Big Mouth
Sam Jones
Big Mouth holds a special place in the streaming age. And really it may just hold a special place in the overall history of TV. I’m not sure there’s ever been a show watched by so many people who both love the show and fear that someone will walk in and catch them watching it. In the show’s third season (with three more already on the way), Big Mouth remains the undisputed champ of closing your laptop quickly as your roommate walks in. I mean that as the highest compliment.
In between the giant monsters with penis-shaped noses and a sex-crazed middle schooler named Jay getting weird with a cooked turkey, there’s always the underlying feeling that you’re about to learn something. At its core, the show is just an extremely horny version of Sesame Street. But it all has a point. The imagery may seem...uh...I think the word is lascivious (?) at times, however, it’s all there to help normalize and open doors into topics that so many shows shy away from.
None of this is easy to explain when your roommate walks in to see talking cartoon genitalia on the screen. (Or, perhaps, when your attractive neighbor knocks on your front door and you’re watching on the big screen in the living room because you thought you’d be alone for a while. A thing that happened to me.) But it is the heart of the show and the reason why it has drawn so many people in.
Season three has no interest in veering from what makes the show uncomfortably great. The first two episodes take every opportunity to confront you with everything from incels to slut-shaming to Jay struggling with life as “The Ultimate Fuck Machine.” It also thankfully has plenty of room for even more Connie the Hormone Monster, who takes a more pronounced role helping guide the kids through puberty than in previous seasons. The increase in lines is probably due in large part to the fact she’s voiced expertly by Maya Rudolph, whose pronunciation of words starting with B deserves every single voice acting Emmy.
The most powerful development of the first two episodes though belongs to the John Mulaney-voiced, Andrew. His struggles with toxic masculinity and the quick spiral that accompanies them are clearly a major part of the writing room’s plans this season. Like Big Mouth often does, the dick jokes give way to stories that look outward. It’s not excusable for Andrew’s issues in attracting the girl he likes to lead down the path he seems to be going down. But, it does explain how it might happen. It’s an abbreviated study guide to the origins of boys who turn to communities that thrive on misogyny to find assurance of themselves. It’s unclear what the plan is to dig Andrew, a protagonist, out of the hole he makes for himself in the first two episodes. However, there is a “scared straight” moment that hints at a redemption arc.
The rest is typically excellent Big Mouth. There are new awkward middle school romances to sift through with the lack of grace that accompanies these things in real life, the characters try to make statements that are delivered poorly and understood worse, and there’s still Nick Kroll’s Lola. My god is there Lola. There’s this Hamburglar joke where…look you’re just going to have to trust me on this. It’s perfect and so is Kroll’s delivery. The show picks its spots on when to use its ancillary characters like Lola and, through two episodes, they haven’t missed.
Overall, if you were expecting anything new from Big Mouth, the perverted wheel hasn’t been reinvented here. For those of us that love what the show is, you’ll be excited to binge even more. By yourself. In your room. With the door locked.
‘Derry Girls’ returns with more laughs and wit
Brandon Drick
Netflix’s “Derry Girls” returns ripe with laughs and the best writing the show has seen. Back for a second season, the Irish sitcom still keeps the misadventures of Catholic school girls from ‘90s-era Derry authentic and fresh. Dialogue hits you like a train, its banter disorients and everything feels urgent. The show intermixes wit and hilarious physical comedy while portraying adolescence in a thoughtful manner. Lisa McGee, born in Derry herself, created and wrote the show like a love letter to the town she grew up in.
Even if you haven’t met a Derry Girl, the characters are relatable enough to be recalled in retrospect. Like any high school sitcom, every character has a distinct archetype. Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) is the neutral serving as the glue of the group; Orla (Louisa Harland) is Erin’s cousin and the oddball of the group; Clare (Nicola Coughlan) is an annoying goodie-two-shoes; and then obnoxious and profane Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell). Then there’s James (Dylan Llewellyn), who bears the burden of being English (the Irish really don’t like the English). It’s a group which seems to have known each other forever. Their community is tight-knit despite each family having stark differences in character. They are also growing up at the tail end of “The Troubles,” a violent conflict over Northern Ireland’s independence. This is left on the backburner, only being cited from the parental figures, which enables the comedy to remain in the spotlight.
