By Robert Scucci
| Published
Tim Robinson’s brand of cringe-inducing comedy is a hard sell if you’re not picking up what he’s throwing down. He yells a lot, thrives in chaotic environments, and makes you squirm as his characters push themselves into increasingly uncomfortable territory. If you’re into that kind of thing, you need to head over to Max and watch his new series, The Chair Company.
If you’re on the fence about Robinson’s work because you find him funny but think he’s a little too much at times, this series is a solid entry point. If you absolutely hate him and everything he’s done up to this point, then you’re missing out.
The Chair Company is what you get if you take a thousand Tim Robinsons, melt them down into a boiling cauldron, and reduce them into a concentrated formula representing his true essence in peak form.
From Mild Embarrassment To A Grand Conspiracy
Bearing a personality that’s strikingly similar to Friendship’s Craig Waterman, Robinson plays Ronald Trosper, another corner-office doofus who somehow does well for himself despite his off-putting demeanor and questionable competence. During a presentation for a new mall development he’s overseeing, Ron is humiliated when a chair from Tecca Chairs collapses under him.
Not only does he make a fool of himself in front of shareholders and coworkers, but he also accidentally catches a glance up a colleague’s skirt, which lands him in hot water with HR.
Everyone else laughs it off and moves on. Ron, on the other hand, becomes obsessed with tracking down the chair company and giving them a piece of his mind. In his warped reality, he believes he’s the target of a grand conspiracy tied to Tecca Chairs. As absurd as it sounds, and as much as the obsession consumes him, all signs point to him being right.
Using whatever resources he can find, Ron proves surprisingly adept at tracking down leads, even if his methods are seen as unorthodox by literally everyone else’s standards. Hellbent on solving the mystery behind his humiliating chair incident, he slowly begins to alienate everyone who cares about him in ways that only Tim Robinson could make both tragic and hilarious.
It’s The Same Character Tim Robinson Always Plays, But More Focused
Let’s address the obvious: Tim Robinson plays a very specific type of character across his entire body of work, and his portrayal of Ron in The Chair Company is no exception. So if you’re burned out on his comedy, this series might not be for you. That said, while he’s still leaning into his familiar archetype, this time it feels more refined and deliberate.
Where Craig Waterman in Friendship is a full-blown narcissist with no redeeming qualities, Ron Trosper is actually there for his family and friends, at least to a degree. He helps his daughter Natalie (Sophia Lillis) plan her wedding and tries to be a positive presence in his son Seth’s (Will Price) life, even if his attempts to bond are painfully misguided. Ron is still the same aggressively awkward, egocentric Tim Robinson creation you’ve come to expect, but this iteration is sharper, more layered, and grounded enough to make you want to root for him.
I liken Robinson’s performance in The Chair Company to a skateboarder who fails a thousand times trying to land a single trick. It’s messy along the way, but when he finally sticks the landing, you can’t help but cheer. The Chair Company is that glorious victory screech you’ve been waiting for if you like his comedy, but only in small doses.
Streaming The Chair Company
With two episodes now streaming on Max and another dropping October 26, The Chair Company will follow a weekly release schedule through November 30, 2025. While I have no clue where the mystery will lead, I’m glad I got in on the ground floor. You can too if you stream it today.
The Chair Company is an HBO original, streaming exclusively on Max.
2025-10-21 17:23:02
