Suchismita Ghosh
Created by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Mort, Audience Network’s ‘Loudermilk’ is a dark comedy series that follows the life of Sam Loudermilk, a recovering alcoholic and substance abuse counselor residing in Seattle. Since its release in 2017, the show has managed to grow a healthy fanbase and garner rave reviews from the critics thanks to the excellent storytelling, witty and humorous banters between the characters, electrifying performances by the talented cast, especially the lead Ron Livingston, and relatable character arcs, leaving viewers wondering whether it is based on a true story.
Loudermilk is Not Inspired by Real Events
‘Loudermilk’ is not a true story but is driven by an original story conceived by Dave Sheridan, Dave Connaughton, and John Trozakand, and developed for the screen with the assistance of a brilliant team of writers. It is a fictionalized account of a recovering alcoholic named Sam Loudermilk, who is a snarky substance abuse counselor with an uncontrollable tongue and a lackluster take on life. His life is all over the place, and he’s unabashedly uncensored, much to the annoyance of everyone around him. But, he is also uncharacteristically nice to a select few he’s close to, such as his sober sponsor and best friend, Ben Burns (Will Sasso), and his sponsee — the young and charismatic Claire Wilkes.
For Sam, a stranger is just an enemy waiting to get acquainted. His poor attitude towards life is what pushes him into all sorts of dilemmas, even as he finds himself being forced to do some unwanted soul-searching. The only thing he’s able to control is his drinking, or so he believes. After he experiences a relapse, he finds that his life only seems to go one step ahead and several steps at the back, forcing him to sit up and scramble to decide, which part of his life he wishes to take stock of first.
Though the character doesn’t exactly have a real-life counterpart, it is safe to say people like Sam do exist in reality, which means the show does reflect real life in more ways than one. In an interview, Bobby Mort spoke of the titular character as someone well aware of what one needs to get back on track, and while that may seem like a blessing, it is also a curse. To which, Farrelly added, “I wanted to deal with people who had substance abuse issues and show them in their real life and what goes on and how they take one step forward one step back, and so on.”
Barring Sam’s character, all the other characters have also been given very strong arcs, making them likable almost instantly. Ron Livingston, in particular, has been praised for his performance as a recovering alcoholic, with the actor himself admitting that the role has been nothing short of a career milestone for him and that he’d be willing to essay this role for as long as the writers wish to write him. Fans have particularly lauded his comic timing and his impeccable dialogue delivery which has managed to elevate the brilliant writing up a notch.
Over the years, there have been several shows that have dealt with the theme of addiction and recovery, and while some have managed to click with the viewers, such as, ‘Mom,’ ‘Recovery Road,’ and ‘Euphoria’ there are many that haven’t felt as relatable. But ‘Loudermilk’ as a story has managed to strike a chord with its realistic portrayal of a recovering alcoholic through its fictitious depiction of a brutal know-it-all alcoholic who struggles to help himself. It is this raw and unfiltered approach mixed with a tinge of humility that has stayed with the audience and helped make the character, as well as the story, realistic, likable, and relatable.
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