THE PERFORMER | Tim Robinson
THE SHOW | HBO’s “The Chair Company”
THE EPISODE | “I said to my dog, ‘How do you like my hippie shirt?'” (Nov. 23, 2025)
THE PERFORMANCE | You can only push a man so far before he snaps… and some men, you don’t have to push very far at all. Ron Trosper has been tumbling down a ridiculous rabbit hole of his own making all season long on HBO’s hilariously absurd new comedy, and he finally went off the deep end this week, as Tim Robinson had an epic meltdown for the ages.
Yes, Ron “got a little suspended from work” for shoving his boss, but he tried to put a cheerful spin on it, and Robinson displayed a terrifyingly manic energy as Ron brought home a new dog he named “Baby” to lighten the mood, talking in a silly baby voice and plastering on a sweaty smile. But when his wife Barb started to ask reasonable questions about his suspension, Ron exploded with anger, with Robinson serving up one of his trademark outbursts. Then Ron reunited with his conspiracy pal Mike, and Robinson was genuinely touching as Ron softened his tone in an effort to reconcile with Mike. The conspiracy wasn’t all in Ron’s head, though, and when he learned the twisted details of the actual cover-up, Robinson ably played the part of the thriller hero while also adding in sprinkles of the offbeat comedy we’ve come to expect.
In the end, Ron didn’t want to spoil Barb’s business ambitions by exposing the conspiracy, and when he hugged Barb, we saw Robinson’s goofy grin in the mirror, with Ron smiling through the tears of his failed dreams. We knew we’d laugh a lot watching “The Chair Company”… and we do. But we didn’t expect to be so caught up in the mystery, or so emotionally attached to Ron’s journey. Robinson’s deft work here, though — funny, sad, and moving all at once — has us happily following Ron down the rabbit hole.
Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!
