Image via Complex/Netflix
Usually, our Best of the Weeks have been dives into a range of shows from some of our favorite networks. This week? We're kind of catching up on our Netflix queue. Sue us for not being able to stay on top of everything at the same time.
Today, we look at a couple of recent Netflix originals for our picks. One was seen as a glaring omission from our Best TV Shows of 2020 (So Far) feature, the other is a comedy special from one of today's most subversive comedians. Some of the best from their respective genres, TBH.
You know the routine; we give you our picks, you set some time aside during the weekend to tune in. You're welcome.
'Eric Andre: Legalize Everything'
Where to Watch: Netflix
Netflix has been on a roll with standup specials lately. With new sets from Dave Chappelle, Hannah Gadsby, Jerry Seinfeld, Jo Koy, and others, Netflix has provided hours of content for comedy fans everywhere. On June 26th, Netflix continued this trend by releasing Legalize Everything, a new special from [adult swim] favorite Eric Andre.
Eric Andre has a…specific style and Legalize Everything wastes zero time in establishing his eccentric, manic brand of comedy. Shot in New Orleans, the special begins with Andre dressed as a policeman, offering citizens of NOLA various drugs (it isn’t clear if this also serves as a parody of police brutality, but given recent events, one can clearly infer that. A cop being fun? And not assaulting people? What a concept!) Fans familiar with The Eric Andre Show on [adult swim] will not be disappointed. In fact, Legalize Everything very much feels like an episode of the show, except Hannibal Buress isn’t there to crane kick Flavor Flav in the head.
Despite the bizarre construction of the show (a bit about bukkake is prefaced with BUKKAKE emblazoned on-screen like a Japanese game show, for example), Eric delivers various bits to great effect. A highlight is his breakdown of the theme song for the (now-canceled) show Cops. The juxtaposition of Eric breaking down the police industrial complex while singing the infamous reggae song speaks to the absurdist comic’s talents.
Another unique aspect of Legalize Everything is Eric’s relationship with the audience. In most comedy specials, the extent of audience participation is the comic onstage engaging in a minute or two of crowd work. That’s it. Eric is different. He ends up in an audience member’s lap at one point during the special (said audience member seems cool with it, but it’s hard to say). In fact, the special ends with Eric demanding cell phones from his audience in order to expand upon a bit about predictive texting, which then becomes even more absurd when an audience member’s mother FaceTimes the comedian and, ultimately, becomes a supporting actor in the closer.
You don’t have to be familiar with Eric Andre’s brand of comedy in order to enjoy Legalize Everything, but it certainly helps. Legalize Everything isn’t your typical comedy special. But Eric Andre isn’t a typical comedian. —Kevin Hall
'Dark' Season 3
Where to Watch: Netflix
“What we know is a drop, what we don't know is an ocean.”
This Isaac Newton quote shows up a few times throughout the third and final season of Netflix’s Dark, effectively conveying the depth and breadth of the current reality(s) our cast of characters find themselves. As the show barrels towards its conclusion over the course of eight final episodes, Netflix’s first German-language original series stays just as complicated and compelling as it started.
If you’re worried about spoilers here, don’t be, as I’m intentionally keeping things vague.
Mystery box narratives like the one at the core of Dark, more often than not, tend to see the wheels fall off the cart in their endgame from the sheer amount of lingering plots. That’s not the case with this show. In fact, Season 3 seems content at doubling down on existing narratives as showrunners Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese throw a whole world’s worth (literally) of new information at viewers and asking them to follow along. It’s a series that cannot be passively watched—and not just because the show really sings when viewed in its native German, therefore requiring subtitles— but because of its precise story execution; Odar’s directorial prowess, in particular, has seemingly elevated itself once again as the show’s penchant for striking visuals gets littered with new and iconic images.
Oceans, if you think about them, are inherently scary. They’re so vast and deep that we’ll never know the full extent of what lingers beneath them. The journey of Dark isn’t dissimilar from Newton’s quote, as Odar and Friese position the third season as a plunge into unknown depths. Turns out, they’re excellent shepherds, as Dark’s conclusion is one of the most satisfying endings I’ve ever seen. Take the dive if you haven’t already. —William Goodman