Home > Enlightened > Season 1 « TV Series Page Enlightened: Season 1 (2011) SEASON: Season 1 Season 1 Season 2 Want to see Episode List Season 1 Enlightened Critics Consensus Enlightened is an outstanding and brave show, exemplifying how a television series can successfully present different elements of the human psyche. 79% TOMATOMETER Critic Ratings: 29 87% Audience Score User Ratings: 100 See score details Other TV Shows Barry Curb Your Enthusiasm Extras Veep Insecure Rate And Review Submit review Want to see Edit Submit review Super Reviewer Verified Super Reviewer Verified Edit Super Reviewer Rate this season Oof, that was Rotten. Meh, it passed the time. It’s good – I’d recommend it. Awesome! So Fresh: Absolute Must See! What did you think of this tv season? (optional) Submit Continue Super Reviewer Step 2 of 2 How did you buy your ticket? Let's get your review verified. Submit By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket. Super Reviewer Rate this season Oof, that was Rotten. Meh, it passed the time. It’s good – I’d recommend it. Awesome! So Fresh: Absolute Must See! What did you think of this tv season? (optional) Submit How did you buy your ticket? Submit By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Episodes 1 Pilot Air date: Oct 10, 2011 In the Season 2 premiere, Jonathan begins teaching a writing class at night school, but continues to moonlight as a private detective when a mounted police officer (Lenny Venito) hires him to scrub his name from the client list of an S&M dungeon that's about to be raided. Meanwhile, George adjusts to a new cost-cutting publisher, and Ray's relationship with Leah is on the rocks after a yoga class. More 2 Now or Never Air date: Oct 17, 2011 Despite being banished to a dead-end job in the basement of Abaddonn, Amy tries to impress a human-resources representative with evidence that the company needs to redefine its mission. Elsewhere, Amy seeks to convince Levi to change his ways. More 3 Someone Else's Life Air date: Oct 24, 2011 Disgusted with her new surroundings at Abaddonn, Amy gets excited about the prospect of making a difference with a job at a homeless shelter, but an unexpected bill from her hiatus at the treatment center makes her think again. More 4 The Weekend Air date: Oct 31, 2011 A month later, Amy returns from a holistic treatment centre in Hawaii with a new attitude and tries to pick up the pieces of her old life... but it isn't that easy. She must try to tame her inner rage as she attempts to find purpose and fulfilment amid the greed and corruption of America. More 5 Not Good Enough Mothers Air date: Nov 7, 2011 A month later, Amy returns from a holistic treatment centre in Hawaii with a new attitude and tries to pick up the pieces of her old life... but it isn't that easy. She must try to tame her inner rage as she attempts to find purpose and fulfilment amid the greed and corruption of America. More 6 Sandy Air date: Nov 14, 2011 Amy is thrilled when Sandy, a fellow group therapy alumna, visits. Although her nose is put out of joint when she bonds with Levi. More 7 Lonely Ghosts Air date: Nov 21, 2011 When Amy confronts the emptiness in her life, she realises she has lingering feelings for her ex-husband. Plus, Tyler makes a move on Amy. More 8 Comrades Unite! Air date: Nov 28, 2011 A month later, Amy returns from a holistic treatment centre in Hawaii with a new attitude and tries to pick up the pieces of her old life... but it isn't that easy. She must try to tame her inner rage as she attempts to find purpose and fulfilment amid the greed and corruption of America. More 9 Consider Helen Air date: Dec 5, 2011 A month later, Amy returns from a holistic treatment centre in Hawaii with a new attitude and tries to pick up the pieces of her old life... but it isn't that easy. She must try to tame her inner rage as she attempts to find purpose and fulfilment amid the greed and corruption of America. More 10 Burn It Down Air date: Dec 12, 2011 The debut season of the offbeat comedy concludes as Amy convinces an out-of-control Levi to get help, and lobbies Tyler to help her force change at work. More Enlightened: Season 1 Photos View All Photos (8) Tv Season Info Following a very public breakdown at her job, executive Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern) escapes to a month long holistic treatment program and returns to her old life with a never-before-seen New Age perspective, though the friends and colleagues who know the old Amy are skeptical about her new outlook to say the least, especially her ex-husband Levi (Luke Wilson). Genre: Comedy Network: HBO Premiere Date: Oct 10, 2011 Creators: Mike White, Laura Dern Exec. Producers: Mike White, Laura Dern Cast Laura Dern as Amy Jellicoe Luke Wilson as Levi Diane Ladd as Helen Amy Hill as Judy Sarah Burns as Krista Timm Sharp as Dougie Mike White as Tyler Charles Esten as Damon Michaela Watkins as Janice M.C. Gainey as Rick Bayne Gibby as Connie Randy