Usually I give myself a period of mourning when I finish a show… That did not happen after the Big Bang Theory. I had known for a while that TBBT was ending and I decided to avoid it as much as possible. I searched immediately for something else to watch. I saw an interview with Mayim Bialik about a show she was doing… that was being produced by Jim Parsons and his husband Todd’s production company. I am not sure that I even cared what the show was about. But hell Kyla Pratt, and Leslie Jordan were also in it. There is no downside here. Luckily… Hulu had it. (I haven’t used Hulu in a long while.) So no extra effort on my part.

Usually, when choosing a new show… I try to do a bit of research beforehand but I was a slacker… So I knew nothing about the show before diving in. Call Me Kat is a television series largely based on the British sitcom Miranda by Miranda Hart. The series premiered on Fox as a midseason entry in the 2020–21 television season on January 3, 2021. In May 2021, the series was renewed for a second season. Call Me Kat follows a 39-year-old single woman named Kat, “who struggles every day against society and her mother to prove that you can not have everything you want yet still be happy”. After leaving her job as a professor at the University of Louisville, she spends the money her parents set aside for her wedding to open a cat café in Louisville, Kentucky. I am not sure I saw anyone else playing this role. Mayim is a good fit here. (I am not sure I understand the cat cafe thing though… Mostly because I would not eat at a place where there are animals roaming about.)

I did not watch the British version that this show is based off of so I was flying in blind. I think this is a better thing though because I like to think I was more open minded… As a woman in her almost mid thirties, it is nice to get a show where the lead is woman is not obsessed with getting married or having children… no matter how they are pushed to do so. Right out the gate, her friend… is getting married… and for single woman, it is rough. “Who is your plus one?” “Oh is this a person you are dating? “Oh… you can’t bring a friend.” Kat remains optimistic throughout… Which is nice to watch. It is sad to watch the other people (her mom) rain on her parade… telling Kat she should not be happy with the life she has cultivated. Other people keep telling her that she is missing something. (I always wonder what other people’s obsession with trying to “fix” their single friends that have not asked for help.

The show is cute… I didn’t realize how much I have missed Kyla Pratt until seeing her here… Leslie Jordan brings his A game… but I am not sure how this character is supposed to be different from his previous characters. I am not sure it shows his range… but he is really funny to watch. I understood Kat’s need to start over and with something that actually brings her joy. Millennials know that feeling. I also know the feeling of coming back into contact with a person that you harbored a huge crush on in the past… People think that time helps with that sort of thing… but it usually makes things worse. I have only ever had that happen once. In the show, Kat doesn’t spend her time trying to push up on Max. She enjoys their friendship and keeps her daydreams to herself mostly. Max is intelligent and not off put by Kat’s clumsiness and penchant for getting into uncomfortable situations. Poor Kat has to sit back and listen to Max wax romantically about his ex. Been there girl. The good thing was that I actually believed their friendship. It wasn’t forced or too cheesy for me. Maybe because I can be a bit socially awkward myself… lots of people think that as you get older that just goes away. It doesn’t.

It did enjoy that the black man on the show is an active father and a business owner. He is active in trying to find ways to bring in more business. He also knows that his son needs a tutor and gets one for him. Etc etc. Great to see. There are He owns the bar next to Kat’s where she gets her take out lunch from. Kyla Pratt gets into a relationship with a lawyer… They are seen going on dates and I loved every moment of that. Black people do fall in love and go on dates. It was also interesting to see that she expected weird or toxic to occur in the relationship and thought it was weird when her new refused to display those traits. They had a great conversation about that and it really showed me that sometimes due to past experiences… we come to expect some not great things as part of life or relationships. And that is not the case at all.

For me, I am interested in seeing where the second season goes… It ended on a cliffhanger… and I am slightly annoyed. Not because of cliffhangers… (I do hate them… me waiting always sucks…) but it is something that is revealed that I was annoyed by. And I desperately want to see how that unfolds… Does it make Kat’s life better…? Is she going to make some sort of rash decision…? I would hope not. I usually do not care for first seasons…. There are some shows that I have enjoyed that had stellar first seasons… but for me that is few and far between. But I can say this was pretty entertaining… mostly because I see myself in Kat.

