Tim Robinson Cements Himself As The King of Cringe Comedy With " The Chair Company"!

Tim Robinson, the maestro of madness and the wizard of weird, is back again with another awkward comedy. "The Chair Company" is basically a backward universe version of "The Office", centering on Ron Trosper, a new executive at a development firm, after… his chair breaks at a speaking event. This embarrassing moment spirals into office politics antics, hinging on Robinson’s frustratingly vulnerable portrayal of Ron. 

Created by Robinson and longtime collaborator Zach Kanin, "The Chair Company" feels like a warped, corporate fever dream, an inversion of "The Office". Robinson plays Ron Tropser, a mid-level executive at a development firm, whose professional reputation (and his sanity) spirals after a humiliating incident involving a broken chair at a speaking event. From that single moment of embarrassment, the show unfolds into a deranged corporate conspiracy wherein every moment of thrilling suspense is undermined by a childlike freakout or awkward exchange. Robinson leans into the absurdity with full commitment, as he has always done. 

This is Robinson’s first major television project since "I Think You Should Leave", and it shows a remarkable evolution of his comedic sensibilities. Where "ITYSL" thrived on 5-minute bursts of escalating panic, "The Chair Company" stretches that uncomfortability across an entire narrative, building an emotional throughline around humiliation, masculinity, and the absurdity of corporate life. The result is a workplace satire that somehow feels both cinematic and painfully human. 

The series, directed in part by Andrew DeYoung (who previously worked with Robinson on 2024's Friendship), is visually stunning, a surprise given Robinson’s sketch roots. The cinematography from Ashley Connor (The Miseducation of Cameron Post) is slick and saturated in icy blues, capturing the sterile absurdity of modern office spaces. Needle drops from Elliott Smith and Jim Croce punctuate the emotional chaos, grounding the surreal humor in melancholy.

As Ron’s obsession with the “chair conspiracy” deepens, "The Chair Company" becomes a sharp satire of capitalism and the fragile male ego. Robinson’s performance -- which is stilted, awkward, and weirdly vulnerable -- balances slapstick with real pathos. Every line he delivers feels both ridiculous and devastatingly true. ("I swear I have the worst pillow in town!" might be the year’s funniest throwaway line.) Supporting turns from Lake Bell, Sophia Lillis, and "SNL" legend Jim Downey help ground the chaos, while cameos from unknown actors add an uncanny realism that makes the whole thing feel unsettlingly believable.

Robinson’s creative partnership with Kanin continues to yield gold. From "Detroiters" and "ITYSL" to Friendship, Robinson has carved out a niche exploring the intersection of embarrassment, failure, and male insecurity. "The Chair Company" might be his most complete exploration yet. Much like Friendship, it uses farce to interrogate masculinity, the performative nature of confidence, the absurdity of power, and how a man’s self-worth can unravel over something as trivial as a broken chair.

In true Robinson fashion, the show finds brilliance in humiliation. "The Chair Company" weaponizes discomfort, transforming cringe into catharsis. By the end of its first episode, you’ll either be hiding behind your hands or laughing uncontrollably… probably both. Ultimately, "The Chair Company" is more than a workplace comedy; it’s a hilarious, haunting reflection on the fragility of identity in a corporate world obsessed with image. It’s a story about how one small crack in the façade, literal or metaphorical, can send everything collapsing.

New episodes of "The Chair Company" premiere Sundays at 10pm on HBO. If you’ve ever loved "Nathan for You", "The Rehearsal", or "I Think You Should Leave", don’t miss this one. Robinson’s latest proves that, even in the bleakest corners of corporate America, absurdity reigns supreme, and it’s never been funnier.