Laid Review: Stephanie Hsu Leads a Darkly Funny Romantic Comedy

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The American education system has a rather regrettable take on sex-ed: “If you have sex you will die.” The trope has been mined for comedy before, but few shows take the premise as seriously asLaid. Theromantic comedyseries starringStephanie Hsulands on Peacock this week with its darkly funny premise. Hsu gets another nuanced and exciting role to continue her ascent. Meanwhile, co-star Zosia Mamet delivers her funniest performance sinceGirls. Together, they lift the comedy series thanks to their chemistry and zany performances.

LAID – Sex Cluster Episode 103 – Pictured: (l-r) Stephanie Hsu as Ruby, Zosia Mamet as AJ – (Photo by: James Dittiger/PEACOCK)

Laid– The Plot

Ruby (Stephanie Hsu) has a healthy dating life and a best friend in AJ (Zosia Mamet). After one of her early college boyfriends dies, Ruby and AJ start finding an unusual trend. Every person, man or woman, that she’s slept with has started to die in the order that she slept with them. As they race to get to the bottom of what is happening, Ruby reconnects with Richie (Michael Angarano) and meets Isaac (Tommy Martinez). While she finds instant chemistry with Isaac, her fears about killing him cause her to move towards Richie with unexpected consequences.

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Laidfeatures joke-a-minute comedy despite the macabre.

Based on an Australian comedy of the same name,Laidtakes a PG-13 and Rated R (language) approach to the material. It’s got the sit-com aesthetic and poppy demeanor. However,Laidneeds this approach to offset people getting hit by cars and lit on fire. On its face, a series likeLaidshould not work. Not only are there dozens of deaths on screen, butLaidpulls in some of Hollywood’s rising stars for very small roles. We won’t spoil any of the cameos, butLaidlands these beats with a surprising level of consistency.

Even if the cameos were not laugh generators of their own, the bitsLaidruns its characters through are amazing. Some gags last an episode, while others call back three episodes later. Given the eight-episode drop, Peacock is hoping you binge the show, and there’s little doubt you’ll power through once you start. Both Hsu and Mamet have incredible comedic timing, and they find fun spins on what could be stereotypical women. There are some tropes – including the true-crime-obsessed pseudo-investigator and the tired “trainwreck.” However, unlike many of its contemporaries,Laidpaints these images in a positive light.

LAID – Sex Cluster Episode 103 – Pictured: (l-r) Zosia Mamet as AJ, Stephanie Hsu as Ruby, Michael Angarano as Richie – (Photo by: James Dittiger/PEACOCK)

Much of the credit needs to go to Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna. The duo have teamed up on a handful of big shows, includingDon’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23together, while also working onFresh Off the Boat,Young Rock,The Goldbergs, andWill & Graceindependently. Reuniting proves fruitful, as they bring considerable experience to freshening up the remake. What could easily become a show that slut-shames its women instead becomes a laugh-a-minute comedy extravaganza. The humor also lands with a mix of contemporary jokes (we’re talking mere months ago), while other humor could play in 1999.

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Laidrealizes its main character is unlikable, and makes no excuses for her.

While Hsu brings incredible charm into the role, Khan and Bradford McKenna know how to make Ruby shockingly despicable. Hsu’s likable persona shines through early on inLaid,making us question if she’s actually the problem, or simply the guys around her are creepy. Khan and Bradford McKenna hint that it’s a little of column A and column B, but they never let Ruby off the hook.

The character is mean and angry when they need her to be. She’s uncaring and selfish, and the show lets us know that everyone is sick of her. Yet it also lands the jokes that cause us to sway to her side. Her charm is a weapon, but it’s not that she’s a sexual gorgon. Instead, she’s simply a bad person. Shockingly this feels refreshing, especially in an era of TV and movies that try to explain away their character’s actions. It remains to be seen if this gets withdrawn in future seasons, butLaidlands this dynamic in season one.

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The performances are the cherry on top.

Laidhas moments of messy storytelling and occasional lulls in-jokes. However, Hsu and Mamet are too funny together forLaidto ever stall out. Instead, the comedy uses this foundation to keep the energy up and the men appealing. That’s not to say Angarano, Martinez, and Andre Hyland are unfunny. However, much of Angarano and Martinez’s roles are centered around romantic chemistry. Hyland gets his moments, but the schtick does get tiresome on occasion.

The charm and chemistry that present themselves over the eight episodes help bring out the Rom-Com vibes. Laid actively acknowledges some of the influence, especially the surprisingly important work of young Billy Crystal. However, there are romantic triangles, overblown relationship-saving gestures, and dumb lies the pairings tell each other only for the truth to be unearthed at the most inopportune time. IfLaidwas not so Rom-Com coded in its DNA, this would feel frustrating. Instead, it’s a choice by the creators to show their knowledge of the genre, and as a result, it feels earned.

LAID – FB to the T Episode 102 – Pictured: Tommy Martinez as Isaac – (Photo by: James Dittiger/PEACOCK)

Should I watchLaid?

Peacock continues to make a strong case as one of the most underrated streaming services around.Laidfinally gives the streamer an obvious reason to hop on board. There’s a ton of very funny gags, a non-stop parade of funny cameos, and two great top-line performances. It’s got a fun cast, a weird and dark premise, and plenty of jokes. In many ways,Laidis the ideal comedy for the streamer, and hopefully, this one draws the audience it deserves.

Laid premieres on Peacock on August 06, 2025. All episodes will be included with the premiere. All eight episodes were provided to FandomWire for the review.