If you have seen it… Let me know your thoughts and feelings.

Update: After being cancelled… I have to give an update on what I thought on the this show and where it was going. (RIP Leslie Jordan. I was so shocked and sad to hear he passed away.)

For season 2, I was glad when Kat got a boyfriend. Oscar was just as quirky and lovable as Kat. They fit together even though he was younger than her. Sad for her… Kat has never had a boyfriend. So we get to see her navigate basic trials and tribulations with Oscar. First thing that pops up is Kat not being truthful about how she wants to spend her and Oscar’s anniversary. She ends up being annoyed about Oscar doing exactly what she asked. I have to say… I like Oscar as her boyfriend… However it was too good to last. There is a bomb in their life by the name of Max.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Max but he honestly kept Kat at arms length for 20 years and then decided that once she had a man ( A steady man)… then it was time to swoop in and tell her he wants to kiss her… This of course sends Kat into a tizzy… and literally anything does… However… she is upfront with him when she points out that he is only interested now because she is less available to him. This is something Carter points out to him early on since he is not used to hearing the word “no.” due to his good looks. Oscar takes it well… a little too well if you ask me… but him and Max manage to become buddies and laugh about it.

It gets worse for Kat when she meets Oscar’s mother… and she is not a fan of how old Kat is. She is pleasant to Kat even though Kat spilled things on her. But she is only pleasant to Kat when Oscar is around. When they are alone, she lets Kat know that she wants grandchildren and doubts that Kat will be able to do that for Oscar. I understand her feeling but why didn’t you say this in front of your son? If you are going to be bold… Do that. When Oscar finds out he confronts his mom and tells her he will continue dating Kat whether she likes it or not.

Oscar and Kat’s relationship starts showing cracks when he fills in for Phil at the cafe when the latter takes time off for a vacation. Oscar thinks the cafe can be better arranged but honestly even if that was true. I wondered why he would be coming in for a week and then take it upon himself to rearrange things to his own liking. That would annoy me too. You don’t work here and are only helping out… Why are you changing things around?

There is more deterioration in Kat and Oscar’s relationship and they try to treat this has Oscar’s problem but I really think it is Kat’s obnoxiousness than anything else. She has a tendency to believe that her degree in Mathematics means that she is the smartest person in the room and she tends to be controlling to her friends. Phil and Oscar invite Kat to join their bowling team, which had been losing lately. When Kat joins the team, they end up with one of the highest scores in the league. However, Kat creates rules for the team, like no food. This makes Oscar and Phil feel that Kat is taking the fun out of the game. The thing that rubbed me the wrong way was that Oscar was showing her what he knew and then she started talking to everyone like shit. I don’t think it was about him feeling inferior… I think Kat’s attitude was sucking the fun out of it for everyone. She even changed the name of the team without asking anyone else on the team’s input.

Max, for his part, has been well behaved and a great friend to both Kat and Oscar. Max gets a new girlfriend and they write songs together at the Middle-C bar. Kat becomes jealous of Max’s new girlfriend. She spends her time trying to get in the middle of their relationship… Which is weird because the woman is so nice. Kat even kisses Max at the end of the episode.

After kissing Max, Kat talks to her friends and decides she should break up with Oscar. Oscar arrives and announces he has been promoted to a dispatcher and wants to celebrate with Kat. Kat decides to postpone breaking up until after the celebration. Max and Kat talk, and Max realized Kat kissed him because he was in a relationship, just like he became interested in Kat after she started dating Oscar. At the Middle-C next door to the café, Oscar sings to Kat and proposes marriage to her. Kat doesn’t want to hurt Oscar so she accepts. When Kat and Oscar are alone outside, Kat tells Oscar she can’t marry him. Oscar realizes that this is because of Max. Oscar gets upset and goes back into the Middle-C. When Max asks Oscar what is wrong, Oscar punches Max in the face which kinda seems unfair to Max because he actually didn’t do anything wrong.

