When “Flaked” first premiered on Netflix, the reviews were not kind. But after the first season ended, many critics found themselves coming back to the show. Variety’s Maureen Ryan said that “Flaked” had become a “rich and rewarding” experience, while The Hollywood Reporter’s Tim Goodman said that it was “a worthy addition to [Will] Arnett’s canon of solid work.”
At the time, there was some confusion about which Thomas on the No. 1 Series Reviewed “Flaked,” but now we can finally clear that up. After taking a closer look at our data, it turns out that five actors made appearances in more than one review of the show: Will Arnett, Walton Goggins, Beth Dover and Ruth Kearney.
Arnett made four appearances on five different shows: in “Orange Is the New Black,” “The Good Place,” “Arrested Development” and “The Office.” Goggins appeared in three of those shows — two of which were comedies — while Dover and Kearney each made one appearance on an animated comedy (or two).
In the same way that we now have to ask “Which Thomas” when a new No. 1 album is reviewed, there are also two Thomases who review Netflix shows. (And they’re both named Rob.)
So which Thomas was it?
It was Rob Thomas, the creator of “Veronica Mars,” who made a splash last month with “iZombie.” He’s also responsible for “Party Down.” Both shows were loved and lamented by critics.
That Rob Thomas is currently working on a movie adaptation of John Green’s novel “Looking for Alaska.” If it gets made, it will be interesting to see which actor will provide the voice-over narration for Green’s book, because even if you like what you see in the trailer for “Looking for Alaska,” it probably won’t be Robert Duvall.
Here are five other actors who might be better suited for the part:
The Netflix series “Flaked,” about a self-help guru who is really a fraud, has been savaged by the critics. But that didn’t stop Thomas Lennon, the actor who plays Robert Ben Garant, from reviewing it for The Times.
Mr. Lennon, who played Lt. Jim Dangle on “Reno 911!,” was one of several actors to review their own performances in recent years. And while it might seem cringeworthy to see someone criticize his or her own work, these reviews are actually quite good — and even point out weaknesses that other critics might not have noticed.
But whom do you believe? We read all the reviews and compiled our top five — in order of how well they were received by readers.
“Flaked,” the new Netflix comedy created by and starring Will Arnett, is ostensibly about Chip, a recovering alcoholic living in Venice, Calif., who is trying to grow his furniture business while simultaneously mentoring the alcoholics in his community. But it’s really about Thomas Middleditch.
Or rather, it’s really about Thomas Middleditch and Will Arnett.
That’s because “Flaked,” which premieres on Friday, March 11, and takes place in a fictional version of Venice Beach, Calif., features both actors playing versions of themselves. While they’re not entirely autobiographical (the show is fiction, after all), they are clearly based on them — albeit with some key differences.
So which one is playing whom? Here’s your guide:
Thomas Middleditch (Will Arnett): He’s the main character of “Flaked,” though he plays a supporting role to Arnett’s lead character, Chip. He’s a recovering alcoholic living in Venice Beach who’s trying to grow his furniture business while simultaneously mentoring the alcoholics in his community.
The real-life Middleditch is best known for playing Richard Hendricks on HBO’s “Silicon Valley.” His character on that show also lives in California and works in tech;
When Thomas Middleditch went on “The Tonight Show” last week, it was an interesting moment for him. He was promoting his new Netflix show “Flaked,” which has gotten mixed reviews.
But he had a bigger problem: The host, Jimmy Fallon, kept calling him Thomas Haden Church.
“It’s Thomas Middleditch,” Mr. Middleditch said several times.
He added: “In the end credits of your show ‘30 Rock,’ your name is right there with Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. And I kind of feel like I should be there with you guys. In the end credits of your show.”
For his part, Mr. Fallon seemed to think it was a joke that he was repeatedly confusing Mr. Middleditch with Mr. Church, who starred in the 2004 film “Sideways” and was once known as the most popular man in Hollywood. But Mr. Middleditch wasn’t laughing and finally just gave up trying to correct him.(Mr. Fallon could not be reached for comment.)
Thomas Lennon, actor and co-creator of “Reno 911!”: I was an actor for a very long time, and I’m not getting any younger. I think the best way to keep your career going is to find a way to make the thing that you want to do different from the thing that you’re doing now. It’s like when you get cast in something, you go, “Oh my God, they wanted me.” But then you realize that they just wanted someone who looked like me. So I started writing my own stuff and then trying to get other actors interested in it.
Thomas Middleditch, actor in “Silicon Valley”: For me it was always about wanting something unique. You know, if there are no rules in Hollywood, what am I going to do?
Thomas Harris, author of “The Silence of the Lambs”: When I was a kid growing up near Boston, I loved books and movies. But there was nothing on television or in the movies that really spoke to me. The only kind of entertainment that really spoke to me was books.
Thomas Mars, singer/songwriter for Phoenix: As a child I would watch