In the episode “The Concert” pop band Take That is set to perform in Belfast despite “The Troubles.” “Nobody good ever comes here because they all end up killing each other,” Erin emphasizes. However, a polar bear escapes from the Belfast zoo, bringing their mothers great distress, forcing the girls to sneak out. Michelle packs vodka and apple cider (a cursed combination) for the bus ride to Belfast, which Sister Michael, headmistress of their school, also happens to be on. Easily flustered, Clare insists the suitcase is not theirs when Sister Michael questions them. This leads to a “code red” with the bus being stopped and a fuckin’ bomb squad showing up to “disarm” this suitcase of vodka. Erin also attempts to be “woke” in this episode when the group encounters gypsies. Despite suggesting they are friendly and prefer to be called “travelers,” she immediately becomes cautious when one approaches. When the group accidentally forgets James, he finds community amongst the gypsies. However, he abandons them after they “cross the line” by speaking poorly of songwriter Gary Barlow (lead singer of Take That). There’s a generous amount of jokes which make their way into the half-hour runtime.
“The Prom” is another great episode. It opens with a painful a cappella performance led by the school ass-kisser Jenny Joyce, with enough “doo be doo be doos” to leave the school auditorium dead inside. Jenny recently entered a “50’s phase” and becomes interested in the idea of throwing a school prom. Meanwhile, a new student, Mae Cheung, transfers to the school from Donegal. There’s an awkward running joke of everyone assuming she’s from China despite Donegal only being an hour drive from Derry. The episode showcases the camaraderie amongst the group as their prom dates go south. Michelle brings two guys to the prom in a spell of indecisiveness and Erin ditches Clare as a date in favor of Hottie McHoterson John Paul. As everything falls apart because of these selfish endeavors, the group nonetheless stands together to comfort each other. The resolutions are heartwarming and warrant a few tears.
“Derry Girls” continues to be a hilarious and thoughtful show to enjoy. Everyone can recall knowing a Michele or a Clare from their own school days. The beauty of it comes from how, despite their imperfections, we never see them as terrible people. With every misadventure, they are still just kids being kids. It’s this kind of structure which makes “Derry Girls” truly special as it continues to be relatable while bringing the laughs.
Holier Than Thou: The Righteous Gemstones is a Hilarious Take on the Megachurch Industry
Lexi Medina
HBO’s new series, “The Righteous Gemstones” is the perfect embodiment of a dark comedy aimed at satirizing something no one wants to talk about: prosperity preachers and televangelism. We’ve seen the Joel Osteens, Paula Whites and Creflo Dollars of the world, questioning how people who preach “blessed are the poor in spirit” never seem to live the frugal ways they teach. Writer and director Danny McBride has hit the nail on the head in terms of amplifying what this really might look like, adding vulgar yet hilarious twists along the way in the pilot episode, “The Righteous Gemstones.”
McBride takes on the role of Jesse, the first-born son to the Gemstone patriarchy led by his father, Eli (John Goodman), who spends the majority of the first episode still in mourning over the loss of his wife and mother to his children, Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettles). In the pilot, we start with Jesse, Eli and Kelvin (Adam Devine), the youngest and wanna-be-hip youth pastor, exiting their private jets after a baptism tour in China. We’re then escorted through the Gemstone compound, complete with private mansions, Range Rovers and even an amusement park on the property. Much like McBrides’ characters in “Eastbound & Down” and “Vice Principals,” Jesse is bold, goofy and especially loud — hardly ever using an inside voice. Through the entire episode I constantly found myself laughing at his interjections and unexpected remarks — something I’m now looking forward to seeing for the rest of the season. He loves his family and will do whatever it takes to protect them and the Gemstone name when it’s put in jeopardy, which becomes evident upon the news he’s being blackmailed.