Oglesby Jason Mantzoukas as Omar Robin Pearson Rose Jon Shere as Louis Chad Collins Erich Lane as Kevin Chad Michael Collins Brent Bradshaw Victor Jih Travis Heaps as Scott Jacobs Chuck Duffy Kaitlyn Black Robin Wright as Sandy Russell Reynolds as Jim Riki Lindhome as Harper Sandra Seacat Michael Lawson Dan Levy Naomi Foner Barbara Barrie as Carol Kevin Makely Eileen Grubba Brian Jarvis Davenia McFadden Bellina Logan as Tanya Tinashe Kajese Scott Wilson Christie Volkmer Leyna Weber Show More Cast News & Interviews for Enlightened: Season 1 Which Movie Star Fared Best on TV? Julia Roberts in Homecoming and More Small-Screen Debuts Marvel’s Iron Fist Breaks Tomatometer Record with Biggest Sophomore Bump View All Enlightened: Season 1 News Episodes 1 Pilot Air date: Oct 10, 2011 In the Season 2 premiere, Jonathan begins teaching a writing class at night school, but continues to moonlight as a private detective when a mounted police officer (Lenny Venito) hires him to scrub his name from the client list of an S&M dungeon that's about to be raided. Meanwhile, George adjusts to a new cost-cutting publisher, and Ray's relationship with Leah is on the rocks after a yoga class. More 2 Now or Never Air date: Oct 17, 2011 Despite being banished to a dead-end job in the basement of Abaddonn, Amy tries to impress a human-resources representative with evidence that the company needs to redefine its mission. Elsewhere, Amy seeks to convince Levi to change his ways. More 3 Someone Else's Life Air date: Oct 24, 2011 Disgusted with her new surroundings at Abaddonn, Amy gets excited about the prospect of making a difference with a job at a homeless shelter, but an unexpected bill from her hiatus at the treatment center makes her think again. More 4 The Weekend Air date: Oct 31, 2011 A month later, Amy returns from a holistic treatment centre in Hawaii with a new attitude and tries to pick up the pieces of her old life... but it isn't that easy. She must try to tame her inner rage as she attempts to find purpose and fulfilment amid the greed and corruption of America. More 5 Not Good Enough Mothers Air date: Nov 7, 2011 A month later, Amy returns from a holistic treatment centre in Hawaii with a new attitude and tries to pick up the pieces of her old life... but it isn't that easy. She must try to tame her inner rage as she attempts to find purpose and fulfilment amid the greed and corruption of America. More 6 Sandy Air date: Nov 14, 2011 Amy is thrilled when Sandy, a fellow group therapy alumna, visits. Although her nose is put out of joint when she bonds with Levi. More 7 Lonely Ghosts Air date: Nov 21, 2011 When Amy confronts the emptiness in her life, she realises she has lingering feelings for her ex-husband. Plus, Tyler makes a move on Amy. More 8 Comrades Unite! Air date: Nov 28, 2011 A month later, Amy returns from a holistic treatment centre in Hawaii with a new attitude and tries to pick up the pieces of her old life... but it isn't that easy. She must try to tame her inner rage as she attempts to find purpose and fulfilment amid the greed and corruption of America. More 9 Consider Helen Air date: Dec 5, 2011 A month later, Amy returns from a holistic treatment centre in Hawaii with a new attitude and tries to pick up the pieces of her old life... but it isn't that easy. She must try to tame her inner rage as she attempts to find purpose and fulfilment amid the greed and corruption of America. More 10 Burn It Down Air date: Dec 12, 2011 The debut season of the offbeat comedy concludes as Amy convinces an out-of-control Levi to get help, and lobbies Tyler to help her force change at work. More Critic Reviews for Enlightened Season 1 All Critics (29) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (6) A rare HBO misfire - but I do hope Amy finds peace. Oct 10, 2011 | Rating: C+ | Full Review… Verne Gay Newsday Top Critic A black comedy working many shades of gray, Enlightened is about dark mornings of the soul and the fool's-golden glow of the new convert, and it measures the weight of the world with an eccentric scale. Oct 10, 2011 | Full Review… Troy Patterson Slate Top Critic Dern is fantastic as Amy - you cringe as her histrionics drive people away, and cringe again as she tries to suppress her feelings behind a veneer of New Age peacefulness. Oct 10, 2011 | Rating: A- | Full Review… Matthew Gilbert Boston Globe Top Critic The wonderful new HBO series Enlightened is a heartbreaker/dreammaker. Oct 10, 2011 | Rating: A | Full Review… Ed Bark Uncle Barky Top Critic The character of Amy Jellicoe, an executive ground down to bones and nerve after a mental breakdown, could have been a sort of spiritual successor to Tony Soprano. It is a critical text in Dern studies. May 8, 2020 | Full Review… Doreen St. Felix New Yorker Top Critic I prefer White when he's working a little broader, but Enlightened comes close to hitting the sweet spot between maudlin dramedy and cutting satire. Oct 10, 2011 | Rating: B- | Full