Better Things

Better Things follows Sam Fox, a working actor in Los Angeles who speaks frankly and wears every hat at home. A single mother to Max, Frankie, and Duke, she juggles auditions, bills, and the chaos of daily parenting with unflinching honesty. The show paints a loose, observational portrait of her life, where privacy and personal needs collide with the demands of school runs, errands, and the ever present city vibe. Sam negotiates boundaries and balance with humor that lands as both sharp and affectionate, revealing the small victories and awkward moments that come with loving three daughters while pursuing her own career. It's funny, messy, and quietly triumphant, never pretending parental life is anything but real.

Better Things debuted on FX in 2016. It was created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K., an original semi autobiographical look at motherhood and work, not adapted from another source. The series foregrounds a female led creator voice. The show also features a warm, practical look at parenting and career hurdles.

The show earned Primetime Emmy nominations for Pamela Adlon's lead performance, highlighting its place in contemporary television. Critics praised the writing and direction for balancing sharp humor with intimate drama, and for giving a complex, unapologetic portrait of a mother navigating career and family.

Better Things contributed to a wave of female centered, creator driven comedies that foreground everyday life over big set pieces. Its candid scenes about aging, sexuality, and mother daughter relationships resonated with viewers and inspired conversations about how women shape their own stories on screen.

Critics noted its honest tone, character driven episodes, and balance between humor and vulnerability across seasons. The series treats motherhood as a spectrum of choices and compromises rather than a single script, exploring resilience, friendship, and the messy joy of everyday life in LA.