Crashing - General Discussion

[mojoween]

Wasn't Pete living in like Westchester with his wife?  Surely he knows that bars in NY a. do not have public bathrooms and b. everything is way expensive?  I live in Central New York and know that for cod's sack.

Hannibal's set, that we saw, did nothing for me.  But that girl's joke about the vending machine made me laugh.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The hardest time I laughed:

[Negritude]

That scene with the weed dealer dropping lines about how he needs to "man up," "represent," etc and Pete tells him they sound like lines from the album Wilennium...aw man that was funny af and so true, so true. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Crashing into comedy:

[biakbiak]

Artie arrested for drug possesion.

[Lisin]

44 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Artie arrested for drug possesion.

Oh no! He was clean though! Sadly this is probably a good thing though. For him hopefully not dying I mean. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Comedy extras: Hannibal Buress:

 

Comedy extras: TJ Miller

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The hardest time I laughed:

 

 

Comedy Extras: Aparna, Dov and Pete:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Homeless once more and facing professional disappointment, Pete turns to Artie Lange, who invites him to be a guest on his podcast. Pete meets Sarah Silverman, who takes pity on him and invites him to stay with her and her collection of stray comedians. When Sarah suggests that he try to find work as an audience "warm-up" comedian, Pete is presented with a job opportunity, where he's tasked with saving the day.

Promo:

[Traveller519]

I liked what this epsiode was doing, I'm sure the "telling the parents" is a big part of any divorce. And I appreciate how despite his mom obviously being his biggest (personal) supporter, her close relationship also meant that she wasn't afraid to be Critical, and not blindly sycophantic. 

That said, for me it's difficult not to draw comparison's to the "Parents" episode of Master of None, which had a much clearer tone to me. Crashing set up decent jokes, but Master of None wove the story better, if that makes any sense. The supporting comics continue to kill it for me.

[auntiemel]

My absolute favorite part was Lauren's reaction shots with Pete and his mom. God, she's great!

[scrb]

He could have played this series strictly for laughs but he's trying to tell a story.

I thought the mother had good insight about making the act more personal than just random observational humor jokes, to find a voice so to speak.

But she made it about questioning what he was doing.

If he has such a conservative upbringing, what drew him to standup or even New York for that matter?  Seems like he's encountering far more diversity than there was back home, as well as people who grew up very differently than he did.

[scrb]

Just on Fresh Air, where he also announced Crashing was renewed for season 2:

http://www.npr.org/2017/03/21/520950326/comic-pete-holmes-draws-on-his-early-career-and-churchy-roots-in-crashing

He talked about his background, the differences between his life story and the character and story depicted in the show.  Also talked a little about the episode which just aired, the visit from his parents.

[SlackerInc]

On 3/13/2017 at 2:31 PM, cpcathy said:

The show is getting funnier and funnier each week.

Yeah, and I don't even need it to be all that funny.  For me, it's basically kind of a low key dramedy about comedy, more than it actually is a comedy.

It's weird how I don't think of the show as being all that great, exactly; yet somewhere deep inside my unconscious or something, I seem to value it more than I do consciously--because I'm way behind on a bunch of other shows I think of myself as liking significantly more, yet this week I've watched three episodes of Crashing in three days (after having originally watched the pilot weeks ago), feeling like "ahh, let's just throw this show on first, why not".

ETA: Despite not feeling like this is a pure comedy, I did laugh very hard when that one guy just silently stood next to Pete while he was barking, and Pete was trying to talk to him, then sort of called out "can someone help me with this guy?"  That would be so freaky.

Edited March 22, 2017 by SlackerInc

[aradia22]

Quote

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 think this show is an interesting middle ground between reality and fantasy. On the one hand, it's not trying to be sitcom funny all the time and cracking one-liners outside of the stand up sets. On the other hand, with the promoter/whatever at the club and the sophomore at NYU drug dealer, etc. we've still got a group of mentor/advice giving figures that seems a little more in the fantasy realm. I'd put the other comic with the extendable night stick in that fantasy category too. At least the guy who mugged him was somewhat believable. 

I can't remember if it was in the credits for this episode or the next episode but I noticed Mike Birbiglia's name in the credits. That makes a lot of sense to me. I was watching some Netflix specials last night, Michael Che, Ali Wong, and Birbiglia's My Girlfriend's Boyfriend. I recommend them all, by the way. But yeah, Mike's stood out as tonally different in a way that fits with this show. And on the subject of HBO, if you like this show, whenever Chris Gethard's special airs, I would recommend that one too. 

