Crashing - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Your Media Topic!

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

In the premiere of a comedy about a timid, aspiring comedian whose life is turned upside down by his wife's affair, Pete is consoled and taken in by Artie Lange as he struggles to find his place in the chaotic New York stand-up scene.

[biakbiak]

Nice review from Sepinwall.

[Primetimer]

Another successful comedian chronicles his less-successful beginnings, but is the show's travelogue structure enough to set it apart from the pack?

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[swimmyfish]

That's disappointing- I really enjoyed his stand up special and was looking forward to seeing more of him. I guess I'll stick to podcasts.

[bilgistic]

Am I the only one who watched his talk show? Did I dream he had one?

[Lisin]

31 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

Am I the only one who watched his talk show? Did I dream he had one?

I watched it! I really think if it had been an hour it would have done better. They always seemed short for time. 

[CofCinci]

I'm a huge Artie Lange fan - I even pay for his podcast.  I'm going to force myself to watch this even if it's crap to support Artie. 

[Muffyn]

This was really disappointing.  I like Pete Holmes but somehow he was the least interesting person by a long shot on his own show.  I'll hag on for a bot hoping it get better or at least the other characters bring the funny.

[albaniantv]

Another successful comedian chronicles his less-successful beginnings, but is the show's travelogue structure enough to set it apart from the pack?

View the full article

No. Definitely not for me. The actors and their characters are just too too dough-y and drab, don't care about any of them or want to see them again.

[mojoween]

I'm just here for TJ Miller and am disappointed he wasn't in the first ep.

There were a few laughs but not as many as to be expected from a show about comics.

[biakbiak]

I found the ep kind of boring but that is because I knew the story already.

I like Pete a lot so I will watch the entire series but he has along way to go as an actor.

[vb68]

It was a fair setup, I guess. I taped it because it was on after Girls. Sunday Nights. HBO. Since I'm a Pete newbie, I needed a bit more to see that he's actually funny. I didn't get that here.  The episode came alive when Artie showed up halfway through. And I hate to say it, but while not condoning cheating, it was a little too easy to see why his wife was frustrated.

I still think  the show has potential if we get to see his stand up evolve and improve. 

Edited February 21, 2017 by vb68

[biakbiak]

@vb68 Pete's HBO stand up special from December, Faces and Sounds, is OnDemand and HBOGo.

[msani19]

I mostly liked it, I can see where there's potential. It picked up when Artie Lange showed up, he surprised me because I don't recall finding him funny in the past. We cracked up at "What do you mean your wife supports you? You mean emotionally?” The best parts were when he was interacting with the other comedians so I think that will be what I enjoy in the show. 

Is it true that Pete Holmes is in his early 30s? I thought he was well into his 40s!

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, msani19 said:

it true that Pete Holmes is in his early 30s? I thought he was well into his 40s!

He is 37 he is playing a younger version of himself, though I think they made him older than he was when this all happened to him which was when he was in his late 20s.

[msani19]

6 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

He is 37 he is playing a younger version of himself, though I think they made him older than he was when this all happened to him which was when he was in his late 20s.

Woo. Thanks for clearing this up! 

[scrb]

When he walks on them a second time, they're doing some kind of gymnastics and he gives up at that point.

He should have let her stick her finger.

[vb68]

Quote

@vb68 Pete's HBO stand up special from December, Faces and Sounds, is OnDemand and HBOGo.

Thanks! I appreciate it!

Quote

 It picked up when Artie Lange showed up, he surprised me because I don't recall finding him funny in the past. We cracked up at "What do you mean your wife supports you? You mean emotionally?” 

I thought the whole way the relationship between Pete and Artie evolves in the episode was interesting.  Before Artie let Pete crash on his couch, it was a little hard to see if Artie was completely genuine. I don't know if he reached  actual frenemy levels, but the way Artie ditches Pete and runs at full tilt not just once but twice was hilarious.

[Beezella]

I liked this a little better after thinking about it, and rewatching a couple scenes. The tone is different than what I had been expecting, and I had to reset.  What I liked: all the bits on the train, especially the kids. That weird guy Lief's "L" tattoo on his chest a la Laverne from Laverne and Shirley. Arte Lange. Mr. Beezella ditched it early on, but I think I'll give it another episode.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Beezella
clarification

[vb68]

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That weird guy Lief's "L" tattoo on his chest a la Laverne from Laverne and Shirley.

Yes! I kept waiting for Pete to call him "Laverne", which I thought would be very easy for anyone with comic instincts.  The shape of the L even looked about the same.

[biakbiak]

Anyone who is new to Pete and doesn't want to so a deep dive into his podcast he is on the Nerdist.

