Personally, I prefer when sitcoms are utterly ridiculous, when conflicts don't cause sensitive drama, when characers move freely without getting bogged down by their own stupidity and overthinking. I enjoy a fast-paced environment with well-defined personalities and plots that would not happen in real life but still manage to be relatable. "Apartment 23" checks all of these boxes while maintaining deeper social commentary. The main character, June, is suddenly thrown out of the social box in which she was raised and is forced to live an alternative lifestyle, which she embraces more and more each episode. June is directly juxtaposed by her roommate Chloe and by James Van der Beek (who plays a selfish version of himself). They both live according to no rules but their own. The plot of each episode centers around the dichotomy between June and Chloe. Chloe teaches June how to break free from social expectations and that making your own path in life is better than becoming exactly what everyone told you is normal. June is constantly reminded that her plans for work, marriage, and kids have been thrown off, but Chloe allows her to see the upsides to making your own path as you go. The lessons that June teaches Chloe are more moral, as Chloe is incredibly selfish.
June is only given the chance to break free from society's box because she was forced to. She lost her job upon arriving in New York City, and her fiance cheated on her, leaving her with no other options. However, she was able to embrace the concept that other lifestyles exist because she personally believed that social constructs were put into place to benefit the people who lived by them. For instance, she seeks out female friendships on multiple occasions in socially acceptable places like pilates and her corporate job, but she is unaware that these women see her as competition rather than a genuine friend. June expects these women to be similar to her and to see friendships as genuine in the same way she does. Chloe shows her the other side of the situation, becoming an example of a genuine female friend and one who does not follow social convention. Through situations like these, June learns that the genuine experiences and relationships she thought existed within the status quo actually exist outside of it, but the only way to reach them is to be unapologetically yourself and a little cutthroat sometimes. She is able to recognize that the simple life she always imagined never existed in the first place. Futhermore, she becomes aware that most people do not get to make this choice and have always been considered outsiders, at least to people who were raised similarly to her. And, while any privileged person can be forced outside of the status quo like June, they have to be open-minded enough to embrace it.
In addition to being hilarious and meaningful, "Apartment 23" is also a time capsule. Everything from the clothing to the jokes screams 2012 in a way that would prevent it from being made today in any similar capacity. On top of this, it is insanely raunchy in the silliest of ways yet refrains from being offensive or gross. Every episode is about sex, but it is never ucomfortable because it is never taken seriously. Characters are allowed to explore sexuality without being shamed or being cast into unnecessary drama. The race jokes don't punch down, yet there are many mentions of race (and many recurring nonwhite characters, although the main three protagonists are white). The identity of the show's creator, Nahnatchka Khan, should not be ignored, and I applaud her for taking comedic leaps that really define this era of society in the most exaggerated ways. I truly cannot think of another show that rivals its distinctive niche, as Khan's other shows are quite different. I recommend it to fans of "New Girl," but only if you want something even more out of the box. If you do decide to watch it, good luck finding all of the episodes without spending money...I am considering purchasing the DVD set because I fear it will eventually disappear from streaming altogether, and finding it on alternative websites has proven difficult as well.
To wrap this up, I want to circle back to James Van der Beek, who I have learned is beloved by everyone who knew him, especially the cast of "Apartment 23," as both Krysten Ritter and Eric Andre posted several loving memories on their social media accounts. I had no idea that the cast of this show was so close, but it makes sense. I can't imagine not having fun on the set of such a ridiculous production.
You can find the correct episode viewing order here