[SlackerInc]

I was initially kind of turned off by this episode, because it was so cringey, it was making me feel contemptuous of Pete and his awful mom.  But toward the end, I thought his parents became more three-dimensional and Pete stopped seeming so pathetic.

[SlackerInc]

On 3/21/2017 at 4:43 PM, scrb said:

Just on Fresh Air, where he also announced Crashing was renewed for season 2:

http://www.npr.org/2017/03/21/520950326/comic-pete-holmes-draws-on-his-early-career-and-churchy-roots-in-crashing

He talked about his background, the differences between his life story and the character and story depicted in the show.  Also talked a little about the episode which just aired, the visit from his parents.

That was really cool, thanks.  As an atheist myself, I loved the lesson T.J. Miller taught Pete about morality as separate from fear of God punishing you.

But I did wince, as I always do when seeing this kind of thing, when he called Sleepy Hollow "upstate".  It's 20 miles from NYC!  I'm sorry, but if 99% of the state of Connecticut is north of your latitude, or for that matter if any part of the state of New Jersey is to your north, you are not in upstate NY.  Just look at it on this map, it's way down in the tapered southern tip of the state.

 

Edited March 25, 2017 by SlackerInc
Clarification

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Pete’s high from his new warm-up gig on Rachael Ray’s show is interrupted by an unexpected visit from Leif’s wife, who pulls him back into the chaos of his separation from Jess.

Promo:

[Traveller519]

Well that was an episode of wins. According to the AV Club's review, supposedly Silverman's character isn't that far off from her actual persona. She's very nurturing of young comics and making sure they have a "plan." I enjoyed how she genuinely seemed to care about getting him on the right path by confronting him and not letting him escape. This show has been fantastic at showing how the women in Pete's life are the ones who deliver the real truths to him but aren't played as shrews.

[candall]

I'm always surprised that this show has such a lukewarm response.  I think it's as quirky as, say, Silicon Valley.  And I like it about a hundred times better than Jim Gaffigan's unpleasant take on a comedian's life (farther on down the road.)

I'm not a big fan of Sarah Silverman's comedy, but I thought her little apartment island of misfit toys was pretty funny, and sweet.

Edited March 27, 2017 by candall

[SlackerInc]

I thought this was the best episode yet.

And I'm drooling over Sarah Silverman's house.  I wonder if that's where she really lives?  Did she look for a brownstone at a "420" address and then raze it to build a modern custom home?

[DiabLOL]

I had reservations in the beginning of the series (mostly didn't think that Pete Holmes' acting chops would be equal to the task) and hung in because of the cool comedy guest actors but I'm totally loving it now. I actually cried a bit when he got the job and opened the door to his hotel room. You could really feel how he felt and that he knew that he earned this. They really established how much he was struggling at that point and Sarah was really really kind to him in a "teach a man to fish" kind of way. Of course she gave him a very big "in" but the rest he did on his own. I also thought his innocent, kind friendly quality really helped him to even get to the point where someone like her would help him out. 

[scrb]

He blew the whole day's earnings on that hotel room probably.  I don't know if Silverman has a place in NY but she lives in LA doesn't she?

I was going to say the scene at that apt. didn't ring true until Silverman pulled out the vape pen and got Pete high.

If you go by this show, comics are cool, generous people.  Well maybe that has been Pete's experience.

Pete's a quick-study though, he took over and won over the crowd pretty easily, though after the meltdown by that other guy, it shouldn't have been difficult.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Crashing into comedy:

 

Guest star fan club: Sarah Silverman

[biakbiak]

On 3/28/2017 at 9:02 AM, scrb said:

I don't know if Silverman has a place in NY but she lives in LA doesn't she?

Yes she is still LA based and I don't think Michael Sheen would put up with this nonsense.

