How “This Fool” Became the Summer’s Best Comedy

Early in Hulu’s “This Fool,” a Los Angeles man named Julio (Chris Estrada) indulges in a fantasy only he would find seductive. It’s the night of his thirty-first birthday—a milestone he’s done his best to ignore—and, after a day spent attempting to escape his friends and family, he finally gets a moment of solitude to relax in bed and think about his ex-girlfriend, Maggie (Michelle Ortiz), and her wide, teasing smile. “I’m the only one who knows you,” he imagines her saying as she sneaks into his room and splays her body next to his. “And I know exactly what you want.” She leans in and whispers, “You wanna lie here and stare at the ceiling and think about how much you fucking hate yourself.” Julio’s breath gets heavier; he licks his lips in anticipation. “Guess what, sucio?” she asks, her tone turning pornographic. “We’re just gonna lie here and be fucking miserable all night long.”