[biakbiak]

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Pete wallows in his new reality, but Artie Lange snaps him out of it with an offer: In exchange for a ride to Albany, Pete can be Artie’s opening act. Pete meets co-headliner T.J. Miller and attempts to save Artie from breaking his sobriety by getting between him and the temptations of an ardent fan.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The Art of Crashing:

Inside Crashing:

Pete, Judd, and Artie talk about the show:

This or That with TJ:

 

Guest star fan club: Artie Lange

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Crashing into comedy:

The hardest time I laughed:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

While staying at T.J. Miller's place, Pete has the unsettling experience of witnessing a comic who can't "turn it off." Hearing from his wife, Jessica, Pete and T.J. travel upstate to her yard sale, where Pete unexpectedly teams up with Jess' new boyfriend, Leif, to get back a prized possession. After Jess voices her true feelings to Pete, the sale comes to a dramatic end.

Promo:

Edited March 6, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[scrb]

Never seen TJ Miller in anything outside of Silicon Valley.  Could see how Erlich is derived from his standup persona, if that's what he's like on stage.

So far, Pete the character isn't being developed so much as going on a series of adventures, kind of being dragged along by first Artie and now TJ  who for some reason are doing him favors.

They don't see him as a competitive threat in the same way Artie and TJ jaw against each other to be the alpha dog of Albany.

[mojoween]

TJ and Artie in the scene - good.  Pete trying to carry the show on his own - bad.

I like that song by Jars of Clay.  I have that cassette and it gives me 90's feelies.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The hardest time I laughed:

Guest star fan club - TJ Miller:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Crashing into comedy:

The hardest time I laughed:

Edited March 6, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

In an effort to get stage time, Pete spends the night handing out fliers for a comedy club, or "barking," as he later learns it's known in the comedy world. On the streets of New York, he finds himself encountering disinterested locals, befriending up-and-coming comics, engaging in a turf war with a rival barker and getting a pep talk from a veteran comedian.

Promo:

[DiabLOL]

I spent  about a year couch surfing  in NYC  and I think this show has some very nice details about how disorienting it is to wake up in someone else's specifically NYC home. Especially those who are in your field  but more successful vthan you are. And how you get oddly priviledged peeks into their most personal moments and sometimes  get sucked into their dramas and disfunctions while  your own act as brief entertainment distractions for them.

However this show has quite  a few glaring problems that surprise me as much as the ones with John Mulaney's failed sitcom did.

[auntiemel]

I do think this was the best episode so far. However, the fact that TJ Miller is my least favorite cast member, by far, on Silicon Valley and has been my most favorite cast member (again...by far) on this show while playing roughly the same character speaks volumes about the relative quality of the two shows.

[cpcathy]

The show is finally getting its groove. Enjoyed this episode.

[CofCinci]

Does Artie return?  I was tuning in for him. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Crashing into comedy:

[scrb]

I'm thinking they're going to have guest comics do a couple of episodes each.  Looks like Hannibal Burris is next.

They're like his inspiration or guide to this career aspiration Pete has.

Pretty brutal when Jess tells Pete she would support him in his career pursuit of being a standup if she was in love with him.

Instead, she's going to move to FL with Lief, who seems to be much nicer than Pete can tolerate.  How nice can he be if he takes another guy's wife away?

[vb68]

I'm late on this one, but I liked it more than the pilot. TJ is a good addition. I liked his very practical advice to Pete on comedy.  "You need to be doing six or seven sets a week minimum."  And TJ's honesty like Pete does need to learn how to hang and that  the only reason he (TJ) would go camping is to get material on camping.

From that perspective, if Pete is going to evolve as a comedian, I think TJ was a positive influence.

Pete's relationship with Artie continued to be pretty complicated. Some layers there, like peeling an onion. 

[vb68]

This episode added some needed depth on Pete's marriage.  It seems like he was just one of those guys who was happy and never really looked at his marriage and ignored some festering problems.   I hope he's finally ready to move on and really concentrate on his comedy.

Quote

Pretty brutal when Jess tells Pete she would support him in his career pursuit of being a standup if she was in love with him.

It's interesting and rather telling that Lief comes across as more sympathetic than her and actually has more empathy for Pete.

Edited March 8, 2017 by vb68

[JasminePhyllisia]

On ‎3‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 7:46 PM, vb68 said:

This episode added some needed depth on Pete's marriage.  It seems like he was just one of those guys who was happy and never really looked at his marriage and ignored some festering problems.   I hope he's finally ready to move on and really concentrate on his comedy.

It's interesting and rather telling that Lief comes across as more sympathetic than her and actually has more empathy for Pete.

Agreed, and agreed.  I can't get enough of Pete. I love the crappy, shabby outfit he was wearing at the yard sale--a too-small bright purple polo and those baggy brown pants.  Maybe he's worn it before but I only just noticed it in the yard sale scenes.  I also like his line about the couch, that it was real Crate & Barrel, not CB2.  And noticed at the end she hadn't sold it.

