Loosely based on Adlon’s own experience, the series follows the former child star and runt-of-the-litter actress Sam as she overcomes the struggles of working in Hollywood while raising three uniquely individual and thoroughly outspoken daughters: the oldest teen and perhaps the brattiest of the three, Max (Mikey Madison), the intelligent and self-aware middle child Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward), the adorably mischievous baby girl. Then there’s Sam’s English mother, Phyllis (Celia Imrie)—aka Phil—who lives across the street and is often a nuisance in her own hilarious way, like when she offers her daughter scathingly honest and timely reminders of why and how Sam ended up marrying her now ex-husband, Xander (Matthew Glave).
Now that her daughters are a bit older and occupied with their own dramas, Sam finds herself in the unusual predicament of having more time for herself, which leads to a mid-life crisis of sorts. She makes the most of it by doing what she does best: throwing herself into work—that is, the little she can get. Although, a new, potentially prosperous opportunity may be on the horizon for the mother-of-three.
Splurging on a new set of wheels is also apparently on the agenda. In the Season 4 trailer, Sam buys herself a shiny new muscle car. Naturally, Max, Frankie and Duke aren’t impressed. “Mom, this car doesn’t fit all of us,” Frankie notes in the clip.
Sam replies smugly: “I know.”
Another area of Sam’s life the trio is bothered by is her non-existent love life. In Season 3, the single mom made a vow to be “voluntarily celibate,” and she appears to be sticking to the declaration in Season 4. Her daughters try to rectify that by introducing Sam to dating in the digital age—basically, Sam’s joining Bumble or Hinge or some equivalent dating app that’s common for women over 40.
Better Things premieres on FX on Thursday at 10 p.m.
Hulu +Live subscribers will be able to live stream the Season 4 premiere in real-time. However, standard subscribers will have to wait until Friday to catch the episode on Hulu On-Demand. The first episode of the new season will also be available to stream on FX’s website on Friday.
