Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes star in FX’s latest drama, Fleishman Is in Trouble, alongside Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody. The series is based on a novel of the same name by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, the series creator. The series—which premiered on November 17 on Hulu—has already been racking up views, inspiring memes, and generating fan theories. Here’s everything you need to know about how the new series differs from Brodesser-Akner's original book.
What is Fleishman Is in Trouble About?
The Fleishman in question, or rather the Fleishmans in trouble, are Toby (Eisenberg) and his estranged ex-wife Rachel (Danes). Still reeling from his divorce, Toby dives head first into the world of online dating, trying his best to embrace single-dom, until his world turns upside down. After leaving the city for a weekend yoga retreat, Rachel fails to return, leaving her children in Toby’s drab single dad apartment and going certifiably AWOL. Toby calls her and calls her to no avail. Between his work, his love life, his new status as a single dad, and his search for his missing ex-wife, Fleishman is indeed in trouble.
Random House 'Fleishman Is in Trouble: A Novel'
Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody play Toby’s best friends who, for the record, never liked Rachel. Toby is a simple Jewish guy who followed his heart into a medical career, uninterested in and utterly disgusted by the social norms of his Upper East Side life. Rachel is a hugely successful theater agent, all too consumed with the who’s who of Manhattan, the square footage of their apartment, and the prestige of the private school her children attend. Toby and Rachel seem altogether mismatched, but of course it wasn’t always this way. Fleishman Is in Trouble takes us through the disintegration of the Fleishmans’ marriage, all while following Toby’s search for his missing wife who, to be clear, seems to be the “running away from my life” type of missing rather than the “kidnapped and tied up” type of missing.
So How Is FX’s Fleishman Is in Trouble Different Than the Book?
Fleishman Is in Trouble is a rare case: a screen adaptation that comes directly from the author of the original novel, and given that, the series is extremely faithful to the source material. Even Lizzy Caplan’s continuous, omniscient narration feels like it came directly from the page. In some instances, the show’s dialogue is word-for-word identical to the book, entire paragraphs being lifted directly from page to screen. While the the series does deviate on rare occasions—the 2016 presidential campaign and Toby's daughter's speech both come to mind—overall, the adaptation is a loyal depiction. On top of that, author and series creator Taffy Brodesser-Akner is the only writer credited on the scripts of 7 of the series 8 episodes. The novel and the series are ultimately companion projects; different mediums, same message.
If you just can’t get enough of the Fleishmans’ drama, then give the book a try, but if your end-of-the-year reading list is piling up, the series is basically an audiobook on screen. No “the book is better” debate necessary!
Stream Fleishman Is in Trouble on Hulu now.
