S03.08: Yes, And

[peachmangosteen]

Airs May 23rd.

[SoMuchTV]

When this ended, I thought, oh! This must be the season finale!  Until I managed to push the right buttons on my remote and see the preview for the actual season finale. 

[JeanJean]

1 hour ago, SoMuchTV said:

When this ended, I thought, oh! This must be the season finale!  Until I managed to push the right buttons on my remote and see the preview for the actual season finale. 

Is there only one episode left?

[incandescent]

Whaaa, this wasn't the season finale??

[txhorns79]

I was glad it didn't turn into a situation where something Ava said to the reporter that ended up sinking Deborah.  I also loved people repeatedly shutting down Ava by telling her they had a boyfriend or girlfriend. 

I did appreciate that Deborah was able to get over herself, and actually sit down and listen to the students who were upset over her past material. 

It did feel like a season finale, but I am glad it was not one. 

[Quickbeam]

Marcus and the “little Debbie” made me bust out laughing. 
 

OMG the older gay guy fan’s little speech was so lovely. 
 

Jean Smart is made of win. She’s just brilliant. 

[SoMuchTV]

2 hours ago, JeanJean said:

Is there only one episode left?

 

1 hour ago, incandescent said:

Whaaa, this wasn't the season finale??

From the previews, it seemed like there was one episode left. Which seems at odds with the normal two-episode-a-week release.  Maybe it’s a longer episode?

[Badlands]

Would it be weird if I got teary eyed when Deborah got the show? If so, then that definitely didn't happen.

Yes, there are 9 episodes this season, so one more.

Like txhorns97, I was afraid Ava would say someone to the reporter that would end up hurting Deborah. It was hilarious when Ava asked if she had spoken to the elves and we got a "What?" "What?"

 

 

[ruby24]

I thought the kid who stood up in the town hall to seemingly do her own, alternate jokes was weird. Was that supposed to be funny?

[peachmangosteen]

12 hours ago, Badlands said:

Would it be weird if I got teary eyed when Deborah got the show? If so, then that definitely didn't happen.

I actually teared up a couple times in this ep.

I continue to think this is Hannah Einbinder's season. She is consistently fantastic.

[sskrill]

6 hours ago, ruby24 said:

I thought the kid who stood up in the town hall to seemingly do her own, alternate jokes was weird. Was that supposed to be funny?

That scene was weird. "We're not here to shame anyone" proceeds to treat her like shit knowing she didn't have to show up at all.

Ava's desperation for the students to think of her as a peer was hilarious.  They're 19, you're 26+, so no, they don't see you that way.

And I agree about the elves "What?" "What?"

 

[ahpny]

20 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I did appreciate that Deborah was able to get over herself, and actually sit down and listen to the students who were upset over her past material. 

I thought this was surprisingly well written. It's almost too easy to ridicule excessive wokeness. But the writters took a more nuanced and ultimately deft path: they stood up for criticism that was indeed valid, and did so without anyone yelling or being overly santimonious. (I could have done without Debra's speech literally being cancelled because of several 30 year old comedy routines, but whatever.) 

But Debra accepted that criticism and understood why people were upset. Just because you suffered doesn't prevent or absolve you from hurting others. 

[Lois Sandborne]

Ava once again got the loudest laugh out of me: "Y'all are wifed up!"

At first I didn't understand what Marcus was so mad about, so I really liked his talk at the bar with the older fan about letting go. And him shouting out random numbers to make the hook up forget Deborah's was really funny.

I'm a little tired of the "college kids + cancel culture" trope. I liked Ava not letting Deborah get away with handwaving all her old jokes, but the town hall stuff was a little tired.

I loved the moment Jimmy told her she got the job.

[SoMuchTV]

12 hours ago, ruby24 said:

I thought the kid who stood up in the town hall to seemingly do her own, alternate jokes was weird. Was that supposed to be funny?

I really thought she was going to be something more in the story. Like Deborah is so impressed she hires her as a writer, or Deborah is so ticked off that she carries a grudge and makes sure she never makes it as a standup, or something…?

[TakomaSnark]

I love love love this show and I understand the constraints they are under with such a short season.

But I had a hard time ignoring that in E7, there were several glaring editing issues (Jimmy and Kayla's multiple day visits to Larry Arbuckle's house really made no sense given that they were crosscut with Deborah's house on the day of her Christmas dinner, for example) along with plotting issues - being able to take out Deborah's competition for the late night gig in the span of one day's reading of a script.

Then this episode is set at least five months later (when else would one get an honorary degree but commencement) and maybe even six (Pride Month is June). In all that time, there's been no movement on Deborah's status getting the late night gig and in one weekend, her test show is cancelled *and* it's because they've decided she's the one?

I understand 'tv time' but those big leaps have been difficult to paper over this season.

