“The Other Two” S2E03 & E04 – Chase Guest-Edits Vogue & Pat Hosts Just Another Regular Show

“I like sex too, obviously! I mean, not during the week, but on weekends. Like Sundays, before HBO.”

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I’m slightly disappointed that Pat doesn’t get as much of a hefty storyline in this week’s episodes as I’d like, mostly because I think Molly Shannon has been killing it in the titular role of the enthusiastic, optimistic daytime talk show host, but Brooke’s arc more than makes up for that disappointment.

There’s a moment near the end of the third episode where Brooke and Chase are walking back from the Vogue party (that Brooke had to miss) and she sees a version of herself getting wasted and falling down at a bar. For a split second, Brooke admires that person and even goes as far as saying that she misses being that person, only to realize that “[she’s] good”. She has done that life, and now she is a manager who misses big-name parties and spends most of her time on the phone in dull meetings. The best part? Brooke actually loves it.

Drew Tarver (left) and Gideon Glick (right)

That kind of growth from the character she was in season one who was jobless, pessimistic and living in celebrities’ apartments is instantly gratifying for us viewers. Her pride in the big empty apartment she scores is beautiful and satisfying, even if the show implies that all this wealth and fame is not a solution to her loneliness. The difference is that she was already lonely even when she had the toxic Lance in her life and a lackluster housing situation; at least now she is the kind of lonely that makes a living and is able to reach out to Cary for help when needed.

Speaking of Cary, I was very disappointed with his entire storyline. Not only was he dragging Jess along for no good reason, I hate the implication that “gays have to have a crazy slut-phase in their 20s before they can settle down”. In many ways, I think it’s a very important story to tell; however, the show missed an opportunity to subvert these stereotypes and have Cary actually treat Jess with a little more respect and dignity. Regardless, I’m glad this arc is over now and I’m looking forward for some character growth for Cary as we head deeper into season two.

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“The Other Two” Season 2 – Episodes 1 & 2

In more Gay News, Laura Stern is slated to star in a new FX series, which I already stan.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

It’s been almost two and a half years since we last saw The Other Two, and it’s safe to say a lot has changed since then (both in the real world and for the Dubek’s) —but one thing remains absolutely the same: this show is still one of the funniest shows on TV right now.

As much as I want to praise the show’s first season (and, by extension, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider) for its hilariously accurate depiction of millennial anxiety in the modern world, the first two episodes of season two immediately highlight just how much these characters have grown and matured. Now airing weekly on Thursdays on HBO Max, The Other Two starts with a news-like montage of what everyone has been up to. While Chase has decided to give up singing to go to college (for “however many years”), Mama Pat has become a famous and successful daytime talk show host, to Brooke and Cary’s dismay. Cary, no longer living with his toxic “straight” roommate, now has a boyfriend Jess (played by Gideon Glick), and Brooke is browsing TikTok on the hunt for the next “ChaseDreams”.

Drew Tarver (left) and Heléne Yorke (right)

Molly Shannon gets a significant boost in screentime this season already, and I’m absolutely hyped for her story arc. Shannon takes the goofy/lovable/cringey mother stereotype and turns her into a hilarious multi-dimensional character. Pat’s show (ridiculously title pat!) is filled with a series of repeatable catchphrases that her audience seem to love as well as an entire segment where she FaceTimes her kids. It’s brutal, in the most perfect way possible.

I’m also happy to report that the show is even gayer than ever. While Cary’s acting career hasn’t taken off the way he’d hoped, he still manages to give us some of the show’s funniest bits as he updates us on Gay News and is a recurring guest on BuzzFeed, BagelBitesTV and Thrillist, where he is the “token gay” host. The fast-paced, pop-culture references are sometimes blink-and-you’ll-miss-it types of bits, but they’re all very cleverly written in a way that is so remarkably relatable to queer millennials.

There’s a lot more to love and appreciate about the wacky, witty world that The Other Two operates in, and I can’t wait to see how this season unfolds.