The Other Two - General Discussion

[gesundheit]

I really loved this finale. I'm bummed it's over but I'm glad I knew that before watching the finale (I'd have found this overkill if it were just a season finale). What a great series. Will definitely have to rewatch.

Disappointing about the behind-the-scenes stuff, of course, but is it weird to find it oddly refreshing that it's just a case of "turns out this one showrunner is a total dick and the other one didn't try to squash that?" When I saw the headlines I was so afraid to read once again that someone turned out to be a racist or rapist. Oh, just an asshole? Great! Lessons to be learned, redemptions to be possible! (Granted, I haven't read about it in much detail, so my apologies if there's something horrific I'm skating past here.)

[springbarb]

7 hours ago, sweetandsour said:

Don't have enough time to formulate all my thoughts, but -

First I must say how much I loved that Mackenzie's brother was played by David Lascher!  (Ted McGriff from "Hey Dude" as well as many network TV movies back in the 90s that I loved.)  Please, I need more David Lascher on my screen!!

Holy crow! From Sabrina, too! Yes, more of him on my tv!

Overall, I do think they stuck the landing. After a season of Brooke and Cary getting worse and worse and having moment after moment of almost realizing how awful they were being, I could accept both of them having these epiphanies. I love that Curtis pointed out how Cary was not only to him, but to his friends. That felt so real, and good for Curtis! I'm glad that Cary and Brooke are both in a better place, but see that they have work to do. (Well, maybe Cary more than Brooke.)

[chaifan]

awwww... that was a sweet way to tie up the show.  I'm sad we won't get a 4th season, but this really was a great ending.

Brooke does good by breaking bad.  How fitting!  So glad Lance showed back up, and the kiss in the rain was great, especially Brooke asking to be picked up.  I absolutely loved her dress and everything about her awards show look. 

I knew that the seasons changing/time lapse scenes with Cary would end up all occurring within a few hours, but I loved how it ended up with him at Mackenzie's and the breakdown that occurred there.  I will admit, I'm a bit sad that he totally abandoned the Einstein movie - I was hoping that it was all going to come together but would have to wait a year, or something like that.  I did like his reconnecting with the Emily judge - that was a nice tie back.  Cary and Curtis' scene almost brought me to tears...  and then the dick pic showed up.  😆  (Side note, between Ghosts being between seasons and this show ending, I'm going to go through some serious Brandon Scott Jones withdrawal.) 

I think I'm just going to miss the weird quirkiness of this show.  I'm sort of done with the serious everyone is an uptight asshole shows right now, and need some fluff for the summer. 

 

[txhorns79]

20 hours ago, AngieBee1 said:

I loved that Cary's journey wasn't because someone cut him down to size, but instead was a personal realization that his values had become warped and he was complete indifferent to the realities of how other people have important things going on in their lives and he is not the center of the universe. That there a really important things to focus on outside of career. All of the scenes with Mackenzie was beautiful.

He did seem very chastened after Mackenzie yelled at him.  And obviously her kindness after that, along with his realization as to Mackenzie's situation with her dying mother, pushed him over the edge. 

I think I appreciated Brooke's arc more because there was already a fall guy who easily could be thrown overboard (i.e. Streeter) and she stepped up to protect her family anyways.  It was just her being selfless, without being forced into that position. 

I also did love the shots of the writers at The Atlantic and Buzzfeed thrilling over their takedown pieces. 

[iMonrey]

12 hours ago, springbarb said:

I'm glad that Cary and Brooke are both in a better place, but see that they have work to do. (Well, maybe Cary more than Brooke.)

I don't know, I think Cary's in a better place than Brooke, and I'm still kind of worried about her and Lance. It seemed like she was clinging to him a little too much as a substitute for her career, and then when she got all those offers maybe she's going to revert to being bad.

 

2 hours ago, chaifan said:

I think I'm just going to miss the weird quirkiness of this show.  I'm sort of done with the serious everyone is an uptight asshole shows right now, and need some fluff for the summer. 

Ditto! I'm so sick of these so-called "dramedies" or "dark comedies" that can't seem to settle on a tone. This was just a silly, wacky comedy, plain and simple.

[tennisgurl]

Even if they didn't plan on this being the series finale, it very much feels like a very satisfactory one. I have been hoping all season for Brooke and Cary to really realize how awful they've become and I really like how everything played out here. Its too bad that the show is ending, especially if its really because of the show runners crappy behavior, but regardless the show is going out on a high note. 

I love that what finally got through to Cary wasn't him being called out or humbled, it was being hit in the face how awful he was being, treating everyone in his life as supporting characters to his starring role, not caring at all about their own lives, and its left him alone. Some great acting when he started crying in Makenzie's bathroom, and all throughout the episode. I also really liked his apology to Curtis, both that he sincerely said he was sorry and that Curtis decided that he needed more time. Cary really hurt him, it’s probably the best thing for him to put their friendship on hold to really forgive Cary. Cary was also a real jerk to Curtis's friends, so good on him for taking their feelings into account as well. So now Cary has grown as a person, is done with his clearly going nowhere relationship with Lucus (who's Australian! And married!) has made some new friends, and his career is still going well. 

I really love the line about how Curtis didn't want Cary to be the kind of friend who you just think about later as someone you were friends with. As over the top as this show can be, it really nails those sincere moments. 

Brooke also realizes how she's gone too far when she realizes that her shallow attempts to be "good" have hurt her family, and takes the PR bullet. So while she doesn't get recognized as officially good, her career gets a big boost, she really did do something good in her own way, selflessly, and she gets back with Lance. He truly is a one of a kind sort of guy, Brooke better apricate him this time around! I loved him telling Brooke about the hard parts of his job and them connecting over it, like Cary she had to learn to empathize with people and to care about the people in their lives beyond how they affect them. 

Edited June 30, 2023 by tennisgurl

[peachmangosteen]

15 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

So now Cary has grown as a person, is done with his clearly going nowhere relationship with Lucus (who's Australian! And married! To a woman!) 

He had a husband. The woman was his mom.

[sweetandsour]

Coming back to say that I rewatched the finale tonight and even knowing how it ended, or maybe because I knew how it ended, I cried at the end.

Gorgeous song at the end and during the credits - and wow, it is by Katelyn Tarver!, Drew's sister who has her own separate music career.  (No nepo sister here.)  Super loved that right after the final words of the show (by Cary), the song plays, "What makes a life good?  If you know, can you tell me?"  While I 100% believe Cary and Brooke will continue to have their ups and downs, and they still are who they are at the core, they have a much, much stronger grasp now on what makes a life good.

I shall close by once again championing more David Lascher on tv!  Thanks for coming to my TED talk. 

Edited: To fix auto-correct on Katelyn Tarver's name

Edited July 2, 2023 by sweetandsour

[Harvey]

Oh my god...so it's good*takes off sunglasses*, to be bad? *Glances at camera*

This part was so perfect and hilarious, days later it's still on my mind 🤣