S04.E02: Episode Two

[maraleia]

 

Matt tries to solve his financial troubles; networks compete for Sean and Beverly's new show.

 

[calico]

This show has to be one of the well-written and acted comedies on t.v.   I get at least 3-4 laughs - actual laughs - from each episode.  How is it that nobody knows about it?  I just found it a couple months ago (someone mentioned it in The Comeback forum) and zipped thru the first 3 seasons in a couple weeks.

 

The whole Andrew meeting was perfection.  I love how that character keeps vexing Sean and Bev.  I'm amazed how vile LeBlanc is willing to portray himself as himself in this series.  The firing of his beach sweeper (beach sweeper!) of 18 years was excruciating.  It makes me think he must be a decent guy in real life because nobody with that actual level of narcissism would participate in this kind of portrayal.  

Edited January 15, 2015 by calico

[sum]

Yeah, that part was so harsh yet so funny at the same time! I guess he'd rather enjoy filming those scenes.

Last May on The Graham Norton Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41j-2hqGGRI#t=720

Talking about Episodes, in which he plays a dark version of himself, LeBlanc says, “In the beginning I was like, ‘What do you mean I’m playing myself?’ and they said, ‘We’re not making a documentary. It’s a scripted comedy so if you are uncomfortable with anything we won’t use it.’ That was fine and it was really good but now it’s come full circle and I’m pitching ideas to the writers and they are like, ‘That’s gross, we don’t want you to do that. Keep that one to yourself and don’t tell anyone you did that.’”

 

Or on Conan, http://teamcoco.com/video/matt-leblanc-creepy-paris-fan

CONAN: Now, what I have noticed is that the writers seem to enjoy sort of having fun with you and your image and kind of giving you a hard time in the writing.
Do you ever feel like they're taking it too far because they are talking about Matt LeBlanc.
It's not really you, but it's a version of you.
Do you ever get your feelings hurt or tell them, hey, lay off?
MATT: It's funny, in the beginning I was sort of skeptical, there are areas I don't want to talk about.
I don't know.
I kind of rather be more private than that.
So it was a little skeptical.
Now it's at the point where I'm pitching ideas and they're protecting me from myself saying no, no, no, you can't, you can't do that.
We have to -- we want people to keep watching.
What's the matter with you?

[Pallas]

Matt:  "Not one of those cars is an asshole."  

 

And his "Great, huh?" smile fading into petulance as Sean makes sport of LeBlanc de Blanc.  It's a gaze he first perfected on Friends, but it's a classic.  Like a dog figuring out that you're just pretending you are going to throw the ball. 

[Fisher King]

Yes! And

Myra is back

this episode.

[xaxat]

I love Carol and Beverly's conversations! They have the best, most realistic friendship on TV.

 

Does Beverly wear that red and grey stripped top every episode? Is that a running gag I failed to pick up on for over three seasons?

 

Speaking of running gags, have the writers of the show pushed back references to the supposed air date of Kelly Girl over the seasons? I can't cite any particular scenes, but I remember originally thinking that it aired in the 80s/90s. Then it felt like something from the seventies. And at the beginning of this season, the old stagehand's comment made it seem like it was from the dawn of the television era.

 

Even as a straight dude, I covet Carol's wardrobe. It's fabulous!

[Pallas]

Another thing about Matt's scene with his Financial People.  The other two actors are pushing, are indicating, are "playing funny," even though they have the straight lines.  Matt meanwhile has some very funny lines he has to serve up, and some simply outrageous lines he has to land -- and he's completely at ease, perfectly real.  He might as well be home watching TV in sweats and a hoodie.

 

Watching Bev and Sean play the Hollywood game is a little like watching the Starks wend their way through Westeros.  I keep wondering, Okay, so...now how will everything go wrong?

[Danny Franks]

God, Andrew Leslie makes my skin crawl! He is such an incredible mix of obsequious and smug arrogance that I want to punch every little bit of it out of him. Oliver Kieran-Jones is doing an amazing job with this role, and while I hate him on the screen, I can see that his presence is so necessary for the show.

 

Loved the contrast between his desperate to please assistant, and Wendy. Who is almost as infuriating, in her own way.

 

This was a great example of how good a sport Matt LeBlanc must be, to let himself be such a dick on this show. He's so selfish and has his priorities so fucked up, but still manages to come across as genuinely likeable. You can understand how he acts like he does, and still has friends (though not Friends, as this show has established). I really like the dynamic between Matt and his ex-wife, in all it's love/hate glory.

