbling blocks at home. I’ve never been to New Orleans, but I can imagine how it could be a triggering destination. Following along as the storylines of this motley crew continue to develop will continue to make you LOL. Those with 12-step recovery experiences (be it a good or bad experience) will easily pick up on subtle undertones of the messages that this story may be trying to communicate.
What I personally admire about this dark comedy is how it reflects the growth of relationships among strangers that would not normally mix. While many of the storylines have been “Hollywood-zed,” this concept rings true for me. People helping people in the circles of recovery has been one of my favorite parts of my sobriety journey. I will have 15 years alcohol-free, by the grace of God, one day at a time, on May 1st, 2021. The list of people who have come into my life because of recovery is some of the most incredible and rewarding relationships I’ve ever known. And by and large, they are with people I probably wouldn’t have selected myself to be friends with. This makes sense because history has shown that I don’t make the best decisions when it comes to relationships and self-care.
Old School AA-ers may not dig this show.
I imagine some old-school, old-timers who have been doing AA for as long as I have been alive may balk at the humor of this show. That’s ok. It’s not for everyone. To be honest, I found myself muttering to myself in several scenes across both episodes. “No way.” “It would never be like that.” “That sets a terrible example”. Then I remembered the purpose of this show: to entertain. It’s not a documentary about recovery. It’s humor.
While I don’t always agree with how recovery gets represented in TV series and movies, I am always thankful that storylines surrounding addiction are being addressed. The more we talk about addiction and recovery, the more we can normalize it and reduce the stigma. The end goal is that more people get the help they need, hopefully in the earlier stages of addiction.
Don’t Get Smashed – Smash the Stigma
Will the stigma ever be completely broken? Honestly, I’m not certain that will happen in my lifetime. But maybe it could? Maybe 10 years from now, as more and more negative health benefits come out that show the harm and dangers of alcohol on the body, more and more people will stop sooner. Even if for health reasons alone. All I have is my own experience, which has shown me that recovery is a constant process of learning and evolving. Back in 2006, social media wasn’t really a thing yet, and recovery content was not as readily available as it is today. Thankfully I live by the progress, not perfection motto.
Join us at SOBER POP to talk about this TV series and others that you love or maybe that you love to hate. Either way, they get the conversations going. And I just have to believe that is a benefit to the greater good.
THE MINDFUL BINGE: Loudermilk Season 3 Review: A Rollercoaster Ride of Emotions, Now on Netflix!
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Resources Are Available
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