Laid: Season 1 Episode 1 “Pilot” – Recap and Review

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Category	Details
Originally Aired	December 19, 2024
Network	Peacock
Director(s)	Nahnatchka Khan
Writer(s)	Nahnatchka Khan, Sally Bradford McKenna
Character	ACTOR’S NAME
Ruby	Stephanie Hsu
AJ	Zosia Mamet
Isaac	Tommy Martinez
Brandon	To Be Determined
Jeffrey	Josh Segarra
Jason	Finneas O’Connell
Danielle	Melanie Chan
Zackary	Andre Hyland

Quick Recap

Ruby is a party planner who wants to be with the one already. But after sleeping with a guy, after their third date, and having terrible sex, she is right back where she started. Luckily, her best friend since at least college, AJ, is there to mourn another waste of time. Granted, what Ruby finds sadder is AJ being with a man like Zackary, but that’s another subject.

What matters is that the following day, Ruby meets Isaac, who seems perfect! He isn’t married, he is tall, his parents have been together for 40 years, and he is cute. However, when AJ reveals that Ruby’s ex, Brandon, died, this sends her to a dark place. What doesn’t help is that at the funeral, it seems Brandon never got over her and even dated another Asian woman, Danielle, who had similar features to Ruby.

To make things worse, Brandon’s best friend, Jeffrey, went to the funeral and we learn after Brandon and Ruby broke up, she hooked up with Jeffrey. Brandon and Jeffrey’s relationship was never the same after that, and that makes it so, while cordial at the wake and funeral, Jeffrey isn’t necessarily trying to revisit what they did. In fact, when Ruby comes onto him, he rejects Ruby and gets upset with her.  

This leads to a shouting match, with Jeffrey leaving the car and getting hit by one moments later. Ruby is shaken, AJ pours wine, and since the nostalgia gets amplified, Ruby calls the landline of the first guy she was with, David. Learning he is dead, the third ex she knows died within a few days, makes her see a pattern that is shocking and scary.

New Character Descriptions

Ruby

Ruby is a party planner who longs for love, but it seems bad sex keeps getting in the way.

AJ

AJ is Ruby’s best friend who has seemingly settled when it comes to the topic of love, but rather than dwell on that, she does on other people’s business, which makes her being a bartender a good way to keep distracted.

Isaac

Isaac is one of Ruby’s clients planning a 40^th anniversary party for his parents.

Brandon

Brandon is Ruby’s college boyfriend, who she broke up with partly because he would fart a little bit during sex.

Jeffrey

Jeffrey was Brandon’s best friend, but their relationship was never the same after Jeffrey and Ruby hooked up not too long after she broke up with Brandon.

Jason

Jason is the last guy Ruby broke up with. While their dates were good, their first time together was bad, and it seems Ruby didn’t want to see if, after an honest conversation, he could get better.

Danielle

Danielle, Brandon’s last girlfriend, shares some physical qualities similar to Ruby, which freaks her out a bit. The two don’t get along, mainly because Danielle hates Ruby’s guts since Brandon was obsessed with Ruby – seemingly due to her taking his virginity.

Zackary

Zackary is AJ’s significant other, but he isn’t kind to Ruby and holds her more accountable for her life than AJ. In turn, Ruby questions if him live streaming playing video games is a real job.

Other Noteworthy Information

• Developed by Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna
• Based on “Laid” by Marieke Hardy and Kirsty Fisher
• Ruby is 33 and has been dating since she was 13
• The show begins around April

Review

Trajectory (77/100)

The first episode of “Laid” feels slightly like your usual sex comedy. The lead is charming and comical but self-sabotages a lot; their best friend is an enabler who is in a relationship with someone who doesn’t seem like the best partner for them, and the setup we’re given is the type that could either be stretched out or tell an entire story in one season.

In some ways, “Laid” feels like it exists within a tried and true formula, but with this only being the first episode, there is hope that the familiarity is to get you comfortable before it takes you to unexpected places.

Highlights

• You Want To Go On The Journey To Learn More About Ruby’s Exes And Why She Dumped Them

On The Fence

• Aj Seems Like The Same Character We Often See Zosia Mamet Play
• The Comedy Relies Heavily On Hsu’s Charm To Be At Least Likable

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