Mamoudou Athie made a distinct impression in the somber, surreal horror series Archive 81, and it made me curious to see him in something else. Definitely a change of pace from that later series, Oh Jerome, No is a quirky limited series that anchored a season of FXX’s comedy anthology show Cake. Athie stars as Jerome, a neurotic young app developer looking for love in New York City. Jerome’s over-sensitivity frequently leads him to self-destruct romantically, but he keeps trying bizarre new strategies to get out of his own way long enough to find happiness.
Composed of just eight fifteen-minute episodes, Oh Jerome, No is an entertaining less-is-more project that serves as an entertaining showcase for Athie’s offbeat comedic side. As Jerome repeatedly confronts his confused relationship with masculinity, he ricochets in and out of amusing scenarios, his journey characterized by neurotic decisions and gradual self-discovery. It isn’t particularly deep or profound, but in its fleeting way it’s a winning, eclectic romcom with genuine heart and humor.
