A sitcom episode definitely follows a strict formula. Characters go through a crisis that sometimes is so silly that it goes totally off the rails. There's an A story, B story, and C story, and the A is the most important, gets the most screen time, and focuses on the main character who viewers are the most interested in. After a lesson is learned, characters vow to do better in the next episode and viewers feel that everything will be okay now.
Sure, this is way that sitcoms typically tell stories, but it can definitely get old after a while. Life In Pieces aired for four seasons from 2015 to 2019 and although it was very brief, and fans definitely wish that there were more episodes as they could watch the Short family forever, it's the show's unique format that helps it stand out from its competition.
There are many great Netflix sitcoms and also classics from the '90s that are still a lot of fun to rewatch. But what makes Life In Pieces stand out is its incredibly unique and fresh format. In each episode, four stories about the Short family are told, and each one represents a different character from the Short family. This works well for a few different reasons, but most of all, it helps fans stay interested as they learn more about the characters and see the hilarious antics that they get up to. In a typical sitcom, there is an A story along with a B and C plot, but the A plot is often the only really interesting, juicy one. On Life In Pieces, every story matters and has something smart to say about family, parenthood, love, and life. Like the creative format of TV comedy The Afterparty, Life In Pieces is one of the most interesting TV comedies that has ever been made and fans of the genre should absolutely check it out.
One of the best episodes is season 3's "The Twelve Shorts of Christmas" which features 12 super brief stories. This is a really fun and exciting way to tell a story about a family celebrating the winter holidays. Like the best movies taking place on Christmas, this episode shows how funny and sweet this Christmas can be. Two of the greatest storylines are when Sophia (Giselle Eisenberg) drinks eggnog that was spiked for the family party, and Joan has a robot vacuum cleaner that gets ruined. These feel like things that could really happen and there is just enough time spent on each story to really drive home its impact. It's not every day that a sitcom is this clever.
Lark (Ana Sophia Heger) is a particularly strong character and because she's only in some of the short stories in each episode, she avoids the trap of some sitcom kids. While sometimes a child character will sound way too wise and it's incredibly unrealistic, Lark is given just enough screen time and her quotes are always perfect. One of the best Lark scenes is in the season 3 episode "Settlement Pacifier Attic Unsyncing" when Greg (Colin Hanks) and Jen (Zoe Lister-Jones) try to get Lark to stop using her pacifier and tell her that a paci monster will be in her crib watching. This totally freaks Lark out and she's too scared to go to sleep.
The unique format of Life In Pieces also celebrates each actor. The cast is full of stars: Dianne Weist and James Brolin play the parents Joan and John, and the rest of the cast includes Zoe Lister-Jones, Thomas Sadoski, Besty Brandt, Colin Hanks, and Dan Bakkedahl. Because each episode focuses on smaller stories about the different couples/families/characters, everyone is given a chance to show how talented they are, which is really cool. The traditional sitcom about families can seem boring and like a really old-fashioned idea, and Life In Pieces brings a ton of fresh, new energy to that idea.
Life In Pieces can be compared to Modern Family, another family sitcom with a patriarch (Jay Pritchett, played by Ed O'Neill) and his two children (Claire Dunphy, played by Julie Bowen and Mitch Pritchett, played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and their own partners and kids. But while Modern Family is popular and has funny scenes, there's something special about Life In Pieces that feels more realistic and like it has something cool to say about parenting. In real life, people are busy with school and work and meal planning and socializing, not to mention finding time to read, work out, explore hobbies, or just get enough sleep. The characters on Life In Pieces are going about their business while trying to be good partners, friends, partners, etc. and seeing these snapshots of their lives feels perfect. When people look back on the past, they think of random moments and small scenes, and that's exactly the format of Life In Pieces.