I will say, I continue to be baffled at why people like Kayla. She's ridiculously unprofessional as well as incompetent and Marcus was right to be furious over it. Jimmy's meek admission that he spoke to her but she had her earbuds in the entire time was just... Please, get rid of her already. Terminally unfunny.

Very afraid for the curveball we'll get in the last episode. I'd love for this show to give us a Larry Sanders-style late night season but I expect something is going to derail Deborah's gig.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, TakomaSnark said:

I will say, I continue to be baffled at why people like Kayla. She's ridiculously unprofessional as well as incompetent and Marcus was right to be furious over it. Jimmy's meek admission that he spoke to her but she had her earbuds in the entire time was just... Please, get rid of her already. Terminally unfunny.

This isn't real so I don't care about her being unprofessional lol. And as I've said before, she consistently makes me laugh. And based on the likes from my post, it seems 9 others at least feel the same. My sister's fave part of the show is the Kayla/Jimmy dynamic. It's one of my faves, too. 

[chaifan]

I, too, thought "oh, no, Ava's going to fuck this up again with some off-the-cuff comment".  But nope, didn't happen.  Deborah's own history screwed her (almost) this time.

I said in the Christmas episode thread that I love how Deborah has really had growth and development over this series, and now I have to say the same about Ava.  It would have been easy to just go back to "Ava fucked it up", and I was just waaaaiting for it.  But that also would have been lazy writing, and this show is soooo much better than that.  Yeah, there was the elves quip, which was forking hilarious!  

I loved the scene with Ava and Deborah at the frat house, and Ava trying so so so hard to get through to her.  I had hoped that Deborah would have started her apology with something like "There's a rule in comedy.  Never apologize for a joke.  Never.  Well, fuck that rule..."  I loved the "I'm just going to listen."  Wow.  What a change from Season 1 Deborah.  

9 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

I really thought she was going to be something more in the story. Like Deborah is so impressed she hires her as a writer, or Deborah is so ticked off that she carries a grudge and makes sure she never makes it as a standup, or something…?

It would have been cool if Deborah, very straight faced, told Ava to bring that woman over after the event, with some tension about what would happen.  And then Deborah saying - you weren't only right, you're funny, get Ava's info and send her some of your stuff.  Or would that look too much like a pander at  buying her way to atonement?  I took the woman's jokes as something she's used to get through this - defusing the situation with humor - and that she's had to say this to people who don't get it several times.  

1 hour ago, TakomaSnark said:

Then this episode is set at least five months later (when else would one get an honorary degree but commencement) and maybe even six (Pride Month is June).

Damn.  That never even hit me.  Good spot on that.  You're right.  It really doesn't make any sense.  What a weird glitch for such an incredibly written show.  Also, didn't the old host say he was stepping down in 3 months?  Or am I remembering that wrong?

I agree with the criticism on Kayla - I think she's just too much.  Jimmy needs someone to play off of, so some type of character is necessary.  I'd love it if the over the top clueless part of Kayla was cut down about 50%.  (OK, 80% would be better.)  But the scene with her dad was great.  Why can't we see more of that Kayla?  

I loved the scene with Marcus and the super fan at the bar.  And I like that the conflict with the late night show's advertisers gives Marcus a good reason to leave Deborah, other than he's just pissed at her.  

Will there be a Season 4, or is next week's last episode the series finale?

 

 

[peachmangosteen]

15 minutes ago, chaifan said:

Will there be a Season 4, or is next week's last episode the series finale?

It's being billed as a season finale. I don't believe it's been renewed or cancelled yet. As long as the cast/writers/etc. want to continue, I assume it will be renewed since I figure it does well for Max.

Edited May 25 by peachmangosteen

[maddie965]

We need a whole season of Deborah hosting Late Night with Ava by her side! With very special guess! 

[Quickbeam]

I’m not a Kayla lover but watching her play her father was gold. I do need her to be competent at something, even if it is backstabbing.

[buckboard]

Re: timing of Pride Month in Palm Springs.  IRL, as someone else posted, it is in October/November, to avoid the heat of summer, but it does make more sense for it to be scheduled to conflict with graduation ceremonies.  (Which, BTW, were in May in Berkeley.)  TV calendaring to fit the plot.

As for Kayla, she is a pain, but remember that she has her job because of her father and it would be almost impossible to fire her.  Besides, she is less obnoxious than in earlier seasons.  It was her inside knowledge about the proposed host's desire to star in a Fatty Arbuckle movie that lead to getting him removed from contention and Deborah getting the job.  (Again, TV imagination.  Fatty was, after all, quite heavy as opposed to the actor who wanted to play him.)

[chaifan]

3 minutes ago, buckboard said:

As for Kayla, she is a pain, but remember that she has her job because of her father and it would be almost impossible to fire her. 

One minor correction... Kayla and Jimmy both quit the old firm, which was her dad's firm.  When Jimmy quit (because they were treating Deborah poorly), Kayla quit too, much to Jimmy's protests. 

