In Netflix’s new comedy Living With Yourself, Paul Rudd plays Miles Elliott, a depressed marketing executive who decides to undergo a treatment at a mysterious spa that promises to make him a “better you.” He emerges from a dirt grave, confused and scared until he makes his way back home only to discover a clone of himself living there. The series, which just debuted its inaugural eight-episode season, has been receiving pretty good reviews, with many especially praising Rudd’s dual performance as both the real, sagging-shoulder, glasses-wearing, disheveled hair Miles and his perky, perfectly put together clone.
Through season one, which ended up a twist cliffhanger, there have been some particularly hilarious, but also thought-provoking, moments and quotes. Here are 10 of the best. (Warning: don’t keep reading until you’ve binged the entire season.)
When Top Happy Spa Offers Miles a Discount
After Miles and his clone realize what happened and return to the spa to complain, they learn that yes, the procedure involved illegal cloning, and usually the original person is killed and buried. But due to equipment malfunctions, the real Miles somehow managed to survive.
The way the two men say this so matter-of-factly is baffling and hilarious. But the icing on the cake is when they offer Miles a 10% discount for his trouble, as if he was simply complaining about a shoddy back massage that left him with an aching back. Not sufficient? We’ll do 20%. Really?
The Two Mes
“Now there are two mes but there’s only one life. What do you suggest we do?”
After real Miles and clone Miles get over their initial surprise and shock of seeing one another, they sit down to discuss next steps. Miles utters this line, which is so odd when you think about it, yet totally describes their lives.
There’s two of the same person but only one life for them both to live. So what do they do? Divide things up day by day and share notes? Should one of them move to a foreign country and enjoy a completely new life? Or does one of them simply have to die?
When Clone Miles Brings Kate Breakfast in Bed at the Hotel
This was a major turning point for Kate. She realized that clone Miles was far more upbeat, perky, positive, and overall more fun to be around than Miles, reminding her of how Miles was when they first met and got married. But he was also a little, how do we put this nicely, much.
After being intimate in a hotel when Kate was away on business, clone Miles ordered a massive breakfast for her in bed, from eggs (just the way she likes them) to waffles, scones, coffee, and more. A little taken aback, Kate reluctantly grabbed the coffee and a scone before she had to scurry off to have a shower and head to work. It was sad to see him upset, but great to see Kate realize that, despite all of the negative things about him, even a clone couldn’t take the place of real Miles.
Being Your Best
“Top Happy Spa will make you a better you…the best you that you can be.”
Underneath the funny and cute story is some really deep meanings: what really makes you the best you can be? If you erased all of your trauma, shortcomings, and feelings of sadness, could you really be a better you?
As we see from clone Miles, and even clone Dan, Miles’ colleague who also had the same spa treatment, even the clones were eventually prone to being sad, jealous, angry, and lonely. The lesson? Perhaps in the end, the best you can be is up to you and how you react to situations in your life and manage your feelings. The best you can be is who you are, including you at your worst.
When The Two Miles’ See Each Other For the First Time
Put yourself in Miles’ shoes and you can only imagine the terror if you walked into your home, even if it wasn’t after emerging from a dirt grave clothed in an adult diaper, only to meet someone who looks just like you in your house.
The looks on both their faces perfectly conveyed that neither had any clue what was going on: real Miles had no idea who this other person was, and clone Miles had no idea he wasn’t the real one. Mind. Blown.
Are You Really You?
“How can you be sure that you are you?”
While the comical and seemingly dimwitted employees from the FDA kidnap Miles (the real one), lock him in a room, interrogate him, and put him through the ringer, they ask him how he can be sure he’s really himself.
How does one answer that question? For Miles, he thinks the only proof is a scar from an appendectomy he had as a kid, which clone Miles doesn’t have. Is there any other way to prove who the real Miles is and who’s the clone? It’s an interesting thought, and even more reason for Miles to get rid of his clone once and for all.
When Clone Mike Goes Shopping For Murder Supplies
Clone Miles clearly doesn’t realize what his shopping list looks like as he arrives at the checkout and the cashier curiously looks upon the items he’s purchasing as she scans them, from a black mask to duct tape and a shovel. On their own, the items look completely harmless. But together, there’s justifiable cause for suspicion.
He certainly tried to hide it when the young boy noticed him trying on the black bag over his head and waving his hand in front of his face to ensure that he (or whoever he planned to capture in that bag) couldn’t see out of it. But in the heat of the moment, clone Miles didn’t realize how his nefarious shopping list could have come back to bite him.
On Fiyah!
“I went to a spa. Ever since then, I am on fiyah!”
If this glowing recommendation from Dan wasn’t enough to convince a depressed and dejected Miles to visit the Top Happy Spa, seeing Tom Brady emerge with a big smile on his face at the door would definitely do it for anyone.
After seeing his co-worker Dan kill it in a pitch at work, Miles couldn’t understand why he was glowing and so confident and successful at work all of a sudden. Dan, unaware that he was actually his own clone, referred Miles to the spa, and so the story begins.
When Kidnapped Miles Drinks Breast Milk
During the time when Miles is stuck in a room at the FDA offices and awaiting questioning, he gets hungry and thirsty but is offered nothing. Conveniently, the employees put him in the nursing room, seemingly because it’s the only room left for them to use.
With an ample supply of breast milk, Miles goes to town as he reads parenting magazines. At least when and if a baby arrives for he and Kate, Miles will have tons of knowledge from the articles he read. He won’t be afraid to taste the breast milk either!
He’s better than me. At everything. With work, with Kate.
“He’s better than me. At everything. With work, with Kate.”
It’s such a sad quote, but perfectly describes what the series is about: Miles is down on himself because he doesn’t have a passion for his job anymore, isn’t really interested in talking with friends, has friction with his wife Kate because of their inability to have a baby, and generally feels sad and depressed.
So when his clone shows up and pitches a winning campaign at work, entertains their friends at a party, and excites Kate to become intimate, it’s natural that Miles looks longingly at the man he used to be and wishes he could be more like him.
