'English Teacher' Reviews: "It’s a winning comedy at the top of its class, and school will hopefully be in session for many seasons to come"

         On September 2, 2024, FX premieres 'English Teacher', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding fresh at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series, "Evan Marquez is an English teacher in Austin, Texas, who often finds himself at the intersection of the personal, professional and political aspects of working at a high school." The ensemble cast includes Enrico Colantoni, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Stephanie Koenig, Jordan Firstman, Sean Patton, Langston Kerman, and Carmen Christopher. Read the full review round-up below.

       Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com writes, "It’s a program with smaller comedy beats that really work ... that often feels like it’s getting dragged back into the topicality that likely got it green lit in the first place." Adding, "English Teacher” was created by its star, Brian Jordan Alvarez, a likable screen presence. He plays Evan Marquez, a high school English teacher in Austin, Texas, a place where, well, education in general has been a bit of a hot button subject. Yes, “English Teacher” is ready to make light of the political pitfalls of being an educator in a state that often seems anti-learning, which sometimes makes it feel like it’s dancing in a comedy minefield. Every time that it feels like “English Teacher” is going to drown in the treacherous waters of mocking a culture that has redefined the word “woke,” Alvarez and his team find a way out of it, whether it’s by upending the expectation or just avoiding the hot button issue altogether. It can sometimes feel like “English Teacher” lacks teeth, but it’s also an impressive balancing act in that it also avoids feeling didactic or condescending as so much expressively left-leaning humor has a habit of doing."

        Chase Hutchinson of Collider says, "There is a risk that English Teacher, the fantastic new FX comedy series from Brian Jordan Alvarez, could be reduced to merely being a show both of and for our present moment. On the one hand, this is a compliment, as the often gleefully withering jokes perfectly tap into and excoriate the absurdity of the modern education landscape in the United States. From the way that technology has fundamentally reshaped the way young people engage with the world to the moral panics the adults then throw into the mix to make everything that much harder, Alvarez has created a playful portrait of American schooling that is plenty silly, often sweet, and refreshingly sharp. However, while the show is pointedly contemporary in its subject matter and premises, it is also timeless in its humor. Alvarez has plenty on his mind that he wants to explore about the lives of teachers and the nightmare of American education where they are constantly doing more with less, but his comedy feels right up there with something like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in how it builds on this series' various scenarios."

Photo by Jagjit Singh on Unsplash

        Nicole Gallucci of Decider notes, "It’s a winning comedy at the top of its class, and school will hopefully be in session for many seasons to come." Continuing, "English Teacher isn’t your typical workplace comedy, and that unpredictability is a large part of its charm. The trajectory of Evan and Harry’s will-they-won’t-they dynamic is one of many surprising swerves the series takes to subvert expectations and keep viewers on their toes. Over the course of its first season English Teacher also explores (and attempts to make progress on) a variety of serious issues, from LGBTQ+ rights to gun control. Based on subject matter alone, it’s sure to attract a fair share of haters, who — much like a group of Morrison-Hensley students — “aren’t into being woke.” But as Alvarez noted at the Television Critics Association’s Summer 2024 press tour, the show “thrives in the gray areas.” Rather than examine hot-button issues through a single lens, it owns the complexities and confusion around them. By striking a brilliant balance between edgy humor and heart, it avoids drifting into the preachy after-school special zone."

       Dave Nemetz of TV Line praises the series, stating, "It’s one of the funniest new shows of the year, and it’s a triumph for star and series creator Brian Jordan Alvarez, who announces himself here as a major talent."