I was definitely hate-watching the first three or four episodes and I didn’t care much for the funeral finale either.
But I think the show mostly recaptured its creative spark in the latter half of the season. Right when I started to miss Chantal, they went and gave her a whole episode which was batshit hilarious.
The reversal of this S01E01 scene was really fun too.
At first Elliott, Portia, and Drew-bie’s subplots seemed lame with Elliott on Fox News, Portia playing Dory in a trashy indie film, and Drew finding Dory’s polar-opposite in a literal princess at Merry Merry Land. (I thought the princess proposal Drew had to endure was a riot.)
I think it works better if you don’t see them as characters so much as millennial action figures playing dress-up-dolly.
The one way the show remained consistent is that it was always a really unusual and strangely addictive mash-up of genres and influences.
Right?? I mean, has that rotary joke ever been done before? It’s so perfect.
My wife and I have been bingeing this since it got into HBO Max. Really enjoying it. I like the way Dory’s vocal-fry newbie lawyer turned out to be pretty smart and competent.
I started this one also and finished Season 1 (hurray for short seasons!). I really like the organic quality of the scenes and the subtle performances of Dory’s boyfriend and the actress friend. I also like how I’m really not sure what is going to happen next with the story.
Ok, so I am embarrassed by my previous post because I apparently had only watched the first 4 episodes when I wrote that (thanks, crappy HBO Max interface!). Whoopsie!
Anyway, I did finally finish S1 this weekend and up to S2E2. I am still loving the show, with Portia and Drew being the standout performers. I also really appreciate the 22 minute episodes as it keeps everything moving fairly well. The low key style keeps everything firmly grounded even when they did venture into trope land at the end of S1.
Welp, S4 was a train wreck of randomness with only a few highlights (the great Susan Sarandon). S2 was wobbly but still good, S3 was even shakier but with several highlights (the attorneys, the judge), but the wheels just came all the way off in S4. I guess there is going to be a S5?
Season 5 has landed! Haven’t watched any of it yet but the AV Club enjoyed it. Other reviews have been pretty strong as well. Plus, well, they had me at Jeff Goldblum.
Welp, I’m in but I actually had to look up how S4 ended because I could not remember at all.
The first episode of season 5 was a hell of a lot of fun.
“I cannot be friends with that.”
“A hundred percent.”
I finished the final season last night. Umm, well, I certainly didn’t see that ending coming from a show I really liked in the first season for being so organic and grounded. I didn’t really care for this season overall outside of a few moments, but kudos to the creators for fully committing to the absurdity and genre swap.
I’m curious but I won’t read your post until I’m finished watching. I’m about halfway through the final season and I’d say it started out pretty strong but hasn’t quite sustained my interest. That’s been my experience with the series every season… always mixed feelings.
One thing I’m enjoying is Alia Shawkat’s variation on Dory this season.