Discover The Best Movies and TV Shows Like Fleishman Is in Trouble

Toby Fleishman, a newly divorced forty-something hepatologist in Manhattan, suddenly finds himself thrust into the chaotic world of modern dating through smartphone apps. After his successful, demanding ex-wife Rachel abruptly drops off their two children—eleven-year-old Hannah and nine-year-old Solly—at his apartment days before she is scheduled to take them on a trip, Toby must balance his frantic hospital career with unexpected single fatherhood. As weeks pass with no word from Rachel, Toby’s resentment festers. He views Rachel through a deeply bitter lens, characterizing her as a ruthless, status-obsessed corporate climber who values her career and wealthy social circle above her own family.The story is narrated by Toby’s college friend, Libby Epstein, a former magazine writer now trapped in a suburban life of domesticity. Libby observes Toby’s re-entry into romance, noting his naive surprise at suddenly being desired by women, while simultaneously projecting her own marital disillusionment onto his situation. As Toby juggles dating younger women and managing his demanding job—while agonizing over his impending promotion—he grows increasingly frantic over Rachel’s unexplained disappearance, eventually fearing she might be dead or in danger.Midway through the series, the narrative perspective dramatically shifts, shattering Toby’s one-sided and unreliable account. Rachel’s sudden reappearance in a disheveled, traumatized state leads to a profound revelation about her motivations and whereabouts. It is revealed she did not abandon her children out of malice, but suffered a severe, debilitating nervous breakdown. Flashbacks expose the harrowing roots of her trauma: years prior, Rachel endured a brutally dehumanizing emergency C-section by a cold medical establishment, leaving her with lasting PTSD. Furthermore, her relentless pursuit of wealth was not born of superficiality, but of a deep-seated terror of poverty stemming from her impoverished childhood.Rachel’s breakdown culminated when she was drugged and assaulted at a high-end corporate retreat, triggering an acute psychological crisis that left her wandering the city in a dissociative daze, unable to face her family. The series culminates in a poignant exploration of empathy, midlife reckoning, and the invisible burdens carried by women. Libby realizes that her idealized projection of Toby blinded her to the complexities of both marriages, leading her to finally confront her own stagnant life. Ultimately, Toby and Rachel achieve a fragile mutual understanding regarding the wreckage of their marriage, while Libby makes a decisive leap to reclaim her own voice and independence.