Kat has more issues than just a break up when the new neighbor in town buys her building and increases the rent 40%… after sleeping with her. (What a slime ball.) She ends up having to lay off Phil to make ends meet. The neighbor actually comes in and complains that the baked goods aren’t as tasty as before and Kat lays into him. She then has difficulty breathing and standing. The episode ends with Kat being taken to the hospital.

After Kat recovers from her panic attack, she has a fundraiser at the Middle-C to raise money for the café. She makes enough to stay open for a few more months, but has another panic attack when she realizes she will need to come up with a way to make more money once it runs out. She has a dream where her late father (played by Ted Wass) tells her to do what makes her happy and isn’t sure she is happy at the café. The next day, she announces she will close the café and travel to France. Then Randi and Phil offer to keep the café open while Kat is gone. Max gets an offer to play his music in Tennessee.

Returning home from her summer vacation, Kat is excited to return to her café only to find that Phil and Randi have made many changes: it is now a juice bar, there is a different set of regular customers, and there are no longer cats in the café. (I am not sure I want to attend a place that has animals and is serving food. Nothing against cats.) Carter is unhappy he doesn’t get to see Randi very often now that she works long hours at the café. Kat brings cats to the café without telling Randi. For someone that is 40… she doesn’t seem all that emotionally mature. She hates every change made and instead of talking it out or even thanking Randi and Phil for making her cafe a success; she opts to lie. Later Kat gets frustrated using the blender and announces the café is no longer a juice bar. For a person that loves learning and loves teaching… it didn’t seem like she was interested in learning the new things about the cafe… which just seems like she didn’t appreciate the success that Randi was having instead of her. She lied and tried to make it seem like she knew what was best for the cafe when it was clear that she didn’t get how to make money. It is the same disdain I felt when she took over bowling. Not liking a controlling Know it all makes sense. No one is picking on Kat. She is being a jerk. Kat and Randi fight and Randi quits. Max helps Kat realize that Randi worked hard to make the café a financial success while Kat was away. She apologizes to Randi and asks her to run the café with her as a business partner.

Season 3 is where Kat decides whether or not she wants to have children or if her life will look different. There were so many complaints about Kat being an independent woman and not needing children… and it was a cop out to make her want to be a mother… I don’t think that is true. Having a discussion about children and deciding what may work for you takes time for some people. Some people are firm and know what they want… some people are wishy washy. Kat is not a person who is single by choice… she’s just a late bloomer. And as a late bloomer she still is figuring things out and being told that the window is closing to have children and if she wants to do that in the future… there may be steps she has to take now… and she was exploring that. Nothing wrong with it. The cost of freezing eggs, being at a sperm donor, etc etc… it is a lot to take in and should be explored regularly.

After spending time with Max’s infant nephew, Kat decides she wants a baby. She reads about a sperm donor she considers perfect, but when she visits the sperm bank, she learns that they have used all his sperm. And since he is 35, he won’t be allowed to donate more. (I mean I didn’t know they do this? Is this true?) She tracks him down on the Internet and learns he teaches a kickboxing class. When Kat shows up to the class and reveals she knows he’s a sperm donor, he makes Kat leave, feeling that she violated his privacy. (Naturally so… because who does this…? Again, for a person who is as intelligent as she is… This is what she chooses to do… and yes I get that this is a sitcom… Because even Randi told her not to do this. Kat also gets banned from the sperm bank. 

Kat tries to find another sperm bank but is denied service due to stalking a donor at the first clinic she tried. Max volunteers to father Kat’s child. Kat is initially excited but when she learns that Max dropped out of college, and toured with a circus she declines to accept his sperm. She has been friends with Max for years and in love with him just as long… Now he is not bright enough for her to father his child. I wonder Kat reconsiders this decision when she finds a gift bag that Max intended to give Kat that contained items for the baby.

