December 30, 2021

Stressful Watch

My latest viewing has really stressed me out. Netflix’ The Chair strikes too close to home. Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim is the new chair of a small English department at a liberal arts college who must negotiate between the the expectations of a contemporary world—a mixture of EduCorp and woke culture—and the traditions of academe. Every single conflict in this show seems spot-on. Much of it left me very uncomfortable, stressed-out, and both shaking and nodding my head. It’s a six-show season of half-hour episodes, streamable in one night. The ending is totally believable and pessimistic. The only part that strikes me as dubious is the final decision made by Bill Dobson. The writing and performances here are spot-on. I know all of these people. Watch it if you dare.