‘Overcompensating’ Is Funny, Flirty, and Fearlessly Honest
Prime Video's "Overcompensating" offers a keenly perceptive portrayal of campus life for a closeted college freshman.
Let those who have never been guilty of overcompensating for their insecurities to fit in with friends, or frenemies, cast the first stone at Prime Video’s fairly on-the-money, college-set series comedy Overcompensating.
The title of the funny, fast-paced, single-cam series refers most directly to Benny, a bright-eyed freshman at fictional Yates University pretending diligently to be totally straight, though he knows he’s not.
Played by the show’s creator, head writer, and executive producer Benito Skinner, Benny might be the role of a lifetime for the actor, as the character’s on-campus experiences come inspired by Skinner’s own as a closeted kid once upon a time at Georgetown University.
Thirtysomething Skinner is a kid no more, a fact that — no offense whatsoever to the handsome, well-built actor — remains apparent throughout the season’s eight episodes. Although, while casting actual teenage performers to play teen characters often pays dividends, this certainly isn’t the first show or film to cast grown-ass adults as college-age teens.
Some viewers’ suspension of disbelief might be triggered, but, on the other hand, the Peggie Sue Got Married effect of watching a more knowing version of Benny re-live freshman flubs and frustrations adds a wistful poignancy to the proceedings. The sentiment is welcome on a show that spends much of its running time presenting campus life at party-hearty Yates as a virtually nonstop carousel of hookups and youthful debauchery.
Not that all the sex is depicted onscreen, but the show likes to have its cake and eat it, too. Overcompensating dishes sharp commentary on the body image and sex-shaming issues surging among the horny student population, while also putting plenty of athletic male nudity onscreen, including Benny’s blasé jock roomie Trey (Austin Lindsay), who pops up more than once buck naked, and Benny’s class crush, Miles, a handsome Brit portrayed with appropriate ambiguity by Rish Shah.
Though Benny might have a thing for Miles, he pretends otherwise. As Skinner’s performance relates cannily, the former high school valedictorian, homecoming king, and football star feels trapped in his image as his parents’ “perfect boy.” So he avoids any hint of being a homo, to the point of snubbing his out and proud classmate George (Owen Thiele).
Instead, Benny throws himself into a situationship with petite pistol Carmen, a smart but inexperienced fellow frosh rendered with wit and emotional heft by Wally Baram, who proves as much of a delightful discovery as her screen partner Skinner.
The two develop a winning screwball rapport as friends turned something more turned “what are we,” in an excruciating (for them), yet entertaining (for us) dance that might ring more than familiar to many a queer person, or unsuspecting straight person who happened to date a queer person in high school or college.
Carmen is unsuspecting — but does that make Benny deceitful or just confused? The show digs into the moral gray areas of a closeted life while uncovering the myriad ways that Benny isn’t the only one on campus overcompensating.
That might also include his viciously mean (and hilarious) sister Grace (Mary Beth Barone, also a writer on the series) and her wannabe finance bro boyfriend Peter (Adam DiMarco of The White Lotus). They’re a campus power couple coming apart at the seams. And it definitely includes Carmen’s just-wacky-enough roommate Hailee, a fabulous kook played by former Welcome to Flatch star Holmes.
Flighty, flirty Hailee garners several standout scenes, but hits one high point, along with the series, in episode four, “Boom Clap,” featuring some naked secret society hazing and a Charli XCX concert on campus. The pop star makes a winkingly cranky appearance, fully joining in the fun of this college romp that should strike a chord of truth for many — just like those Baja hoodies on stoner DJ Chris (Elias Azimi) and all his buds.
Overcompensating (★★★★☆) season one is available for streaming in its entirety on Prime Video. Visit www.amazon.com.
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