[biakbiak]

Quote

In an effort to get stage time, Pete spends the night handing out fliers for a comedy club, or “barking,” as he later learns it’s known in the comedy world. On the streets of New York, he finds himself encountering disinterested locals, befriending up-and-coming comics, engaging in a turf war with a rival barker and getting a pep talk from a veteran comedian.

[aradia22]

I like Pete Holmes' comedy. He's not my favorite comedian and I wasn't able to get into his podcast but if you were to ask me to name someone I thought would be good as the face of a TV show, he'd probably be near the top of the list. Acting ability aside, everyone's comedy doesn't naturally translate into a show. But I was excited for this. 

I wasn't disappointed. I still haven't watched any of Louie but of the comedian shows I have watched, right now I'd place this as a better version of the Jim Gaffigan show. I think Pete really quickly managed to capture his affable stage persona while also telling a more serious story... because his comedy can get very silly... PIERCE!

I also LOVED the music choices this episode. If they keep curating this well, I'm going to want a soundtrack, or at least a playlist, of music from the show. 

[aradia22]

Maybe it's because I'm already a fan but I'm more forgiving. I'm watching it as "oh, this person I like got a show" vs. "this is a character and I have no associations with the real person." But even if I try to put myself in the latter mindset, I still like the show. I think there's a temptation to go really crazy with the situations. I'm glad they didn't jump into that too quickly. Things are just... mildly over the top. Not completely insane. Like, there was the mugging and the Gina Gershon thing (which, considering the number of Showgirls references I drop in my recaps, I was of course happy about). But they haven't made it a complete fantasy world or hellscape. I don't think it needs TJ. He was fine but I don't think he brought anything in particular. 

[aradia22]

This episode was a little more subdued. More dealing with the actual drama around the marriage and breakup than the jokes. I still enjoyed it and there were a few laughs but yeah, more of a drama. I still haven't fallen into seeing it as a show. For example, when TJ is talking, especially about religion, I hear it as Pete's words coming out of his mouth. Also, I don't remember if Apatow had writing credits on the other episodes but this one felt a little more sentimental. I like the Leif thing more as a takedown of that trope. I don't think anyone should be taking his "wisdom" seriously. 

Quote

They're like his inspiration or guide to this career aspiration Pete has.

Again, maybe it's foolish but I'm kind of holding out hope that there's something I'm not seeing yet. I think someone mentioned in the last thread that it was weird that Artie and TJ both sort of adopted Pete and wanted to help him. I'm thinking there's perhaps a larger narrative we can't see yet that explains why this is happening. I mean, sure, he seems nice and his story is compelling in its way and you feel bad for him. But if this becomes a pattern, I feel like they might be trying to go for something. 

[Check Sanity]

19 hours ago, aradia22 said:

Again, maybe it's foolish but I'm kind of holding out hope that there's something I'm not seeing yet. I think someone mentioned in the last thread that it was weird that Artie and TJ both sort of adopted Pete and wanted to help him. I'm thinking there's perhaps a larger narrative we can't see yet that explains why this is happening. I mean, sure, he seems nice and his story is compelling in its way and you feel bad for him. But if this becomes a pattern, I feel like they might be trying to go for something. 

1

Maybe... but also comics are generally like that from what I've seen. As in, bringing someone under their wing and giving advice, while at the same time it's an ego stroke for them because now they're the one doing the mentoring. The early/late morning drunk(or not) comedy advice conversations are very accurately depicted. I know couch-crashing amongst comics who do shows in neighbouring cities is a thing, I can imagine NYC being its own special/weird ecosystem where such things happen. 

The one thing I'm still trying to wrap my head around is who show Pete's peers are supposed to be and why they haven't been seen yet. That might be in tonight's episode Barking though. Because TJ apparently was very much as supportive in real life as in the show, but he's Pete's peer, and wasn't as far in his success. Same with Kumail Nanjiani and John Mulaney who are also known to have been a part of real Pete's support system.  This is the one thing I feel is missing. But as it took time for the depth of the marriage breakup to happen, it's probably coming.

I feel like this show may be best as a binge watch deal.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

When Pete's parents decide to come to New York for his mother's birthday, Pete begs Jess to come along and keep up the charade of their marriage, but an incredibly tense dinner reveals harsh truths about their relationships, as Jess struggles to keep quiet. Pete faces a turning point.

Promo:

[candall]

I thought this was an interesting element of "humiliating steps on the road to becoming a comedian."   The eight dollar Coke situation certainly rang true enough.

 

I wonder if the guys handing out fliers for the strip clubs are hoping they get a chance to perform, when the hour gets late?  jk

Edited March 13, 2017 by candall

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Guest star fan club: Hannibal Buress

[Traveller519]

The payoff of the businessmen coming in was worth everything that came before it. I felt the sense of relief that I'm sure Pete was meant to feel. It did really show how much easier it seems to be to perform for bigger crowds. It was also nice to see him connecting with some of the comedians who were on his level, and that they were all supportive.

[cpcathy]

The show is getting funnier and funnier each week.