The League – “Sitting Shiva”, Season 6 Premiere – Review

After a strong fifth season (perhaps the series’ best, and its first on the new, younger-skewing FXX) the sixth season premiere reintroduces us to The League in all of its bromantic glory. The boys - and Jenny! - are in fine form as the year kicks off, and being the first returning show I've watched this September I had high hopes for the episode. Of course we have to get straight to the heart of the series: fantasy football. While we’ve witnessed the draft take place everywhere from Las Vegas to L.A in previous seasons, this year the gang picks players while sipping beers and smoking weed in a funeral home. It’s not your average draft day, sure. But come on – you’re not really surprised, are you?

This is, after all, The League – a series that premiered on FX in 2009 with an unapologetically bawdy sense of humor and an equally imaginative cast of lunatics. At one point early in the shows run I liked to refer to it as ‘Always Sunny with football’, but that comparison is unfair to both shows. While It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been running much longer and (perhaps because of that) ranks a bit higher on my personal list of favorite comedies, The League has been able to find a place among a rare group of TV series’ that get better with age. To that end, “Sitting Shiva” won't disappoint. Tonight’s season premiere doesn’t focus on any single member of the crew more than the others, instead giving Pete, Kevin, Ruxin, Andre, Taco, Jenny and Rafi equal opportunity to coin terms bound to live on in Twitter hashtag infamy (see you tonight #SacksualAbuse and #Teflondre).

There are more than enough laugh-out-loud moments in the episode to make me wish that this was a Netflix original – I could easily barrel through an entire season in one sitting. But with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia being held off until January (for shame, FXX) we should all be glad to have a weekly visit with Chalupa Batman’s dad and the crew.

If you’re like me and love the binge-watch, Season 5 of The League hit Netflix last night. Those who are caught up: “Sitting Shiva” premieres tonight at 10 EST on FXX. Feel free to follow me on Twitter for updates on The League and all my other SpoierTV work.