Kat and Max get intimate and start dating. Their first date is awkward. Later in Max’s bedroom, Kat goes into the bathroom to change and falls in the toilet. Max leaves to get wine but he ends up talking to Carter for a while. When Kat sees what is taking Max so long, she thinks Max would rather talk to Carter than be intimate with her.  Kat and Max are unsure if they should keep dating out of fear it could ruin their friendship. Max thinks they have something special and wants to see where their relationship can take them.

Then Kat, Max, and others go on a camping trip to celebrate Max’s birthday. They talk about moving in together but reconsider when they have a fight when Max used the ketchup packets Kat saved for a prank, and Kat wanted to use them on hamburgers. After they escape from a bear, they decide the fight was too trivial so decide to try to move in together.

Next, Kat is excited when Max writes a song since it appears that the song is about her. When she hears more lyrics later, she believes that the song is instead about Max’s ex-girlfriend, Brigitte. To show that she can be as spontaneous as Brigitte, Kat takes Max to sneak into a water tower to view the city from a great height. But of course things don’t work out and Max is skeptical at her need to be spontaneous… and she reveals that she is jealous of his ex.

Max hosts singer Zoey Monroe (guest star Margie Mays) in hopes of advancing his career as a songwriter and although jealous at first, Kat develops a liking to her. They end up spending time hanging out as Max starts neglecting Kat. At first Kat waits for him, but in the end… she hangs out with Zoey doing karaoke. In the heat of the moment, Zoey (guest star Margie Mays) kisses Kat at karaoke night. Zoey hopes this moment can be kept between the two of them, but Kat struggles to keep the kiss a secret from Max. Zoey decides it is best not to work with Max. When he does find out, he blames Kat for ruining his chance at a career… He doesn’t care that Zoey is the one the kissed Kat… he doesn’t even give her a chance to speak. He says a bunch of rude stuff. Like he couldn’t wait to dump on her. When Kat speaks with Zoey… she decides to stay and work with Max.

Max comes back to apologize for all that he said… but it is really too little too late. His attitude was shitty. He took out his lack of progress in his career on Kat and not to mention… he didn’t even acknowledge that prior to he had been blowing Kat off completely. He just comes in with flowers and a dusty apology and thinks that everything is okay. He’s blown away that she would want to break up with him but he really turned on her like a pitbull. (That is the saying… for the record I love pitbulls.)

Kat and Max decide to keep their break up a secret until Kat’s mom, Sheila’s birthday party. Although, Max is not dealing with the break up well. Kat really thought that he was going to be more mature about it… But I mean Max is almost 40 and had to be told that he couldn’t just spend money on anything. (Max got evicted from his apartment, they basically found him sleeping in the basement of the middle C due to his lack of financial control, he asks Kat for help with managing his money.) Nothing about him is mature. However… How did Kat expect someone to deal with the break up. There is a whole blow up and argument at Sheila’s bday party. And it is revealed to everyone that they have broken up. Max decides to move out of Kat’s loft and for some reason she did not see that coming. Why would he stay there?

To take her mind off their breakup and Max and Zoey’s new successful song, (which is about their breakup) Kat attends a cat show with Sheila and Randi. Meanwhile, Max’s ex, Brigette, attempts to rekindle a romance with him. He seems to want to go along with it even though Carter tells him it is a bad idea. (Although, since he is single he is well within his right to do what he wants.)However, he envisions Kat while he is with Brigette… and that really takes the air out of his sails.

Max and Kat have a conversation and finally hash out their feelings when  Country superstar Russell Dickerson offers Max a life-changing career opportunity and Max must make a big decision about his future. Randi and Carter decided to get married at the courthouse and Max and Kat decide to rush to bring the rings to save the day. It ends up being the series finale but I am not sure that I ended the show being as into Max and Kat as I started. Oscar seemed the better boyfriend for her. Although… her controlling nature and belief that because she had a degree made her smarter than everyone… I can see why she had such a hard time maintaining relationships and friendships.