Review… Erik Adams AV Club Top Critic The show definitely grows on you. Oct 10, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… Brian Tallerico HollywoodChicago.com The underlying black humor is what keeps Enlightened interesting. Oct 10, 2011 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review… Lily Moayeri Under the Radar Look, I'm all for darkness and imperfection in characters, but after an hour and a half with this woman, I don't feel the slightest bit invested in her. Oct 10, 2011 | Full Review… Rachel Stein Television Without Pity Enlightened feels too lightweight to work as a short drama, and too clumsy in its attempts at humor to work that way. Oct 10, 2011 | Rating: C | Full Review… Alan Sepinwall HitFix I find myself restless to change the channel to something that's actually entertaining or, yes, enlightening. Oct 10, 2011 | Full Review… Matt Roush TV Guide But the biggest downfall of Enlightened is doesn't know what it wants to be. Oct 10, 2011 | Full Review… David Eckstein Zap2it.com View All Critic Reviews (29) Audience Reviews for Enlightened: Season 1 Oct 25, 2018 The dark humor can be a bit much at times but the show just draws you in. It is ambitious and I think a home run. Too bad HBO didn't think so. Jackie E Jan 12, 2018 The best! Love this series! Laura Dern is amazing as always and the storyline is compelling, thought provoking, and incredibly authentic. Emily M Jan 07, 2018 An examination of the cycles of abuse and self-degradation that are far too easy to get into while living the American dream. Laura Dern plays the role of the modern liberal degenerate to perfection and Mike White continues to show hat he is an incredibly underrated talent when it comes to writing. Andrew B Oct 29, 2017 Poignantly significant. Laura Dern plays her hopeful AND disappointed role so, so well. Tanya S Aug 31, 2017 Right? Right? Right? At least 20x per episode. John J Jun 23, 2016 For a needlessly precise numerical rating: 75/100, or a B+ Enlightened slowly ramps up in quality per episode as the show finds its voice, so the season rating of B+ (I'm a slightly harsh grader) is indicative of overall quality. I expect a higher grade for the highly acclaimed second season, but this is a very good score in my eyes. Anyway, this is a fascinating character study of a purposefully unlikable character, Amy Jellicoe (portrayed by Laura Dern in what might be her very best performance, and that's saying a lot), who claims she has a new worldview after rehab and thusly attempts to do the right thing, mostly out of inflated self-worth and arrogance. The show expands a bit beyond her after the first couple of episodes, but Amy is nearly always at the center. That is, except for "Consider Helen", which might be one of the top contenders for best television episode of 2011, a look at the show if it was from the point of view of Amy's mother, Helen (Diane Ladd, Dern's real-life mother, and nearly as excellent here), a quiet, emotionally removed woman who keeps a stolid routine that masks dark ghosts in her past. David C Jan 06, 2016 One of the greatest shows ever made, honestly. Laura Dern is brilliant, and Mike White's writing is touching, hilarious, smart, and relatable. Jake Z Dec 01, 2015 This was excellent. A great display of keeping your chin up in the face of adversity. Amy is tenacity and ruthless but at the same time had integrity, she is not manipulative. She reacted to bad news with such GRACE. Such a a wonderful example for me in my life. Julie G Sep 04, 2014 While the show is funny, insightful, and even inspiring at times, there's not much of a plot direction after midway through the season, leaving the few moments of raw characterization too little to elevate the rest. Still very entertaining to watch. Zachary N Jul 04, 2014 This series is really hard to classify. There are comedic elements spliced into the life of a really flawed woman who we get annoyed with but cannot help but to root for. The moments in the series where the lead Amy reflects on life are wonderful. This show was hard to get into, but I am glad I stuck with it. Particularly great episodes: 1.4 & 1.9 Jason E See all Audience reviews News & Features 200 Erotic Movies Coming attractions for you 2020's Most Anticipated Movies What and when to watch Video Game Movies Ranked 43 ranked worst to best Best Netflix Series and Shows What to watch right now More News & Features TOP HEADLINES Best Horror Movies of 2020 Ranked – Rotten Tomatoes Fall TV First Look: Find Out What’s Coming – Rotten Tomatoes The Best Peacock Original Shows and Movies – Rotten Tomatoes 20 Movies To Watch If You Loved Inception – Rotten Tomatoes All Upcoming Disney Movies: New Disney Live-Action, Animation, Pixar, Marvel, and More – Rotten Tomatoes The Best Quibi Shows to Stream Now – Rotten Tomatoes The 64 Most Anticipated Movies of 2020 – Rotten Tomatoes Sundance 2020 Movie Scorecard – Rotten Tomatoes More Headlines View All Results Go back More trailers