High Maintenance (2016–2020) User Reviews

Wonderfully quirky, funny and engaging...for the first two seasons

[grantss · 8/10 · 12 March 2017]

(Review updated after Season 4).

A series of short stories on the lives of everyday people living in New York. All the stories have one character in common - a pot dealer known simply as "the guy".

Wonderfully quirky and engaging series of vignettes. A great mix of drama and comedy. The short stories, of which there are one or two each episode, suck you in with likable characters in interesting situations. From there it is a leisurely ride to a great punch- line.

Writer-director-creators (and husband and wife) Katja Blichfield and Ben Sinclair do a great job at keeping the stories simple, yet profound, and the characters relatable. Sinclair also stars as The Guy, and does so very well, coming across as an entrepreneurial version of The Dude in The Big Lebowski.

My favourite episode: S1 E3, where the dog falls in love with his walker. You actually feel you are seeing the world from the dog's eyes, and it's a wonderful experience. (Incidentally, the walker is played by Yael Stone, of Orange Is The New Black fame).

Unfortunately, the writing quality started to diminish after Season 2. Season 3 wasn't bad, it just wasn't as engaging as Seasons 1 and 2. In Season 4 it just got dull. The spark is no longer there. Or maybe the novelty has just worn off for me.

Season 1: 9/10. Season 2: 9/10. Season 3: 7/10. Season 4: 5/10.

Utopian Brooklyn

[elliott-43 · 9/10 · 3 October 2018]

It is so misleading to say this show is about a pot dealer. As if Thornton Wilders' "Our Town" is about a janitor. Yeah, there's plenty of smoke and some exposition about the nuances of sativa and indica blends, but rather the Guy is the perfect, contemporary observer who weaves together wonderful, sweet stories of people coping in the big city, but with such a buoyant spirit I just want to drop what I'm doing and move to Brooklyn, which is more of a magical state of mind than a brick, asphalt and concrete borough of NYC.

I've read some disappointments with the highly produced HBO continuation of the original web series. Well yeah, the original first season was delightful, brilliant with the atmosphere that was accomplished with no budget and compressed into 8 minute episodes. I would have been happy if it stayed in that space. But kudos to HBO for recognizing the talent here, investing in it, and allowing this team to see where it can go with all the tools they could use. They took it to an excellent place and I can't wait until season 3.

Amazing TV Show

[goodfellamilos · 9/10 · 29 March 2019]

Great vibe, funny, honest, laid back, chill, positive. One of the best series that shows the vibe and atmsophere of New York. It reminds me of Master of None sometimes. And like someone already said in comments, it gives you the feeling of high without being high. And of course, especially good if you are high. Absolute recommendation!

boom!

[konichiwagaz · 10/10 · 22 February 2018]

This tv show is so good. I love the laid back and random way each episode evolves. you can't predict anything it is totally fresh and refreshing to watch. well written and acted. and just re upped for a 3rd season boom!

Emotional Gymnasium

[bmcraec · 10/10 · 24 January 2021]

A bittersweet, keenly observant view of a community that doesn't know its a community, tied together by the guy who helps them reduce their stresses & avoid their pain. Cold water flats and candles instead of lights. Everyone is all alone, but only in their own minds. Some of them might even die alone, heart attack in the bath. The concept and the realized stories are like an emotional gymnasium. All of the feelings, with all of the possibilities. A world seen with both confidence and acceptance.

just freaking watch it, dude!

[methmaga · 10/10 · 28 January 2018]

Just so spot on. i love the love that this series spreads, love for everyone, no matter how strange a person you are. if you like movie like linklaters slacker and dazed and confused and the social comments of series like the wire,you willlove this.please give it a shot, and tell a friend. this show deserves a broad audience.

