It’s kind of fitting that you’re reading this following reports of it There were HR complaints against Sarah Schneider and Chris Kelly, the mastermind creators of Max’ “The other two‘ and that the brilliant Hollywood satire was canceled.
Because the two, who also serve as showrunners, wrapped up their series with a sneakily astute storyline that proves it’s that good in the bombastic way it is often defined today, is actually unattainable. This is to give Schneider and Kelly no leniency in relation to the toxic behavior allegations, of which they have both been reportedly acquitted. (Sources told the Hollywood Reporter that staff complaints of verbal abuse and overwork were unrelated to the post-season 3 cancellation.)
Rather, it is intended to suggest that absolute goodness is a myth. And that Brooke and Cary (Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver), the deeply flawed siblings at the heart of “The Other Two,” in the show’s third and final season illustrate how the desire for justice often hinges on how we look – doesn’t the actual act of justice.
That’s a cynical perspective on an issue that’s being ruthlessly dissected in today’s hyper-self-moral culture. But “The Other Two” describes it so well and light-heartedly that you have to smile at the dark truth behind it.
The season’s fictional story begins in the midst of the real-life pandemic, just as social media users were posting about all the positive changes they wanted to make in their lives, and Brooke’s already super-nice boyfriend, Lance (Josh Segarra), of course i will be a nurse
As fans of the series know, being a good person was never really a priority for Brooke. But Brooke would Be the type of person who maniacally walks the path to good, because it’s now as important as any social currency — and it’s nothing without a need to be admired by a group of strangers.
And that’s exactly what she does. First she quits her job as co-manager of her pop star brother Chase (Case Walker). She tells herself that she wants to find a more meaningful career. But then she can’t Really retires from Hollywood because (1) a desire to be part of the Hollywood scene is about half of her personality and (2) she has no other exploitable skills.
So Brooke gets sucked back into the Hollywood business and returns as Chase’s manager. But she’s determined to make a difference in the position and decides to help build Chase into a mental health advocate when he just casually says he’s a little worried his rabid fanbase.
Not to mention that, as the dialogue cheekily puts it, he’s only been scared for a few days. He is very passionate about it because Brooke tells him. And this is your chance to do it to look good.
She even goes so far as to lead a fundraiser aptly titled “Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Good” in Episode 7, which includes a number of problematic things. This includes a homophobic sponsor, a parkland Survivors with covid and locks the covid marshal in a broom closet to see their good night through to the end.
Against all odds, and there are many odds, Brooke actually gets nominated for a Peabody Award for all her efforts. is she alright now It’s the kind of question people online are constantly arguing about every time a celebrity favorite does something unsavory, only to do something halfway good the following week. There is no real answer.
And The Other Two always knew that. It’s impossible to pinpoint a moral compass in a series where each of its main characters is always settled in the gray area of morality.
That includes the gorgeous Lance, who dumped Brooke for good at the start of the season and now — on top of his professional altruism — has been named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. To audiences, it makes perfect sense that Lance would get the very popular magazine cover. He’s good looking, he’s nice and most importantly, he always has been Good.
But he’s on the wrong show. No one is absolutely good on The Other Two. It’s a show that recognizes that most of us are at least half a dozen exits away from being really good.
And the gamut ranges from teen idol Chase exploiting mental health, to Brooke hosting a night of “good guys” that is anything but good, and her mom Pat (Molly Shannon) teasing her boring suburban friends on the internet shadowed and at the same time known as the nicest personality on morning television.
remembers you anyone real?
One of the poignant things about the Schneider and Kelly show was that it recognizes the fact that even at our best, we can be at rock bottom morale. That reason alone made it an even more pointed satire on Hollywood.
For example, let’s say Brooke finds out about her Peabody cheer shortly after accidentally hiring them ex– A friend’s house burns down while searching for evidence he hired a publicist to get the people covers. Not because he would necessarily do that, but because he should have done it to make her feel better.
Brooke finds no evidence, of course, but her narcissism gets a boost from the Peabody call anyway.
Celebrities are certainly not the only ones capable of embodying multiple sides of morality at once. But they’re the ones who get the most attention for it.
Just look at Lance, the good guy. While Brooke found no evidence that his People title was fake, he does admit to Brooke that he did in fact hire a publicist for the series finale. Because, as he puts it, magazines like People aren’t looking for hot nurses, no matter how good and necessary they are to society. You are looking for celebrities. And they make up any story out of it.
It kind of makes you wonder how many real life celebrities have done the same thing as Lance…
That reminds me of the “we’re bullshit” quote uttered by the morally bankrupt Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) in the series finale of Max’s other show, Succession.
The moment has nothing to do with the plot of The Other Two, but the “Succession” quote at the end conveys the same sentiment as Brooke and Lance meet on a bench and he tells her the truth she’s so desperate for wanted to confirm.
These are two people whose mistakes have both been exposed and who realize that no matter how hard they try (or pretend to try) nothing of the good they do actually matters. And that sense of clarity is paramount.
That doesn’t mean either of them should stop trying — or would have if the show had gone on. It’s just important for them and viewers to understand that celebrity influence to do good is often a hamster wheel.
While “The Other Two” is satire at its core, it has never existed in a bubble. His conflicts were real. The characters, even at their most hideous forms, were deeply human. And last season he gave us a slick, laughable comedy that was full of heart even in its most depraved form. It was perfect.
But like many things, this was too good to last.
