From the very first scene, Leanne wears its heart on its sleeve, and maybe a little potato salad in its purse.
Leanne Morgan steps into sitcom stardom with a performance that’s both vulnerable and sharp as a tack. After 33 years of marriage, her character Leanne Murphy finds out (via email, no less) that her husband Bill is leaving her for someone younger. But this isn’t just a breakup episode. It’s a Southern fried survival story, told with pie jokes, church bake sales, and the world’s most well-timed CPAP mask.
Kristen Johnston as Carol is the secret weapon here. Every sister needs a ride-or-die, especially when their parents don’t know the marriage is over and you still have to serve them soup. And Ryan Stiles plays Bill with the exact kind of squirmy charm that makes you want to punch him, which, by the end of the episode, Leanne actually does. Sort of. Maybe.
Episode 1 does a beautiful job setting the tone: funny, relatable, and quietly grounded in Christian family values without ever feeling preachy. It’s about loss, but it’s also about what you gain when people show up for you.
And yes, Carol offering to wear Bill’s CPAP to comfort her sister is Emmy-worthy.
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