 

The meetings with the network execs were great, and more evidence that Matt is not the only guy without an ego in this project. David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik have such a skewering awareness of the stream of bullshit and false promise and extravagant compliments that Hollywood and television run on, and they're not hesitant about putting it out there for everyone to laugh at.

 

"It's clever! You can totally tell English people wrote it." While that's such a daft line, I'm going to take it as a compliment to my nation.

 

I was really enjoying Helen Basch, from her first scene with Carol where she seemed so put together and smart, and then figured where they were going to go with the new show idea. And then Helen nailed the meeting. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop and for her to be shown to be insane. It hasn't yet, and I hope it doesn't. I want her to become an ally, rather than an opponent. I also love how Carol seems to adore whoever her boss is. She's like a baby animal, imprinting on the strongest presence in the room.

 

One thing I want: More scenes with Matt and Carol, because they would be so funny playing off one another, and I realised when rewatching season 3 that they have almost no scenes together.

[Hecate7]

I worry that Helen is going to turn out to be setting up a situation specifically to utterly crush Carol. She'll pretend to be her guide and mentor, pretend to want what's best for this show, and all the while is leading them on the road to ruin to get some trivial revenge on Carol. I hope not. I hope she's as awesome as she seems.

[joelene]

Yeah I hope they don't go down that road with Helen and Carol either. I loved what they did with their shared past. Past difficulties over a man is far less interesting and done than whatever I'm sure these writers can cook up.

God, Myra, how I've missed you. I started laughing when she didn't realise the show they were talking about was about puppets and then throughout I couldn't stop whenever Myra spoke. I had tears in my eyes by the end of the scene. Great gag about them never having asked what's going on in her belly area. I'm just imagining how many retakes they must do whenever she's in a scene. I can't believe they're not pissing themselves with laughter.

I can't remember the line verbatim but another favorite was, "You tried to convince her to stay with the man with the rage?" "Sometimes rage!"

Edited January 18, 2015 by joelene

[Danny Franks]

Yeah I hope they don't go down that road with Helen and Carol either. I loved what they did with their shared past. Past difficulties over a man is far less interesting and done than whatever I'm sure these writers can cook up.

 

They had Helen go with the mature, 'my ex is a lying sack of shit, and I know it. Why blame this woman for that?' route, and she seemed sincere. If they go back on that in some 'women be crazy when someone messes with their man' trope, I'd be so disappointed. She should feel sorry that Carol fell for this douchebag's charms, and that it cost her her job, and the two of them can work together and make great (well... decent) television.

 

You know what I'd like, building on my earlier point of Carol adoring whoever her boss is? Carol starting to think she has a crush on Helen, because she can't tell the difference between professional admiration and personal desire. I think Kathleen Rose Perkins would absolutely knock that storyline out of the park. I can just imagine the conversations she'd have with Beverly about it.

[Ailianna]

You know what I'd like, building on my earlier point of Carol adoring whoever her boss is? Carol starting to think she has a crush on Helen, because she can't tell the difference between professional admiration and personal desire. I think Kathleen Rose Perkins would absolutely knock that storyline out of the park. I can just imagine the conversations she'd have with Beverly about it.

I love this idea! As far as we know, Carol has never had a boss she didn't sleep with, has she? I love this show and am basically never disappointed, but I really want to see this now.

[Pallas]

I also love how Carol seems to adore whoever her boss is. She's like a baby animal, imprinting on the strongest presence in the room.

 

That's wonderful.  A haplessly sexualized baby animal, maybe.  And you're so right that Carol probably can't help but imagine she's in love with HELEN BASCH.  

 

I can just imagine the conversations she'd have with Beverly about it.

 

"Do you think that's why I was sleeping with her husband?"  

[lucindabelle]

It's a running gag that Morning is in her 50s... Her parents are in he heir 90s (how is that possible? One of them wondered) and she mentioned doing a telethon for three mile island last season. Three mile island was in 79.

And remember her daughter is 18...

[iMonrey]

The plane is off the table!

 

I'm just bracing myself for something to go horribly wrong with The Opposite of Us, but at the same time I'm intrigued to know more about what it's about. Sounds like two families that are the complete opposite but the actors play the roles of both families. That would be an interesting show. How will the network ruin it?

 

I love the running gag how Bev can always be bribed with gift bags.