Jesse involves Kelvin and their middle sister, Judy (an utterly entertaining Edi Patterson) in his plan to take down the masked perpetrators, all the while bickering like children with his siblings over the smallest of matters. Devine is divine in his performance of Kelvin, constantly trying to catch up to his older brother while also begging for Eli’s love. Judy is pushed to the wayside because of her gender and the outdated beliefs of their church, keeping her from living out her Gemstone legacy as she so desires to. Pouty, audacious and just flat-out funny, the relationship between these siblings simultaneously feels relatable and over the top. Their interactions made me laugh out loud and reminisce on my younger days with my brothers.
While the show obviously aims to rag on the megachurch industry and its shortcomings, I enjoyed that this wasn’t the only focus. The addition of the emotional storylines relating to the “magic” that was his beloved wife and the cliffhanger of the secret blackmailers give more substance than to simply degrade what some may take to be righteous, or not — depending on what side of the pew you sit on. McBride and directors Jody Hill and David Gordon Green have injected this show with anticipation, mystery and most importantly cringe-worthy humor, for an interesting season that has yet to unfold. It feels new and refreshing to see McBride step out of the box and examine an area often left untouched, making me eager to see where the Gemstones’ “path of salvation” may lead them next.
Emergence
Emily Lanoue
I had no idea what I was getting into when I turned on “Emergence.” But, I guess, neither did Piper. Played by Alexa Swinton, a young girl is found on the beach near a plane crash after a city-wide blackout and a strange phenomenon of phones not working. The girl has no recollection of who she is, where she came from or who her parents are. Jo Evans, the local police chief, found the girl at the crash site all alone. Because she claims to not remember anything, Jo and the girl eventually decide on the name Piper. The intriguing part is these strange things that keep happening and that Piper seems mysteriously involved. I have to admit, I was sucked into the story even though I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a few other shows that follow a strikingly similar plotline (cough, “Lost,” cough).
ABC’s new drama starts very broadly, leaving the plot an enormous amount of room to go in any number of unpredictable directions. The pilot alone took me on a ride, captivating me much more than I was expecting. You’re introduced to the surprisingly stable family dynamic between Jo and her ex-husband, but you have no idea why they’re divorced. What’s wrong with him? He seems like a perfectly nice guy. Not to mention Piper, who’s enough of a mystery to keep anyone hooked. Why did the TV do that weird thing when she was looking at it? Where are her parents? I appreciate a plot that leaves plenty of room to wonder.
The atmosphere of the show feels both cheerful and eerie at the same time. Allison Tolman plays a mom effortlessly, bringing a warmth to the screen even when the scene is full of tension. I expect a lot from a drama sci-fi series, as so many have tried and failed, and a warm character is something I don’t usually expect but definitely appreciate here. While the feature of a loving mom and functioning family don’t typically fit the feel of a sci-fi drama, I think here it might just work. Jo is relatable, lovable, and I want nothing more than to be on the receiving end of one of her hugs.
The acting at the beginning was a little shaky, I found myself cringing at a few lines that felt bottled. I can forget that for a minute though as I’m not one to usually pick up a drama and have the patience to watch it through. I don’t mind investing in this family until I find out if Piper is even human. The drama in “Emergence” is subtle, at least in the pilot, and I found myself disappointed it isn’t on a streaming service for immediate gratification from the next episode.
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"The Wendy Williams Show" Returns for an 11th Season
Kassidy Thomas (Staff Writer)
After the hot girl summer simmered to a chill, Wendy is back on air in The Big Apple for her highly anticipated eleventh season. For those unware, Ms. Williams announced at the end of season ten she was filing for divorce from husband of twenty-two years, Kevin Hunter. Over the summer Wendy has been out and about, making tv appearances and hosting events frequently accompanied by some of our favorite A-list celebrities including Meek Mill, Kim Kardashian, Snoop Dog, Kris Jenner and more. There’s a new Wendy that is vibrant, fresh and likeable as she becomes one of America’s favorite tv and radio personalities.
