The Netflix Dark Raunchy Comedy Series With A ’90s Icon

Loudermilk centers on its titular character, Sam Loudermilk. Sam is a former music critic and recovering alcoholic who works as a recovery counselor for other struggling addicts. Despite his noble intentions, Sam never hesitates to give his unfiltered (and unwanted) assessments to whoever he encounters. 

And the insults are what makes Loudermilk work so well. Sam does not mince his words when he encounters a couple of bearded hipster musicians on the street and suggests that they should call their band “The Time-Traveling Lumberjacks of the Confederacy,” but only before making fun of his local barista’s vocal fry while ordering a coffee. 

But as we get to know Sam Loudermilk, it becomes clear that he’s actually a more sympathetic character than he lets on. Living with his (mostly) sober sponsor, Ben (Will Sasso), Sam is quick to extend a helping hand, and takes in a sponsee of his own named Claire. As abrasive as his delivery may be, he’s devoted to helping others while mercilessly making fun of them. 

Sam’s idea of flirting in Loudermilk can also serve as a how-to guide on how not to interact with a romantic interest. When Sam’s new neighbor, Allison, mentions that she wants to learn how to play guitar, he runs to the record store without hesitation and purchases her an LP and turntable as a means to win her affection. But when he’s invited into her place at a later point, he steals her records and abruptly leaves because her taste in music is terrible

Though he’s not wrong, his outspoken criticism to his love interest certainly doesn’t help his cause.

Loudermilk is a hilariously down-to-earth depiction of a troubled protagonist trying to navigate through a life of sobriety. Though Sam is not somebody you’d want to run into by any stretch of the imagination, the series is a perfect portrayal of a man who is kind but not nice. When you become familiar with his defense mechanisms, you quickly learn that his heart’s in the right place even though his mouth gets him into trouble every time he opens it. 

During its run, Loudermilk certainly found its target audience. The series currently has a 92 percent critical score against an 87 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, the series’ home network, Audience, was sunset by its parent company, AT&T, in 2020, leaving us with only three seasons. 

While future seasons have been mapped out by the show’s creators, no new episodes have been produced at the time of its writing. But if you want to elevate your insults and see what Loudermilk is all about, you can stream it on Netflix today.