Outside of that multi-camera space, Allison is angry in a way sitcom wives aren’t allowed to be — living a life of utter despair, working at the liquor store and pining for an old flame who has just moved back to town.
Murphy is extremely good navigating between the two worlds, taking delight in minor acts of defiance, while the conceit dreamed up by series creator Valerie Armstrong represents a playful commentary about not only gender dynamics but television in general.
Those quibbles aside, “Kevin” brings a sharp eye to the image of sitcom wives through the years, set up as straight women for men who behave like little boys.
Rose Byrne stars as Sheila, dealing with a frequently tone-deaf husband, Danny , who works as a professor in San Diego but has chosen to mount a bid for political office.
Sheila almost literally stumbles into an exercise class run by Bunny produces videos on the side that run toward the exotic.
With its look back at California politics during the Reagan years, “Physical” has a lot to say about the times, then and now.