As the seasons 10th episode begins Wendy prances out of the purple doors ever so lightly in a burnt orange plaid dress, sneakers and what looks to be a brand-new ash blonde wig. Never forgetting about her co-host – her studio audience, Wendy gratefully thanks them for coming to the show. With a signature “how you doin?” the show kicks off with the latest and hottest topics of pop culture. In this particular episode Wendy spills the inside scoop behind Tiny Harris’ Lamborghini robbery, Lil Kim’s Hip Hop Awards performance, JLo’s Cookie scandal and more. The Wendy Williams Show stands apart from other day time television due to her realness and her hate it or love it take on stories we want to know more about. If her opinion is wrong in any way or manner, Wendy makes it clear and always encourages celeberities to come set the record straight on the infamous purple couch. We see frequent pauses in production where Wendy will pause an entire game show segment to compliment an audience members sparkly red blazer or to say happy birthday to someone in their homemade sash and crown. There’s no doubt about it, Wendy gives her fans their camera time and they love every bit of it.
Today’s special guest is nothing short of attitude and added fun. Singer, songwriter and former TV personality Tamar Braxton struts across the stage in short nude spanx, gold chains and strap-up heels. Visiting the show on her forty-second birthday, Tamar expresses she has encountered “less of a hot girl summer, and more like a luke warm summer with a filter on top.” Long time Wendy watchers know Tamar and Wendy have had a love/hate on again, off again relationship for over a decade steaming from nothing more than two bold personalities clashing into one another. It was pleasing to see the girls play nice today. With a fresh haircut, a new man and outlook on life Braxton approaches the interview with body positivity, focusing more on one’s mental health, true happiness and of course, “remain absolutely flawless with a pinch of unapologetic.”
This episode and show becomes deeper than Wendy and her usual antics that have been on day time television since the early 2000’s. Viewers all around the world are receiving a more open, personable Wendy. We tracked Wendy’s “Hot Girl Summer” so closely due to her finally being introduced to Instagram. There is no secret Wendy is living her best life right now, she returned from her summer hiatus stronger than ever. Single for the first time in over twenty-five years Williams is focused on crafting the remainder of her year and career.
Carnival Rowe: Episode One
Roscoe Odom (Staff Writer)
In the post- “Game of Thrones” television landscape, many TV series have attempted to fill the void left by the fantasy titan. In that show, lavish battle scenes and cut-throat power-grabs enthralled viewers around the world. Though the new Amazon Prime series “Carnival Row” is a sound exploration of the fantasy and world-building genres, don’t expect the same high-budget battles that drew in many GOT followers. “Carnival Row” instead chooses to focus on the tense social interactions that are typically ignored in the fantasy genre.
Created by Rene Echevarria and Travis Beachman, who have worked on science-fiction productions such as “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Pacific Rim respectively, “Carnival Row” does a good job of tying together complex social and political nuances with extensive, yet brief exposition. The opening sequence quickly and effectively sets the scene: Tiernanoc, a continent that supposedly contains most of the sentient, non-human creatures of the world, is under siege by the nations of humankind. A bloody war between two of these nations in the Pact and the Tiernanoc-allied Burge breaks out, eventually seeing the Burge back out of the war leaving the Tiernanese inhabitants defenseless. This establishes the primary conflict in the series as many of these inhabitants including the Fae (fairies), Pucks (Fauns), and others are forced to flee their homeland seeking refuge in the Burge. This quick summation of setting is portrayed firsthand and given life through the Fae character Vignette (Cara Delevingne). In the first episode we see her flee from the Pact-occupied Tiernanoc. The action and violence against the Fae, shown using gaudy special effects and quick camera work, builds up initial excitement for the series while showing, through an emotional performance from Delevingne, the tragic life the Fae are escaping. But the initial excitement the show is seemingly put out by episode’s end.