[Danny Franks]

The plane is off the table!

 

I'm just bracing myself for something to go horribly wrong with The Opposite of Us, but at the same time I'm intrigued to know more about what it's about. Sounds like two families that are the complete opposite but the actors play the roles of both families. That would be an interesting show. How will the network ruin it?

 

For a start, casting Matt LeBlanc as one (or is it two?) of the leads? I'm guessing there will be some convoluted process that they need to offer him a job in their next big show to stop him going to NBC, and naturally they'll think this is the best choice, because of his relationship with Sean and Beverly.

 

And I have to say, I do like that Matt seems to genuinely like both of them, and that they both (reluctantly in Beverly's case) like him. It's a nice little trio. I enjoy the scenes where Matt and Beverly are getting on, however brief they are.

[iMonrey]

I'm sure this has come up before, but can anyone figure out what Matt's ringtone is supposed to be? It sounds like a theme song from some game show.

[ganesh]

Carol starting to think she has a crush on Helen, because she can't tell the difference between professional admiration and personal desire.

 

This is a great idea. 

 

I'm old enough now that I have a few friends that are married. And old enough that I was friends with each before they got married. I like that Sean and Bev are a legit married couple and not tv married. 

 

I have to agree with Sean that financially they should shop the script around. I like that they both went into the day with zero fucks to give. I really think the actor playing Helen is a great choice. I've seen her on a bunch of other stuff and she's really good. 

 

It's almost too weird that Helen "got" their script. I don't want this season to be a retread of the same problems with just a different show. I get that MLB will probably be in it because that's the show. I'm still pulling for Pucks to be actually good and then this new show is good too. Everyone wanting a piece of them is going to be annoying for Bev I'm sure. 

 

Bev's gift bag obsession is hilarious as is MLB knowing to go right there to reel her in.

[Muffyn]

Of course Helen Basch may have known exactly what to say to Bev and Sean because Bev is close friends with Carol.  While it's an on-going issue that Carol doesn't really listen, she may have actually let some of Bev's issues with LA sink in.  I too look forward to seeing Carol fall in love with Helen.  

[ganesh]

I'm not sure Carol would have picked up on Sean/Bev not wanting to go with name actors. They've never said that before. Carol probably is aware that Bev is sour overall on the process of making a tv show, but Bev isn't like a 'tell her what she wants to hear' person. What could Carol tell her? Sean and Bev are actually good writers, they got dicked over by the previous network head, and their show kind of sucks now. The pilot actually tested well.

 

They've kind of already gone down this road, so it would be a new direction if Helen actually knew her shit. I have a feeling that Bev doesn't deal well with success. I want to see that. 

[xaxat]

Of course Helen Basch may have known exactly what to say to Bev and Sean because Bev is close friends with Carol.  While it's an on-going issue that Carol doesn't really listen, she may have actually let some of Bev's issues with LA sink in.  I too look forward to seeing Carol fall in love with Helen.  

 

While Carol may seem to offer creative opinions, she always couches them in really ambiguous phrases designed to make it seem as if she was always in agreement with the person in power no matter what decision they eventually make. She never lobbies (even when it concerns the possibility of her being promoted), it's more like "Option "x" shows promise, but option "y" sure sounds exciting. . . What do you think? " 

 

That's one of the reasons I like the Bev/Carol friendship. Even though Carol realizes Bev is the one person she can't BS, she still halfheartedly tries, and Bev is more than happy to call her on it.

 

I'm not too worried about Carol. In the messed up world of that fictional network, she's an adept survivor.

Edited January 20, 2015 by xaxat

[Fisher King]

I'm sure this has come up before, but can anyone figure out what Matt's ringtone is supposed to be? It sounds like a theme song from some game show.

 

Two Time by Syd Dale?

 

 

 

 

Edited to add: I wanted to post only the YT clip link, not for the video to embed here. Not sure how to do that.

Edited January 20, 2015 by Fisher King

[ganesh]

While Carol may seem to offer creative opinions, she always couches them in really ambiguous phrases designed to make it seem as if she was always in agreement with the person in power no matter what decision they eventually make.

 

Carol did push for Pucks to go to series and convinced Merk at the time. I think she's legit as an exec, but she's also smart enough to do what she needs to, to keep her job. As much as I like Sean and Bev, Carol is more complex. 