Fascinating Depictions of Unique People and Situations

[gmaland-64672 · 10/10 · 17 April 2018]

I find this show to have some of the most unique and interesting writing I've seen anywhere. I don't know how the scripts were developed, but my sense is that the actors were improvising and the scripts evolved out of that. It's hard to believe that all this could have come from the minds of one or two people, unless they are geniuses. I can't think of anything else I've seen that is so effective at giving the viewer a sense of truly being a "fly on the wall", getting actual glimpses of the lives real people live. Often, the scenes are utterly unpredictable, and the situations are hilarious, in a fresh, unforced way that doesn't feel "written" at all. It's really something special. A very intelligent show.

A smart, funny, heartfelt story about people .. who smoke weed.

[smatthew24 · 9/10 · 13 April 2017]

This show far exceeded my expectations. I came into it, not knowing about the web series. As an avid smoker, the premise was enough for me to give it a shot. By the end of the first episode I was hooked. The way they go episode to episode with new characters, and the depth of each story is just perfect.

It's amazing, in a way. Each episode is different. Different characters, different background, colors, life choices .. yet .. I find myself connecting to each of them, and with this connection not only do I see them, but I also begin to see myself.

A great dramady

[mozart-47843 · 9/10 · 16 February 2020]

Through the lens of a weed dealer , we see all walks of life in New York City , it's a show truly show the people as they are ,not some writer's character, yet very entertaining, some funny ,some sad ,some ordinary.The writing is so strong in this show , You can just tell ,Ben is have a blast making it !

Funny if not consistent

[swilliky · 7/10 · 25 October 2016]

The new HBO comedic drama focuses on different characters throughout each episode connected by a character known only as the guy who bikes around New York City and sells pot to various people. Each character has their own issues and reasons for encountering the guy played by Ben Sinclair. The show started out as a web series and has graduated to thirty-minute episodes that can encapsulate up to two different story lines that interweave in strange connections not always noticed in everyday life. Stories range from a young Muslim student to couples hosting an orgy to an entire episode from the point of view of a dog. The shows use the slice of life to explore issues of the human condition that are both humorous and emotional. The writers don't hold back on the awkwardness of being a weed dealer that interacts with all sorts of strange individuals that are either shut-in and antisocial or a bit too comfortable and overly social. The guy takes all this in stride with a relentlessly positive attitude.

Puff Puff *Pass*

[Akash_Menon · 9/10 · 26 April 2020]

Rating: 9

I love this show. It is so beautifully written :) The premise is about 'The Guy' who slings dope. We are shown his customers and their daily lives. Every episode is set up with a new customer involving new storylines. Sometimes the lives of these people seems interconnected too. I love the soundtrack, the visuals and the refreshing storylines involved. The show gives different feels you know, you laugh your ass off, shed a minor tear, empathize with the characters and the most important you crave a J haha!

I like how clumsy the character of Sinclair is. In times where Coronavirus has a majority sharehold and everyone is in a lockdown, this show is the perfect escape. The TV series gives you hope and shows you how beautiful the world, the people are and sometimes to escape the lows, you need to be *high* :)

Often funny, always warm and humane, but somewhat uneven.

[allenmullen · 7/10 · 16 November 2019]

7.5. This show lets it all hang out, literally and figuratively. If you've ever wondered what kind of characters live in Brooklyn, or at least gentrified Brooklyn, this is the show to watch. It captures this in an amiable mumblecore manner that is often entertaining. The first season was really solid, but 2 and 3 somewhat less so.

Didn't do it for me, I guess you have to be a New Yorker or at least American to get it.

[ever-939-289798 · 5/10 · 11 May 2020]

I didn't get most of the people and their problems, they are mostly just annoying and narcissistic. Probably it's all relatable if you live in New York, but this European was just bewildered.

