Laid is now streaming on Peacock.
Peacock’s Laid is one of the most fun and cleverly executed comedies to hit streaming in a while. With its unique premise and an engaging lead performance by Stephanie Hsu, this series has a way of drawing you in and keeping you hooked from episode to episode. While the show certainly puts humor first, it has more going for it than just laughs—there’s a solid plot at its core, and it’s this balance that makes Laid such a standout.
The premise is a fresh spin on the “past relationships” trope seen in shows like Netflix’s criminally underseen Lovesick. Ruby Yao (played by Hsu), a self-absorbed party planner in Seattle, finds herself confronted with the deaths of her former lovers in the order she dated them. It’s an absurd and darkly comic setup, but it also lends the show an unexpected layer of emotional depth. Each death forces Ruby to reckon with the mistakes she’s made in her relationships and her own shortcomings as a person. It’s this introspection that keeps the show grounded, despite its outrageous premise.
Hsu, who you might know from her breakout role in Everything Everywhere All at Once (or just maybe, the SpongeBob Broadway musical), is stellar in the lead role. She captures Ruby’s selfishness and flaws without ever making her feel one-dimensional. There’s a vulnerability beneath Ruby’s self-centeredness, and Hsu’s performance draws you in, making it easy to root for Ruby’s growth—even if she’s, at times, the kind of person you’d want to avoid in real life.
The show’s humor is sharp and often feels like a return to the glory days of NBC comedies, with clever dialogue and the right mix of absurdity and wit. The pacing is quick, and while the focus is clearly on humor, there’s a strong plot underpinning the series, with a few fun twists along the way. Guest stars like John Early and Kate Berlant pop in for cameos, adding to the fun and delivering some extra surprises for viewers. The show might lean heavily on its humor, but there’s a story here worth paying attention to, too.
If there’s any critique to be made, it’s that the show could lean into the emotional stakes a bit more, given the gravity of Ruby’s situation. But even then, Laid never takes itself too seriously and is always willing to sacrifice a bit of depth for the sake of a great joke. And honestly, that’s part of its charm.
In the end, Laid is a refreshing, funny series that’s perfect for a binge. While it may be lighthearted in its approach, it still finds ways to subtly comment on self-growth and the ways we often avoid confronting our own flaws. With a breakout lead performance from Stephanie Hsu, Laid is not just another comedy—it’s one that sticks with you, both for its humor and for the relatable character at its center.
I give Laid’s first season an A-.
TV and City 