[Sakura12]

Carol being like a baby animal imprinting on the strongest personality standing next to her, explains her completely. I would also love if she thinks she's in love with Helen along with Bev's reaction to that confession. 

 

Andrew Leslie is so schwarmy and it's awesome. Bev and Sean having to keep interacting with him is also great. Matt knowing how to bribe Bev was gift bags is still a great gag. I loved when they were at the award ceremony for Merc and she went around collecting a bunch of them. 

 

Matt being unwilling to give up anything was hilarious. "The plane is off the table!"  

 

We have a lot of Bromances on television and not many real friendships between women. So Carol and Bev's friendship on this show is another highlight. I love they have so many scenes of them (in a short season), just sitting around talking, drinking wine and smoking pot. 

 

A lot of my returning shows have been disappointing me this season, I'm so happy this show is still amazing and fun. The new shows I started watching are great, but I've given up on two shows already this year. Until Episodes aired I was beginning to think I was watching TV wrong or something this year. 

Edited January 20, 2015 by Sakura12

[Danny Franks]

We have a lot of Bromances on television and not many real friendships between women. So Carol and Bev's friendship on this show is another highlight. I love they have so many scenes of them (in a short season), just sitting around talking, drinking wine and smoking pot. 

 

Along with those great scenes of them walking together. Carol doing the posture-correct, efficient exercise marching or whatever it is, and Beverly just slouching along reluctantly. I love how they can poke fun at each other, and the friendship really is a two-way street, and not just Beverly tolerating Carol.

 

Thinking about their friendship and bromances, in the first season (and the second, to a lesser extent), there was a lot more of the Sean/Matt bromance, and that seemed to be the main relationship being built. But at some point, it seems they decided to move away from it and focus on Beverly/Carol as the 'exclusive' friendship, and have Matt spend more time with Sean and Beverly as a trio, and more time with guest characters. Hmm. That's got me wondering what influenced those decisions....

 

I also liked that little moment in the elevator in the last episode, where Eileen Jaffey and Carol high-fived when Beverly agreed to do the show. Lovely little moment between two characters who haven't really had time together, but must know each other from their various negotiations and mutual contacts.

 

With the amount of awesome television women who have been ruined (or at least had their shows ruined) over the last twelve months, I'm so glad that Carol is still great. She could so easily be awful, with her selfishness and the way she falls into bed with the terrible choices she makes in men, but the writing of the character as a whole is strong enough, and Kathleen Rose Perkins' performances are strong enough, to keep her likeable and sympathetic, even while you shake your head at some of the things she does.

[Sakura12]

Their hiking scenes are great. That is where some of their best scenes happened. I specially loved when Carol thought Bev was taking her new show to another network behind her back and she kept making passive aggressive remarks and copying Bev's accent and the best thing was Bev had no idea what she was talking about. 

 

This show is so great. 

[cattykit]

Well, you have Bev and Carol hiking in the hills, and then you have Eileen working the treadmill in her spike heels...

 

I don't know if it's better or worse for me that I never saw ML in anything else before this show. 

 

I kept waiting for ML to tell the financial guys he was going to stop paying their fees, but he never did.  So who gets to sweep the beach from now on?

[SoothingDave]

I got the feeling that their agent was feeding lines to Carol and Helen about what to say to Sean and Beverly.  She wants to get paid, after all.  After the earlier meetings, she knew what they wanted to hear.

I'm sure this has come up before, but can anyone figure out what Matt's ringtone is supposed to be? It sounds like a theme song from some game show.

 

I'm thinking Newlywed Game. It's definitely game show music from the 70s.

[Inquisitionist]

The ringtone music question has been another thread, but here's another link for you.  It's not The Newlywed Game.

 

[syd Dale]'s music is still used in productions today. For example, his "Beauty Parade" was used in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Spy Buddies" when Plankton get all of the customers out of Mr. Krabs's restaurant, the Krusty Krab. Plankton played it very loudly while flying over the Krusty Krab in his blimp. In the TV comedy series Episodes, the tune "Two Time" is the ringtone on Matt Leblanc's iPhone. "Man Friday" was used as the theme tune to LWT's Tarrant on TV; and in the episode of "Speed 3" with Milkman Pat Mustard, in Father Ted.

[Pallas]

I got the feeling that their agent was feeding lines to Carol and Helen about what to say to Sean and Beverly.  She wants to get paid, after all.  After the earlier meetings, she knew what they wanted to hear.