As the episode shifts to the Burge, which is serving as haven for Tiernanese creatures, the heavy, all-encompassing action becomes more insular. Following the story of Philo (Orlando Bloom), a Burgish detective, the show becomes more of an homage to Victorian sensibilities. Combat between Humans and Fairies gives way to a Sherlock-like investigation by Philo and sequences of social posturing by the elite Spunrose siblings (Tamzin Merchant and Andrew Gower), who eventually take Vignette into their home in exchange for housework. Though intricate set and costume design musing glittering fantasy themes and harsh steam-punk etches create a setting of notable interest in itself, the decision for the story to center around these matters of urban life is at one instance a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre, but at another leaves the viewer wanting more. I found myself wanting to see and know more about Tiernanoc and the ongoing war to exterminate the Fae there, but instead was met with a murder-mystery that could just as easily take place in any other setting. Why build a complex world only to focus on the most mundane parts of it? However, this detective story would bring greater focus to one of the most endearing parts of the show.
As Philo attempts to solve the mystery of a sequence of racially-charged attacks on Fae in the Burge, the viewer starts to understand the nuances of the social and political world of the bustling Republic. Open racism towards the Tiernanese by the Burgish pervades throughout the episode and a complex relationship beyond the battlefields of most fantasy series is explored. One line from Fae prostitute, Tourmaline (Karla Crome), gives insight into this complex relationship. She says to Philo of his investigation “A racist with a hammer is beating us where he finds us, and we don’t see too many of you lot out here giving a shit,” implying the Burgish cold acceptance of the Tiernanese. Racial slurs aimed at the Fae such as ‘critch’ and ‘tink’ gives the show life and detail.
The show also builds interest through the slow reveal of the mysterious pasts of Philo and Vignette who were lovers in Tiernanoc during the war but somehow were split apart, establishing strong emotional investment.
Unfortunately, “Carnival Row” is a show that could never fill the giant shoes left by “The Game of Thrones” franchise. The viewer only sees a small portion of the vast world it has created and only gets short glimpses of action that many expect in the genre. But by giving greater attention to the intricate social issues it establishes, it just might be able to hold you over until the next fantasy-blockbuster comes along.
This Is Us
Catie Cornell (Staff Writer)
With the introduction of streaming services, a lot of cable television died. A lot. Not all. One cable show that has consistently stuck out since it’s pilot episode aired back in 2016, is, you guessed it, “This Is Us.”
“This Is Us,” is centered around the unique Pearson family; who takes the show’s audience for a series of shocking twists and turns from the pilot episode. The show has absolutely exploded. When it airs on NBC Tuesday nights at 9, there is a loyal fanbase who producers can count on to be watching. Social media typically erupts after every episode, as viewers comment on the unexpected surprises of that night’s dramatic episode.
Most recently, was this past Tuesday’s. Currently, the show is on it’s fourth season, and Tuesday’s episode, titled, “Unhinged,” was the third episode. For only it’s third episode into the season, viewers are already getting a taste of what to expect in the near future. The episode gives viewers a sense of the direction being taken by the show, without ever confirming anything. That way, viewers think they know, but do they?
“Unhinged” continues to dive into the storyline of the season’s new characters introduced in the first episode. While jumping from plot to plot, writers of the show have the audience on an emotional, and logical, rollercoaster. The show, and this episode in particular, is not one where you can be checking your phone and still understand what’s going on. There are minor details in every scene that end up meaning something, even if at the time they seemed so insignificant.
he show moves from a variety of time periods with a variety of characters, as it has done since season one, however, it never becomes confusing. As long as you are paying attention, the plotline is easy to follow, and each episode, including the most recent, fills in what you once thought were plot holes. I guess we should know by now that Dan Fogelman, the creator of the show, doesn’t have plot holes. He just doesn’t.
