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No TV show nails Chicago life like Netflix’s ‘Easy’

Even though there is a wealth of TV shows set in Chicago, few, if any, really capture the city’s essence. Dick Wolf’s prime-time empire of “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.,” while all shot on locations around here, are more focused on Wolf’s procedural elements than diving deep into Chicago itself. “Shameless,” Showtime’s long-running series about a South Side family, is partially filmed in Los Angeles, while “The Girlfriend Experience” is totally shot in Toronto and “The Good Wife” was obviously filmed in New York. That’s why “Easy,” a new anthology series from Chicagoan Joe Swanberg, who directed, wrote and produced each of the series’ eight episodes, is such a breath of fresh air.

No TV series has captured what it’s like to live in Chicago quite like this one as it follows loosely connected city dwellers as they messily tackle relationships, sex and being better people. While it doesn’t claim to be fully representative of the city, episodes feature instantly recognizable locations around the city: A Tinder date happens at Lost Lake, a couple grabs lunch at Handlebar, a coffee roaster dreams of starting a brewery while working at Dark Matter’s roasting facility and so many more. For 20- and 30-something Chicagoans, seeing these characters stumble to improve in their romantic and professional lives will hit extremely close to home. It’s as true-to-life as it is entertaining.

Swanberg, who’s directed 18 feature films already (notably “Drinking Buddies,” “Digging For Fire” and “Happy Christmas”) isn’t a stranger to TV, as he’s directed episodes of HBO’s “Looking” and Netflix’s “Love,” two shows that feel like spiritual siblings to the low-stakes, intimately people-driven “Easy.” Part of the reason Swanberg’s had such an enduring and prolific career is his persistent focus on the natural interactions between people. The dialogue is largely improvised, and he casts actors by their personality (he’s known for casting his actor friends in many of his projects) so the product on screen feels like a voyeuristic look into an actual conversation.

Looking at the cast, it’s clear “Easy” has one of the most stacked lineups this fall. Orlando Bloom, Malin Akerman, Marc Maron, Emily Ratajkowski, Jane Adams, Aya Cash, Dave Franco, Hannibal Buress, Raul Castillo, Jake Johnson, Michael Chernus, Elizabeth Reaser and many more appear throughout the season. Because it’s an anthology series, you don’t need to watch “Easy” in order, as each episode works as a standalone thing. That said, like Chicago itself, it’s fascinating to watch how all these characters are loosely connected. Standout episodes, such as one centered around a character (played excellently by Kersey Clemons) who pretends to be an avid bicyclist and vegan to impress her new girlfriend or a gut-wrenching episode featuring mainly Spanish dialogue, focus on the messy conflicts between trying to be a good person in 2016 and being happy.

One of the best things about “Easy” is the endless storytelling possibilities the format holds. Much like HBO’s “High Maintenance,” it’s easy to image Swanberg’s new series running multiple seasons because there is still so much Chicago-based material to mine in an anthology series (here’s hoping more South Side voices are brought into the fray if it’s renewed). That said, once it premieres, “Easy” is going to be one of the most satisfying and binge-worthy series of the fall season, especially for Chicagoans.

4 stars (out of four)

@joshhterry | jterry@redeyechicago.com