 

Which makes HELEN BASCH's performance in the meeting almost frightening, because she -- the character -- was as smooth and at ease as is Matt LeBlanc the actor, doing "Matt."  She's the first character who doesn't show even a hint of desperation or despair.  Matt's ex-wife comes closest, but then again, she has her ex to deal with...

 

And that may bode ill for Carol, if HELEN BASCH was likewise coolly, equably playing Carol in their first meeting.  Just more of what she does for a living: coming across as each person's version of a real-life, exquisitely professional, Magic Pixie Sandberg.

[ganesh]

Why is HELEN being capitalized? Is there some joke?

[maraleia]

Why is HELEN being capitalized? Is there some joke?

I think the poster did that because her first and last name are always used in conversation.

[Pallas]

And when mentioning her, Carol and Andy kept pronouncing her full name in full caps, complete with vaulting eyebrows.

[RedHackle]

I know I'm echoing a lot of what others have already said, but I have to throw in my love for this show.  It's one of the tastiest treats of my week, and this ep was another bonbon.  I have laughed out loud at some point in almost every episode (the fight scene between Matt and Sean at the end of season 1 was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.  It is not easy to do slapstick well.)  And, as others have pointed out, Matt firing Jose (omg omg omg).  Also, my new favorite new Matt moment, which was his reaction to Wendy when she said "hi" to him.  I have no words to describe the greatness of his reaction. (Sorry, that may have actually been last week.)  Unlike with almost every other show I watch, I don't have a single complaint about this show.  It's pretty much perfect. And I'm just blown away by the guy who plays Andrew Leslie - I of course loathe him on behalf of Sean and Bev but somehow, the actor continues to be hilarious in the role.  I also love Matt's ex-wife.    I've even come to love Morning, which is another indication of how good this show is.  Tell me another show that's consistently better than this one.  You will fail.  This is the Breaking Bad of sitcoms.

[iMonrey]

I'm assuming Bev and Sean's first meeting was with Fox, because Eileen has consistently referred to "Kim Sally at Fox," and we even saw Kim Sally that one time Sean agreed to meet her for lunch last season. But I can't remember if it's the same actress, and she wasn't identified as "Kim" during this meeting. It wouldn't really make much sense if it was someone else because Kim Sally is the one who's been fighting tooth and nail to get this script - only to piss all over the main "gimmick" of it. But it cracks me up because Fox is notoriously idiotic when it comes to their own programming.

 

I'm also guessing the second meeting was with CBS since that's the other network they've named as being interested in The Opposite of Us, and we even got a cameo of Les Moonves last season calling Sean and Bev personally. Guess he wasn't available for this episode. 

 

It's clever how they've managed for four seasons to avoid naming the actual network Carol works for. We know it's not Fox, ABC, NBC or CBS, because all of those networks have been mentioned by name as being other networks. We know it's not the CW or some cable network like TNT or USA because it was supposed be to be the number one network at some time in the past. Apparently in the world of Episodes, there's a fifth fictional big network and they've never said what it's called.

 

Lastly, I'm wondering how they are going to manage to work Merc back into this story. John Pankow is still in the opening credits but has had very little to do since he was fired. Helen Basch seems too good to be true; I'm afraid somehow Merc is going to wind up taking over the network again.

[Danny Franks]

It's clever how they've managed for four seasons to avoid naming the actual network Carol works for. We know it's not Fox, ABC, NBC or CBS, because all of those networks have been mentioned by name as being other networks. We know it's not the CW or some cable network like TNT or USA because it was supposed be to be the number one network at some time in the past. Apparently in the world of Episodes, there's a fifth fictional big network and they've never said what it's called.

 

Lastly, I'm wondering how they are going to manage to work Merc back into this story. John Pankow is still in the opening credits but has had very little to do since he was fired. Helen Basch seems too good to be true; I'm afraid somehow Merc is going to wind up taking over the network again.

 

Clearly, this is a universe in which the WB never closed down. I like that Carol just works for this sort of 'everyman' network, though. They're bad, but it's not like the others are good, so they really just represent American television in general.

 

I really hope Merc doesn't end up taking over the network again. Honestly, I'd be happy if he never even appeared again. I was tired of him by the end of the first season, and every time he turns up, I just wait for him to go away again. He's good in the role, and the role is a pretty sharp representation of the kind of dope who seems to manage to make it in Hollywood, but I would just much rather see any of the other characters than Merc.