It’s truly impossible to sit down and watch an episode without thinking, “oh wow,” “didn’t see that one coming,” or, “who even thinks like that?” Every episode, including Tuesday’s, and even almost every scene, is likely to leave a majority of viewers with slight goosebumps. The emotional depth of each character is explored in a way that other shows just don’t typically dare to attempt. Between Jack, Rebecca, Randall, Kevin, and Kate there is just so much to offer.
There is no star of the episode. There really is no star of the show. Each of the actors is provided the perfect writing material to show their talents. Each of the actors was designed to play the roles they were given- and you can tell that by the ease they seem to convey in portraying their character’s stories.
Maybe streaming didn’t kill cable television. Maybe it was bad writing or bad acting. Maybe that’s why “This Is Us” is saving the cable industry, because its writing and acting both kick ass.
Pen15 is a Wholesomely Funny Comedy about Female Adolescence
Lilly McEachern (Staff Writer)
The first season of “Pen15” reignites all of the traumatic awkwardness of middle school with a crude, coming-of-age humor. Hanna and Maya are two best friends navigating their first year of middle school in familiar ways: first kiss, first bra, first thong, first time masturbating, first time drinking, etc. Set in the year 2000, millennials are taken back to the days of dial up internet, AOL Instant Messaging, and way too much Green Day. But even if your middle school experience came within the digital age-- like mine --there are so many deeply relatable elements that make the show a timeless recount of everyone’s least favorite life phase.
Pen15 just wrapped up its first season on Hulu. The creators of the show, Maya Erksine and Anna Konkel, are two 31 year-old women who play caricatured versions of their seventh grade selves… but all the other characters are actual child actors. Sounds like a recipe for a creepy, predatory disaster but the show is somehow harmlessly charming.
Maya and Hannah lean on each other to face the challenges of mean boys, popular girls, and peer pressure. Their friendship is rock solid, but one miniscule misunderstanding can cause all of that to crumble, as middle school friendships tend to go. In the sixth episode of the first season, Maya and Hannah are assigned a group project to talk about the dangers of osteoporosis. The episode begins with Maya Ishii-Peters, a Japanese American, hiding all of the traditional trinkets and food in her house in preparation for the “cool girls” to come over to work on the project. In their Spice Girls inspired video, the other girls have Maya play the servant because she’s “different.” They give Maya a racist nickname, but her discomfort is trumped by desperation to be liked. Hannah laughs along, but realizes something’s off. It is a classic juvenile interpretation of complicated racial issues.
With Maya grappling with her cultural and physical differences from her best friend and most of the other kids at school, Hannah is clumsily facing the question of whether or not she is racist by not standing up to the other girls for teasing Maya. Her well-intended but failed attempts to celebrate her best friend’s heritage and bring attention to racism cause a rift between the two friends that is anything but adolescent.
Real-life best friends Maya Erksine and Anna Konkel have remarkable chemistry as Maya and Hannah. With a seamless oscillation between mature humor and prepubescent naivety, Konkle and Erskine sink into their pre-teen personas. They have mastered the slumped body language and hesitant speech of two self-conscious teenage girls so well that it is easy to forget you are watching two grown ass womengrappling with their emerging sexuality. The brilliant character dynamics between Konkle, Erskine and the supporting actors are what keep Pen15 honest and ageless. Their scenes with Sam Rappoport (Becca) and Anna Pniowsky (Heather), the two popular girls, are some of the most memorable and entertaining of the first season.
In addition to its unique cast and content, the show’s ability to capture the subtleties of female tweenhood are unmatched. So many movies and television shows depict the growing pains of young teenage boys, but Pen15 is a refreshing new rhyme that celebrates the changing female body and mind. Teenage girl characters are usually portrayed somewhere between an over-developed, well-beyond-her-years sex symbol, or an exaggeratedly innocent child. Pen15 rejects this dichotomy and goes for a more accurate oscillation between overconfidence and flailing insecurity.