"Better Things", review of season 4: the Perfect FX series by Pamela Adlon

Sam Fox is the ideal television star. Played with a sagacious pinch by Pamela Adlon and inspired by her life, her work and her family, the eccentric track of "Better Things" is curiously difficult to read. Take an early episode of season 4, when Sam discovers an owl nesting under his bedspreads. Will she panic? Will she hunt it? Will she take care of it, like she takes care of so many others? Will she make it a family affair, inviting her three daughters into conversation before naming the owl Edwin and wrapping her in a blanket?

You may think you know what Sam will do next, but these assumptions are rarely rewarded. "Better Things" deliberately chooses its events, eliminating the obvious evolutions to dwell on the definition of moments. Sam's unpredictability is seductive in itself, as are her equally unexpected adventures, but the perpetual ingenuity with which she lives her life, combined with her ability to read quickly about strangers and share her deep empathy with those who pass the test – this is what makes her the kind of writers and viewers dreamed of.

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"Better Things" Season 4 remains a perfect television series. This should come as no surprise to anyone impressed with the breathtaking emotional journey captured in the third season – there was then no indication that Adlon, who presented, produced, directed and starred stars in each episode, runs out of steam. If anything, it was just beginning. Season 4 continues the bold format changes (including a melancholy black and white silent film and a killer "instagran"Segment), maintains its little serialized layout (corresponding to its hypnotizing, scripted aesthetic, true cinema), and tells more unique stories like beautiful vignettes (some that you will want to see again immediately). But season 4 also gives a definitive tone unlike previous seasons, in which Sam is forced to look at a future that she does not want to imagine and yet still finds ways to celebrate the turbulent present one thing at a time.

Los Angeles natives should immediately notice the first thematic line that helps illustrate the inevitable contrasts of life: rain. It rains all the time in season 4; the kind of rain California desperately needs in these drought years. Likewise, Sam has mixed feelings about regular drip, drip, drip. Its ceiling is leaking. Its walls burst. The roads are slippery. This is largely why people don't like rain no matter where they live – it becomes a nuisance – but "Better Things" recognizes the closer ties to downpours. With the rain comes the clouds, with the clouds comes darkness, and darkness creates isolation, sorrow and self-reflection; this is why the symbolic rain has become a cliché – it is sad, and it is obviously sad.

But rain is also necessary. Farmers pray for the rain because the rain is reborn. Being alone is not a bad thing, and Adlon's contemplative camera, wandering through Sam's two-story house, recognizes the potential of changing weather. Sam is not sad in the rain, neither are her daughters. Not always. She and her daughters – Duke (Olivia Edward), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Max (Mikey Madison) – let the showers overwhelm them, whether it's a storm or a drizzle, choosing to appreciate its fleeting nature or to fight with their own needs. Rain doesn't mean one thing in "Better Things", it means everything, and the patience you have shown in capturing these changing emotional tides creates a powerful mood for the first six episodes.

Suzanne Tenner / FX

As Max threatens to leave his mother's house and Frankie begins to see older men, Sam must think about what to do next, and she struggles with her in fits and starts. She is pushed to try a dating app, but will not be looking for any of her suitors. She plays with life in another city at a wedding in New Orleans and dives headlong into local customs with enviable verve. She buys a new car that can only accommodate two people. Each choice, or the exploration of its options, is done slowly, over time, with only a few episodes fully bottling up Sam's internal debates. This is a particularly realistic representation, given that life requires sometimes to act quickly, while other times you can sit on the precipice of a decision for years.

In this relatable presentation, as well as the natural dialogue and anchored performances, "Better Things" creates a powerful personal connection with its audience. Sam may be unpredictable, but she's not obtuse. She is a hard worker, a respectful colleague, a natural leader, a real world empath and a thoughtful mother – when a random "fan" approaches her in a restaurant, bragging drunk that he masturbated with her before, there is no doubt that Sam will push this toxicity as far from her as possible. Like her brunch guest, you want to get up and hit the guy in the face, but as a spectator, you can sit back and watch exactly how Sam is going to roll back this douchebag. In this way and so many others, she is a leader. Adlon's choice to include the aforementioned moment is not a gratuitous scheme out of pity, but an acknowledgment of what it is like to be out in the world and to what it does for so many women.

All of this comes in such a natural way that it's even more amazing to see Adlon putting his artistic stamp on the stages; to draw attention to his camera, use energetic cuts or adapt to scenes that don't match the most observation scenes in his series. New paintings adorn the stairs of the Fox family's house, seen in many early framing but magnified in a striking profile photo of Sam for a contemplative moment. The preceding shot captures Sam's shock, but the discordant interaction of his motionless face looking beyond these colorful portraits is informative for the character and aesthetically stunning. Subsequent episodes feature jovial dance sequences, casually shot web videos, and more of Adlon's fascinating artistic exploration. It’s like she’s looking for a feeling that only she can define, and there are endless ways to explore it.

However, Sam Fox remains the device always reliable. Tracking your trip is more than enough reason to watch, but "Better Things" has become an event in its own right. Many shows hold your attention enough to keep you hooked. The less you let them think of them long after they are finished. Fewer still invite you to feel like you are part of the story, week after week. The Adlon series lets you live indoors during each episode, then invites you to take your lessons, messages and lifestyle to the real world. Watching these episodes is an experience, and while Sam Fox is one of the best characters on TV, Adlon has created a vehicle around his role, unlike anything you'll see.

Grade: A

"Better Things" Season 4 presents its first two episodes on Thursday, March 5 at 10 p.m. on FX. New episodes will be available the next day via FX on Hulu.

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