Excellent choice in music

[miikkamv · 8/10 · 20 July 2020]

Has excellent soundtrack while depicting entertaining urban stories

I miss this show

[cuaronsandyy · 8/10 · 15 January 2019]

The characters are really annoying but I found it pretty hilarious and spot on. You either get it or you don't, it's definitely not going to be a show for everyone. Looking forward to more episodes

good show for young adults

[dasoccerbeast9 · 10/10 · 25 January 2018]

Cool story, great show, the people are great and the cast is amazing. 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

Guy yes, but NYC is also the star

[exttraspecial · 10/10 · 13 November 2018]

This is a great show about some quirky fictional but real-to-life New York characters. The short web series episodes were fantastic and left me wanting more. The one about Passover is hilarious! I died. On conversion to HBO the episodes became a half hour which was nice. At some point the husband/wife creators of the show, one who plays Guy the weed dealer and Katya who also played occasional characters - they split up and at that point I think there was a marked difference in the show's sensibility, I think for the better.

What is interesting to me is how some people got turned off by the "dog" episode. The first time I saw it I thought WTF. Totally out of left field. But after a while it occurred to me that this was some of the most creative moments I've ever seen on TV. I won't reveal what happens, but the shows context is that New Yorkers are by and large weird. You have to be to live there. NYC is weird. Brooklyn is really weird. Let's keep it that way.

The episode about the Indian girl was also very different. Like WTF. But when you try to understand what it's like to grow up in the rough & tumble city in a family of first generation immigrants, the episode makes perfect sense in context of the overall gist of the series.

Other comments that the characters constantly change are true, but several of them do make recurring appearances. Beth from the dog episode surprisingly shows up with a dog in a later episode. And my favorite - Homeless Heidi makes several appearances. She is an abhorrent mooch, she gets under my skin, but hers is a necessary id in a world of insecure self-aggrandizing hipsters. I see some of myself in these characters and they make me LMAO.

Was a fan when it was on Vimeo, bigger fan on HBO

[cozpon · 10/10 · 7 November 2018]

I watch and re-watch this show. Each episode follows a different story (with some reoccurring characters) providing you with a short glimpse into a new, mostly odd, person's life all connected by The Guy.

The music is incredible too. I have the Spotify playlist on repeat. If you're a fan of story tellers, and explorations of different world views and people's lives, this is the show for you.

This is genius!

[ricky-moralez · 10/10 · 23 April 2020]

A show of a lifetime! Deep, introspective, funny, sarcastic. Shoulder to shoulder with The Office. Masterpiece!

Here's to Brooklyn

[allenmullen · 7/10 · 16 October 2019]

A warm, insightful and compassionate slice of Brooklyn life. Well done in every way.

Pure Love for this... Rated 8 but its is in 10 in my heart

[mh-226-493536 · 8/10 · 15 May 2020]

I really love this heartfelt show. Its a show about nothing. Absolutely nothing.

But every second of it touches and moves you with kindness and love. It just stand alone and has something really unique.

Expected more

[JayPatton88 · 6/10 · 28 July 2020]

Watched the first few episodes had some laughs, seemed like the show got stagnant and went nowhere. Gues the amotivation syndrome? Haha

Meh. Becomes repetitious after a few episodes

[akiva-69248 · 4/10 · 29 May 2018]

I watched the first 5 episodes of season 2. The first one was pretty funny, but the episodes after that just got increasingly tedious IMHO. I finally just gave up on it. Too many other options out there.

What a treasure

[qzmmhhrvn · 10/10 · 11 May 2023]

Just found this show in May of 2023. It does a great job of showing what a wonderful microcosm NYC is. It's really inclusive without feeling cliche. Each episode is (mostly) a completely new story. It effortlessly shows the interconnectedness of New Yorkers, touches on current events, cultures, religions, sexualities, anything you can think of. I love how the stories of the characters are presented as they are, with no judgement, no subtext. The acting!!!! Wow, lots of recognizable faces, some new ones, but all superb. This really is a special series. It is one I'll come back to watch again and again. Highest praise to the writers, producers, creators, actors, and anyone involved. Thank you for this gem!

Beyond Perfection

[coles_notes · 10/10 · 7 June 2022]

Slice of life in New York, following a weed dealer as he bikes throughout the boroughs and meets some of the most surreal, yet down to earth people. I loved it, as comedy, as drama, and as art.