Jules Cobb is a mom in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter. Along for the journey is her son, her ex-husband, her husband/neighbor and her friends who together make up her dysfunctional, but supportive and caring extended family... even if they have a funny way of showing it sometimes.
This tv show contains 7 potentially triggering events.
Yes, but as with everything else in this show, it's played for laughs. See comments under Sexual Assault. There is also emotional manipulation in the form of Ellie and Andy's marriage: it seems to rely on Ellie being mean and hateful while Andy has to grin and bare it, or deal with her getting angrier.
No, although Travis makes several jokes about killing himself in painful ways that could be triggering (I.e. in 1:7, he states if his house is on fire for Grayson to assume Travis set it to escape his miserable existence). He is usually deadpan or hysterical when he makes these jokes, and they're clearly in response to being humiliated or embarrassed, and are not serious.
Although the lead characters have a variety of body types, many have insecurities about their weight, resulting in several jokes and gags about them trying to get thinner or fitter. Andy is the butt of several jokes about him being fat and balding, though he brushes them off with confidence and snark.
No, but Travis is pretty insistent he's straight, even when others are not so sure he is. There is also a gag at the end of 4:7 where a male character has a visible moment of gay panic when he realizes he's kissed another man he mistook for a woman.
Although it is never to the character's face, a male character is constantly referred to as female until it's revealed during a gag that they're male. As it is a joke that relies on stereotypical male/female features (such as long blonde hair, a deep voice and a flat chest), it is not necessary for the character to be transgender for it to be harmful. The gag in question occurs during the end credits of 4:7.
Jules and gang have different levels of sensitivity and education regarding disabilities. As a result, many times a gag relies on them being accidentally ableist, or self deprecating regarding their own issues. While this is often a lead-in for character maturity and development, it could be a bit much for people who have those disabilities. Some running gags include Travis' PTSD from high school bullying, Ellie's post-partum depression, and Bobby's depression. In 1:6, Jules jokes on two separate occasions about an old man's Alzheimer's and his lecherous behavior because of it.
There are several jokes that include Jewish customs (such as joking about how something would be perfect for a Bar Mitzvah), but nothing hateful or negative.
There are several quips about drinking all day, how wine makes things better, and even though it's played for laughs, Bobby, Jules, Laurie, and Ellie all have alcoholic tendencies. The mood of the show is light and comedic, so this is never really addressed as a serious problem, but is considered a quirky hobby and bonding ritual.
The plot of 1:2 and 1:8 revolve around Jules partying and getting drunk, in one specifically so she can have a fun drunk story like Ellie and Laurie. S1E7: After Jules makes a bet she can spend a whole day alone, she receives a call from Laurie who had passed out drunk on someone's bed and woke up not knowing where she was.
S1E6: the main female character is taking to an older man, who asks her out. She later accepts under the condition that he understands it's platonic. At the end of their date, he asks for a kiss goodnight, leaving her feeling skeeved out. Although an assault does not happen, the harassment itself could be triggering.
S4E6: the main female character takes a sleeping pill and she spends the whole night sleepwalking and doing weird things. She has no memory of it, so her husband tells her what she did. She asks him "You didn't have sex with me, did you?" in a tone that shows she is disturbed by the idea. He says no, but when she is not looking, he nods yes grinning at his two male friends who grin and give him the thumbs-up (13:20).
The setup of the show is that Jules is trying to navigate being a single mom after divorcing Bobby following several infidelities. This is brought up often in dialogue. BEHIND THE SCENES: David Arquette was quoted as saying Courtney Cox's emotional affair with a co-star on set played a part in their divorce.
A lot of Jules' and Ellis's insecurities revolve around the fact that they're getting older. Jules often criticizes her own appearance, and her goofy attempts at staying young and fit are a running gag. Throughout the first season, Travis is shown to be jealous of other men who are visibly more fit than he is, including one stand out scene in 1:6 where he quips about killing himself because a much fitter Josh drew Laurie's attention away from him.
S1E6: Jules mentions she only sucks on chocolate for 3 seconds to avoid gaining weight. Later in the episode, we see her do this before spitting the chocolate into a trash can.
The premise of the show is a divorcee wanting to be a friend with benefits to younger men (a cougar, if you will). Although this premise is dropped halfway through season 1, it remains a comedy with very open dialogue regarding the character's sex lives. After season 4, the show moved to cable, marking a notable increase in the raunchiness of the jokes. The character of Barb exists solely for making lewd jokes and to be sexually aggressive to younger men (seasons 1-3).