The premise of this show makes it sound like a delight, but unfortunately, the execution doesn't quite live up to the concept. Although it's billed as a dark comedy, it doesn't always know how and when to be funny. Matt (Tom Bateman) is the clear standout of the case. As their resident plumber, he perfectly balances the inherent absurdity of the premise with its darker elements. Its more coherent comedy moments come when the show is getting shots in at the mini-ecosystem of true crime podcasts, culminating in a CrimeCon that is pitch-perfect. But they don't delve into this particularly often, choosing instead to focus on the logistics of their relationship with the serial killer. It casts a critical eye on the larger role of social media and hustle culture in society, but doesn't seem interested in examining this too closely either, beyond the admittedly funny premise of a serial killer being extremely protective of their brand.
A pretty significant issue with "Based on a True Story" is that the two leads — Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina — don't quite mesh together. They're both doing perfectly fine jobs individually, but they feel somehow misaligned — their energies are too different. They seem like they're acting in two different types of TV shows — one feels more suited for a multi-cam sitcom, while the other is a single-camera comedy. In a way, this kind of supports the idea that the two characters have a struggling marriage, but it also makes it a little more difficult for audiences to get on board with them as the anchor of the piece.
