Entertainment
Polarizing Comedian's Raunchy New Netflix Series Is A Refreshing Take On A Tired Trope
By Robert Scucci
| Published
I’m going to lay all my cards out on the table and admit that I am not really a fan of Bert Kreischer’s comedy or public persona. After his 2016 and 2018 comedy specials, The Machine and Secret Time, I saw all I needed to see because he’s pretty much a one-trick pony who doesn’t really change up his act. He does that trick well, but I pretty much saw everything I needed to see. He takes his shirt off, tells out-of-pocket stories about his family, and presents himself as your average everyman who always wants to be the life of the party, and his die-hard fans love it.
On podcasts, he talks with too much self-importance, inserts himself into every one of his guests’ stories, and has a laugh that makes me want to shove a live earwig into my head and let it start chomping away at my brain.
The only reason I wanted to check out his new Netflix series, Free Bert, was to hate-watch it. I rarely do this, but I also wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt because series and movies starring stand-up comedians are hit or miss, depending on the writing and acting. I can’t stand Jerry Seinfeld when it’s just him and a microphone, but throw Larry David’s writing in the mix, along with characters like Elaine, George, and Kramer, and you have a great show like Seinfeld.
I feel the same way about Bert Kreischer in Free Bert for reasons I’m about to get into. If you like the idea of Bert Kreischer, but think he’s a little much, Free Bert offers the balance you may be looking for.
Based On His Comedy, But Reeled In Just Right
The best way I can describe Free Bert is as your typical raunchy family sitcom, with all the familiar beats. You have Bert, obviously portrayed by Bert Kreischer, an overweight, dim-witted husband who’s repeatedly humbled by his conventionally attractive wife LeeAnn (Arden Myrin), and two foul-mouthed daughters, Georgia (Ava Ryan) and Ila (Lilou Lang). It’s a real Married … with Children kind of setup that almost always works. It especially works for Kreischer in this context because I already said I find his persona unlikeable, and half the fun is watching him get his ass handed to him by his own hare-brained schemes while his family laughs at him for being so stupid.
As for Free Bert’s six-episode story arc, Bert’s kids go to private school and have trouble fitting in, mostly because their dad is Bert Kreischer. Bert immediately gets in trouble with the school after some of his stand-up bits are shared with the faculty, humiliating his daughters. In his efforts to smooth things over, Bert starts wearing a shirt and trying to fit in with the other parents.
When Bert learns that Georgia has a crush on Zac (Braxton Alexander), he’s devastated because he’s worried that he’s going to have somebody trying to Netflix and chill with his daughter. Learning from Zac’s father Randy (Matthew Del Negro) that he’s about to undergo scrotal surgery, he instead encourages the relationship because it means that Zac won’t be able to make a move on Georgia, at least any time soon.
Meanwhile, LeeAnn faces obstacles of her own because she’s also trying to smooth things over with the Vanderthal family, but is constantly condescended to by the family matriarch, Chanel (Mandell Maughan). Her husband, Landon (Chris Witaske), has also befriended Bert, resulting in exactly the kind of crossed wires and miscommunications you’d expect from a family sitcom operating in this lane.
Everybody Knows The Assignment Here
While I’m not going to climb the highest mountain and tell everybody to watch Free Bert because it’s the best show ever, I have to give credit where it’s due. If this was just a new show and you had never heard of Bert Kreischer in your life, he kills it here. He reliably dials in as your typical sitcom dad, and his family provides the perfect balance.
I was most impressed by Lilou Lang’s portrayal of Ila because she constantly puts her dad in his place, but there’s also an underlying affection and alliance that holds it all together. That dynamic ends up doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
Kreischer could have really messed this up by leaning too hard into all of his bits and shtick, but Free Bert is smart enough to establish that he’s a comedian who takes his shirt off, needs to change his public persona so his family can be taken seriously, and then actually follows through on that idea. He’s straight-faced when he needs to be, and the moments where he goes full Bert are chosen carefully so he doesn’t wear out his welcome.
It feels like all of the best parts of Kreischer’s act have been distilled into an easily digestible sitcom setting, and he just rolls with it. The result is a surprisingly satisfying watch. I won’t be keeping an eye out for any more of his comedy specials, but if Free Bert gets renewed for a second season, I’ll check it out. Six-episode seasons are nothing, and there’s real potential here.
Free Bert is streaming on Netflix.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 19, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re constantly changing.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Small change
The words are related to changes.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe fine-tuning.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is There I Fixed It.
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NYT Strands word list for April 19
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There I Fixed It
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Adjust
-
Modify
-
Alter
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Improve
-
Tweak
-
Refine
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can never sit down.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
To rise.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
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Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
STAND
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for April 19, 2026
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
The edge.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
BRINK
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Hurdle Word 2 hint
Moody.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
POUTY
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Hurdle Word 3 hint
America’s bird.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
EAGLE
Hurdle Word 4 hint
A platform.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
FORUM
Final Hurdle hint
Cheapskate.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
MISER
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
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