Tim Robinson's The Chair Company is keeping fans "constantly surprised" with the show's chaotic buildup 

Tim Robinson in a scene from The Chair Company series (Image via HBO Max)
Tim Robinson in a scene from The Chair Company series (Image via HBO Max)

There’s a line between genius and madness, and Tim Robinson’s The Chair Company is pogo-sticking on it! The HBO show started as a workplace mishap and is now a fever dream. As a Redditor put it in r/thechaircompany,

"I’m constantly surprised at this show each week. One of the best shows I’ve seen as of late."

And they’re not wrong!

With each episode, Robinson seems to portray humanity absurdly. What began with Ron (Robinson) making a mistake at work has now exploded into a surreal exploration of guilt and ego, like The Office, but make it David Lynch. The upcoming episode (titled "I won. Zoom in") sparked wild speculation.

One fan wrote,

"Started the show expecting another lighthearted Tim Robinson comedy. (...) now I’m (...) digging for theories to help explain the plot like an actual crackhead."

That might sound dramatic, but The Chair Company invites obsession.


Reddit theories on The Chair Company

If you ever doubted that Tim Robinson could inspire the same energy as a prestige thriller, just go through the Chair Company subreddit. It has evolved into a labyrinth of theories and unhinged fan poetry.

RELATED: Tim Robinson TV shows and movies should be on your watchlist

A user insists, "I feel like the 5 Rons are going to band together," while others are fixated on "the literal bug crawling into his phone." One theorized, "He gets confronted by family for going crazy again, he agrees to therapy, and the therapist believes him." Fans are thus piecing together Robinson’s puzzle.

The show’s world is littered with callbacks, and each breadcrumb has Redditors squinting at screenshots. The Chair Company discussions also devolve into nonsense ("They haven’t gotten Tucker, they just got a TECCA [expletive]"), which somehow makes sense in Robinson’s universe.

ALSO READ: Tecca strikes back as Ron reaches a shocking conclusion with his conspiracy theory

The subreddit has ballooned past 15,000 members, and one of its posters proudly declared it "the best week-to-week watch of the year."


Tim Robinson’s comic universe

The Hollywood Reporter called The Chair Company a "purposely uncomfortable experience, as likely to make you squirm as laugh,” which is like the mission statement for Robinson’s career at this point.

The series was co-created with I Think You Should Leave’s Zach Kanin and directed by Andrew DeYoung. Robinson’s Ron Trosper refuses to let go of embarrassment, until he’s in a conspiracy he might be right about!

RELATED: Revisiting Ron's embarrassing workplace incident that fueled his inner chaos

Lake Bell plays Barb, Ron’s obviously exasperated wife, while Will Price and Sophia Lillis round out his family. Lou Diamond Phillips plays the CEO, Jeff. Then there's Joseph Tudisco’s Mike, whose hobbies include "listening to two men scream X-rated obscenities at each other on the radio."

Each episode makes you wonder if you should be laughing at all.

ALSO READ: Why those Ron and Barb flashbacks are really important in the present timeline

As one Redditor summarized:

"This show is equal parts The Office and Twin Peaks, and I’m all in on it."

And really, that’s the beauty of The Chair Company. It’s the internet-age embodiment of how we turn our insecurities into conspiracies.


The Chair Company airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO and streams on Max.

Edited by Sohini Sengupta