[aradia22]

I don't know how long this professional success will last but it's nice to see Pete get a win doing something naturally suited to his strengths. This wasn't a very funny episode for me but it was a good 'moving the story along' establishing episode. It would kind of be nice to see Pete stick with this job until the inevitable 'is this really what I want to be doing... I'm not moving forward with my stand up' plotline. That way we could handwave away the stable income and housing thing and focus on other parts of the story.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The hardest time I laughed:

[SlackerInc]

Pete, whaddaya doin'?  Leif's ex was hot!  Okay, her personality was kind of cringeworthy, but just go for it, take a little roll in the sheets with her.  C'mon!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The hardest time I laughed:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SEASON FINALE!

Quote

After an attempt to cheer up Pete goes wrong, Artie tags along with him to a baptism. Artie gets insight into religion and God from a woman, and Pete runs into Jess, which makes him question how much he is willing to sacrifice for a life in comedy.

Promo:

[cpcathy]

I now love the word "clam" for all time.

[heatherchandler]

On 4/1/2017 at 8:06 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

The hardest time I laughed:

 

Who is this guy?  Is he a comedian? 

[Traveller519]

Oh Pete, you couldn't tell Elsa didn't want to have anything to do with the oral discussion? That was getting to British Office level cringe factor for me.

I loved the segment on the street with Dave Attell. It's great how the more experienced comedians provide the career insight, when he gets flack from the others who are trying to grind it out. The show subtly hinted that there was some jealousy among them, without coming right out and putting it in your face. On the other hand, the Dick Pic conversation, while completely juvenile made me laugh a ton.

[jbrecken]

Was that Rachel Ray's actual mother?

[cpcathy]

I read it was not her actual mother.

[littlewonder]

The montage of fakeouts with Sarah Silverman and her houseguests was a delight.  Could have watched a solid ten minute of that.

[scrb]

Guess he didn't catch on too quickly about that warm up gig.

You don't have an extended discussion about oral sex with an audience of a daytime TV show.  You steer the subject away.

Oh well, the show wouldn't be called Crashing if Pete doesn't keep crashing other people's couches.

[SlackerInc]

11 hours ago, Traveller519 said:

Oh Pete, you couldn't tell Elsa didn't want to have anything to do with the oral discussion? That was getting to British Office level cringe factor for me.

Definitely forced, to get to the reset button.  I commented last week that I hoped they wouldn't go there, but feared they would.  I will reserve judgement and where they go from here.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Crashing into comedy:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Crashing into comedy:

[SlackerInc]

Not the best episode, but a good season finale, if that makes sense.

[CofCinci]

10 minutes ago, SlackerInc said:

Not the best episode, but a good season finale, if that makes sense.

Yes. Satisfying season finale.

I liked how the wife baptized herself in a Kelly Taylor I Choose Me moment. 

Also, I liked how Lief stated his beliefs about God. 

[indeed]

So, what, did Sarah Silverman throw him out when he lost the warm-up gig?  It seemed like he could crash there for a while.

Eh.  I didn't really find this funny (except for the last 'Don't come back...' joke in that Crashing into Comedy clip). I'm on board for season 2, though.  Wouldn't mind a couple more episodes added to a season...

[Traveller519]

I could understand if Sarah wasn't going to back him after he torpedoed the job after she put herself out for him, but that wasn't the way her character was written at all. She more likely would have given him a dressing down, but also reassured him. That seemed totally glossed over. But the Artie stuff still worked really well this episode, so I guess it's okay.

8 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

Not the best episode, but a good season finale, if that makes sense.

Exactly what I thought, a very good wrap up to a Freshman season, but not the strongest episode. It was good to see a representation of Pete's faith through something other than exposition. I feel like that was the final tenant of his character that hadn't really been explored (Wife/Divorce; Comedy/Career; Parents). with all of that foundation in place, I'll be interested to see how the next season builds.

[biakbiak]

I wonder if hoe the minister acted was what Pete experienced with the church he and his wife were members of because he was ridiculously awful and I can understand why Pete .left the church and went down a more spirituality/new agey path.

[aradia22]

I liked Julie coming into the picture and what that might set up for future episodes though I wasn't that into the character or the actress this episode. It's a little disappointing to see Pete derail this quickly but I think they made it make sense within the episode. It's better that he was disoriented and went with the crowd instead of having Julie make a big scene that got him fired which is what would happen on another sitcom.

[biakbiak]

Season 2 starts Jan. 14.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Pete Holmes, Aparna Nancherla, and Zach Cherry discuss S2:

[Mudra]

Here is where to talk about season one.

[Mudra]

Discuss away.