The Franchise Review: HBO’s Superhero Satire Is So Good It Will Genuinely Make You Laugh Out Loud

Superhero fatigue, as one of the characters in The Franchise says, is not a real illness. And yet, we’ve all felt the effects of it for a long while now. HBO’s new series capitalizes on that fatigue, but it isn’t to present us with a hollow storyline — fueled by the constant output of content — and underwhelming special effects, it’s to satirize it. Created by Jon Brown, the series is also a love letter to the crew who works on these films. They’re overworked, overstressed, and underappreciated, and The Franchise gives them their time to shine.

It’s hard to come by a TV comedy that is actually funny these days, but The Franchise nails the humor at every turn. It’s sharp and quick and biting. I was, unexpectedly, laughing out loud a lot throughout. Its commentary and satire are on point, and the laughs are genuine and consistent. The HBO series will be especially humorous to those who’ve kept up with the issues the series references — assault allegations of one of its stars, overworked VFX teams, and constant script changes, just to name a few.

The Franchise namely follows Daniel (Himesh Patel), the first AD to Eric (Daniel Brühl), an award-winning director who was convinced he should direct a superhero franchise film called Tecto, which stars insecure actor Adam (Billy Magnussen), who’s convinced the film is his shot at fame, and pompous, inappropriate stage actor Peter (Richard E. Grant). With the help of his 2nd AD Dag (Lolly Adefope), Daniel already has his hands full trying to simultaneously aid Eric’s vision for the film while wrestling with the studio’s ideas for it — which keep changing depending on the day.

The Franchise Is Laugh-Out-Loud Funny

Each Episode Features Something Memorable

Anita (Aya Cash), the film’s producer, is constantly thrown under the bus as she acts as a shield between Tecto’s crew and her boss Pat (Darren Goldstein), who’s at the whim of Shane, the elusive and god-like head of the studio who hilariously never appears onscreen. Each episode of The Franchise brings a new challenge the characters must face. Whether it’s Tecto having to “solve sexism” on behalf of the studio or dealing with a last-minute cameo change, The Franchise weighs in with clarity of sight and a good amount of dry humor.

The series understands the world it’s critiquing. Every comedic incident is situational and often work-related, but the series doesn’t forget to infuse a bit of heart in there as well. Daniel is the core of The Franchise and, when Dag asks him why he stays, he’s quick to respond with an anecdote; he’d rather work in show business than live outside of it. It’s a sentiment that’s shared throughout season 1, though the series doesn’t make excuses for the poor treatment of the film crew, who put their heart and soul into things and are rarely thanked.

The Franchise thrives in the chaos of making a superhero film, and there’s plenty of humor to be mined from that. The series makes us feel like we’re a part of the set as it pulls back the curtain on the daily shenanigans. The cast moves from one part of the studio lot to another as the camera follows them with anticipation for what comes next. It may be focused on a lot of the behind-the-scenes problems, but The Franchise takes the time to live in the details of what it takes to make a multi-million dollar franchise film.

The Franchise is nothing if not a bit anxiety-inducing. I was worried about the characters getting fired every episode, heightened by the whims of Pat, Shane, and Shane’s shadow Bryson (Isaac Cole Powell). It’s full of frenetic energy and thrives on it to keep its momentum. Whenever one issue gets resolved, yet another one crops up, building suspense and anticipation for what comes next. This is especially true as Eric becomes unhinged.

The Franchise Is A Ball Of Frenetic Energy

The Cast Is Exemplary At Creating That Atmosphere

The series is magic, a harmonious duet between writing and execution that takes The Franchise to great heights. The cast is a big part of that harmony as well. They embrace the frantic spirit of the series, creating a magnetism that’s hard to look away from. Their onscreen chemistry is great and they truly feel like they’re in the trenches with each other as one fiasco emerges after another, strengthening their bonds.

Daniel’s 2nd AD storyline is strong and filled with tension. Patel delivers a nuanced performance as he balances the struggles of forging a path for Tecto to continue existing and a bigger future for himself. Cash is level-headed as Anita, a producer trying to make a name for herself on a big film so she can produce whatever she wants later. The actress tries to have Anita resist the chaos before leaning into it; when she does, Cash is game for anything and her expressions and sighs underscore the mess that is Tecto.

Brühl — who himself starred in multiple Marvel films, making his turn here even more funny — is never better than when his character is unraveling because the studio is ruining his vision for Tecto. The actor is at his comedic peak when Eric has to, at one point, make amends following a rage-filled incident. Adefope’s Dag is thrown into a wild situation and, while she’s initially cool as a cucumber and content to watch things unfold, starts to lose it like everyone else the longer filming goes on. Adefope plays that transition brilliantly.

I could go on and on about the cast and their fantastic comedic timing, but, in short, the cast of a comedy series hasn’t been this good in a while. The Franchise is so good and fun precisely because it has excellent, quippy writing, cast chemistry, and a steady stream of comedic situations. The series allows us to digest what we’re seeing and, sometimes, things can get quite sad because it’s hard to stomach people being treated so poorly. At the same time, The Franchise is so ridiculous that it makes the satire even better. It’s a wonderfully crafted show.

The Franchise premieres on HBO and Max on October 6 at 10pm ET. Season 1 consists of eight episodes that will air weekly each Sunday. The series is rated TV-MA.