AMC’s “Kevin Can F**k Himself” is a brilliant commentary on abuse and complex relationships with a profound exploration of personal liberation.

“Kevin Can F**k Himself” premiered on AMC in June 2021 but has recently gained attention this past month after its addition to Netflix.

The show opens like any other sitcom, with upbeat music and a shot of the main house. Viewers are introduced to four characters inside the living room: Kevin, the homeowner and “main character;” Neil, Kevin’s best friend and neighbor; Pete, Kevin’s father; and Patty, Neil’s younger sister and Kevin’s neighbor. They’re playing beer pong together, and Kevin has just won against Neil seven times in a row.

The show has all the comedy sitcom must-haves: a traditional living room setting, witty banter and of course, a laugh track. However, the introduction of Allison, Kevin’s wife, begins to shift the tone.

As Allison enters the living room with a laundry basket, Neil accidentally launches a ping-pong ball at her, sparking a conversation about Kevin and Allison’s anniversary. Kevin wants to host a “rager,” as he does every year, while Allison wants to do something more mature like a private dinner.

Kevin persuades her by telling her he knows how much she loves planning everything. She seems convinced and tells the group they need to clean up for dinner. The group erupts in a crescendo of complaints, and Kevin tosses an empty glass at Allison and asks her to get them fresh beverages. They continue to play as Allison steps out of the living room and into the kitchen.

This is the first time viewers see the show’s dramatic genre shift.

Now that Allison is alone, the lighting has darkened, the laugh track is gone and a high-pitched ringing plays as Allison takes several deep breaths and clutches the laundry basket. The ringing stops when she smashes the glass against the kitchen counter and cuts her hand.

This format is nothing short of artistic genius. Kevin may have initially seemed like the main character, with everyone else following his lead, but it was Allison all along. The rest of the show follows her journey to escape the unhappiness Kevin has trapped her in.

The alternation between a sitcom and drama setting represents Allison’s needs and wants being constantly overshadowed by Kevin’s desires. Throughout the show, viewers see how much of a narcissistic and emotionally abusive partner Kevin is to Allison. The couple’s friends and family don’t see anything wrong with their marriage. They see Kevin as a funny, upbeat and oblivious husband. In particular, “he’s just Kevin” is constantly used to excuse his behavior and overlook the issues he causes for the people around him.

The show serves as a commentary on domestic violence and how the media depicts it. Domestic violence is often falsely viewed as purely visual, easy to spot through bruises or other physical signs of mistreatment, but this show highlights how there are distinct kinds of abuse that could be perpetrated by anybody.

The show not only tackles serious topics such as abuse, but it also has complex characters and dynamics. Allison and Patty grow closer as Allison tries to cook up an act of revenge and escape plot against Kevin. Patty initially went along with anything Kevin wanted to do. She wanted to fit in with the men, but the more time viewers spend with her on the show the more they see her grow to be less dependent on their validation, though this doesn’t go away overnight. Patty even gets called out by her brother for her dependency on Allison, despite him being fully reliant on Kevin.

Neil also undergoes immense changes as the show progresses, primarily between the tail end of season one and the beginning of season two. The moment he goes through a highly traumatic event caused by Patty and Allison, his scenes are solely in the drama genre. He is only ever in sitcom form when he is around Kevin.

Little by little, Kevin starts to lose the people he thought were closest to him, and as everyone else around him changes for better or for worse, he does not, which is his demise.

It taught viewers the meaningful lesson that people are not always what they seem and underestimating them can be dangerous.

Allison’s growth is a representation of resilience and self- empowerment as she learned to detach herself from her husband and fight for her own happy ending.