I think Kayla and Jimmy are now partners, as I think she funded them at the beginning.  (Someone can correct me on this.)  I don't know if Jimmy can fire her, but he could break up the partnership.  But I think he needs her, or at least her money, for now. 

[Irlandesa]

15 hours ago, TakomaSnark said:

I will say, I continue to be baffled at why people like Kayla. She's ridiculously unprofessional as well as incompetent and Marcus was right to be furious over it. Jimmy's meek admission that he spoke to her but she had her earbuds in the entire time was just...

I hated Kayla in the first two seasons because she brought nothing to the table.  I was annoyed that a competent agent had to put up with the boss's daughter because she was the boss's daughter. But I think Kayla is up there with Ava as most improved for me because, even with her attitude, she has been bringing more to the table this season.

One, as chaifan said, she did fund Jimmy's new agency. That gives Jimmy more of a reason to actively engage with her. I also think she has had her moments this season like figuring out a way to get Jack Danby out of the way.

13 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I don't believe it's been renewed or cancelled yet. As long as the cast/writers/etc. want to continue, I assume it will be renewed since I figure it does well for Max.

Yeah but it's Max and Zazlov has been cancelling so much left and right. I think only Harley Quinn and And Just Like That have been renewed of all Max only shows (so not including things that aired on HBO as well.)  It's likely the most highly regarded of Max shows so I hope that's enough. 

[TakomaSnark]

21 hours ago, chaifan said:

What a weird glitch for such an incredibly written show.  Also, didn't the old host say he was stepping down in 3 months?  Or am I remembering that wrong?

I agree with the criticism on Kayla - I think she's just too much.  Jimmy needs someone to play off of, so some type of character is necessary.  I'd love it if the over the top clueless part of Kayla was cut down about 50%.  (OK, 80% would be better.)  But the scene with her dad was great.  Why can't we see more of that Kayla?  

I loved the scene with Marcus and the super fan at the bar.  And I like that the conflict with the late night show's advertisers gives Marcus a good reason to leave Deborah, other than he's just pissed at her.  

Will there be a Season 4, or is next week's last episode the series finale?

If the series weren't releasing two episodes at a time, it would probably not have been as glaring to me. I'd say the showrunners had no idea about that happening, except HBO did the same for season two in 2022. And this year, HBO had to do it in order for all of the episodes to be eligible for this year's Emmys, as the Television Academy eliminated the 'hanging episode' rule at the end of 2022. That rule previously allowed shows that aired a majority of episodes before May 31 to have them all eligible for that year's Emmys as long as those 'hanging' after May 31 aired before voting on nominations began. So season two had two 'hanging episodes' that aired on June 2, 2022 that were eligible for Emmys that year.

[LuvMyShows]

 

On 5/25/2024 at 9:57 AM, chaifan said:

But the scene with her dad was great.  Why can't we see more of that Kayla? 

I am a long-standing Kayla hater, but also had the same thought about the scene with her dad. That scene was the first time that her character hasn't bothered me. I realized that was because the character wasn't trying to "do" something or act a particular way. And since the actress seems to be pretty terrible in those situations, it was much better just seeing her "be". 

[chaifan]

I would have loved for Kayla to be written as she was in Season 1, but then have her flip a switch in Season 2 and show herself as an actual competent person in the entertainment management business.  The explanation?  She hated working for her dad but he'd cut her off if she didn't.  So she decided to act as incompetent as she could be, do her hardest to get herself fired, but it never worked.  And then once she left with Jimmy she reverted to her true, smart self. 

I commented in some other episode that what bugs me about Kayla is that every other character is written so that I could believe there is a real life equivalent out there.  But Kayla?   Nope.  Waaay too over the top.  So it is just a distraction for me. 

[aghst]

In one of the Inside the Episode segments, Paul Downs talked about being a fan of Megan Stalter and how they wanted to find some way to get her into the show because apparently she can riff off the cuff pretty well.

 

 

[pasdetrois]

On 5/24/2024 at 10:37 PM, Lois Sandborne said:

the town hall stuff was a little tired.

And predictable. The storyline would have worked better for me if it had been subtler. So maybe NOT the town hall.

[Alexander Pope]

On 6/1/2024 at 6:26 AM, pasdetrois said:

And predictable. The storyline would have worked better for me if it had been subtler. So maybe NOT the town hall.

I am a professor at UCLA, where this episode was filmed, and I am here to tell you that town halls (usually with grad students, not undergrads), are both predictable and highly realistic.  What's unrealistic would be any university administrator calling one!

Edited June 3 by Alexander Pope

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 5/24/2024 at 10:37 PM, Lois Sandborne said:

And him shouting out random numbers to make the hook up forget Deborah's was really funny.

It's really unlikely to me that Marcus wouldn't have a screen lock on his phone. Phones get lost.  And he should know better than to have Deborah listed under her real name.