Image via Complex
We're still inside, still watching everything. It's weird because it's May and the outside is looking mighty nice, but we're staying indoors until we're told otherwise. Lucky, not everything being released this week is a steaming pile.
This week is kind of weak...it's hard to call it anything else. That said, what's strong has been STRONG. The schism building this season on Insecure (and over the last season or two, low-key) delivered (word to Stella Meghie), and we got a dope cameo on this week's episode of FX's What We Do in the Shadows. What's good is GOOD; there just hasn't been enough of it.
That said, you know the drill: we give you our picks for this week's fire, you mark your calendars and watch these. You're welcome.
'Insecure' - "Lowkey Movin' On" (Season 4, Episode 5)
Where to Watch: HBO Now
After months of witnessing Issa and Molly’s friendship slowly treading into the passive-aggressive territory, we finally see the final blowup between the two. "Lowkey Movin’ On" is the confirmation that the two women are no longer good.
The episode starts with Issa still in a funk about what to do with the block party, now without a headliner. At that moment, she slides into Nathan’s DMs and he immediately responds—a good sign for her. They get talking on the phone and she vents to him about everything—the party but also about Molly. It’s the first time that she’s fully admitted to someone else that things between them are off.
It’s the day of the block party and it’s Issa’s moment. Condola shows up at the block party after her unexplained disappearance in the last episode. She admits to Issa that she wasn’t planning on attending, later telling her that she and Lawrence broke up. They don’t go into it because there’s a whole block party going on. But it’s hard not to imagine that a reason for their breakup could be due to Issa. Right now, the issue feels rather minor compared to everything else going on. Tiffany and Kelli also show up—it becomes increasingly clear that Tiffany’s going through a postpartum depression that’s unbeknownst to her. Kelli, on the other hand, is pretending to be a British woman to impress her date while simultaneously threatening to drown Issa’s brother (side note: Natasha Rothwell needs her own show. This woman is everything).
There are two moments during the party when Issa and Molly almost reconnect. For Molly, Andrew has been her voice of reason—they both marvel at Issa’s success and he reminds her that Issa was likely bugging because organizing an event of such scale is emotionally exhausting. There a look of registration on Molly’s face—she’s starting to get it. Later in the day, she offers some food to Issa as an act of care—they both have a moment of silent connection. But that gets quickly interrupted as Issa is dragged away to tend to her headliner, Vince Staples.
The second moment of near-reconnection is during the evening when the party is in full throttle. Issa has a moment to enjoy the night and dances with Molly—in that moment, they’ve both let go of the frictional issues from the last few months. Leave it to the Wobble to bring friends together.
When the block party starts to wrap up, everyone’s in good spirits in knowing that Issa’s night was a success. But Molly finds out that Issa reached out to Andrew (via Nathan) to book Vince Staples. To her, it’s a betrayal as Issa went against Molly’s wishes and did things behind her back. To Issa, it’s hella petty. She asked Molly if she was really going to let her best friend fail all because of a “fake rule” that Molly established to define her new relationship. They finally have their big blowup and tell each other how they’re done with each other’s respective bullshit. But it further declines into chaos when someone screams that there’s a gun involved—the party disperses into panic as everyone stampedes to escape the venue.
The beauty of Insecure lies in the complexity of its characters—no one is completely right or wrong. In fact, it’s hard to not see both sides. Was Molly being petty? Yes. But did she feel justified that Issa was using her? Also, yes. But we’ve also seen the shortcomings that Issa’s had to deal with—her previous headliner dipped and Condola went MIA. In the previous episode, we saw Issa going through every contact on her phone to find a plug for the party—nearly getting to the point of DMing Beyoncé as a Hail Mary. So when Nathan popped back up into her life, she saw a chance and he was willing to help her out. She couldn’t let this party fail—it would solidify that failure would be an inevitable and permanent part of her future.
Prior to the block party, there was no detectable cause and effect that ratcheted their friendship into the wrong course. But the reality is that a small issue is all it takes to create a bigger blowup. At some point, it’s maybe irrelevant whether who’s right or wrong. The only thing that they’re both sure of now is that they can’t be the friends that they once were to each other. The episode ends with Issa alone, in the mess of an almost-success, about to get rained on. The damage cannot be undone. —Andie Park
'What We Do in the Shadows' - "On the Run" (Season 2, Episode 6)
Where to Watch: Hulu
All art is inherently subjective, but few things are individual as comedic tastes. However, I can say—without reservation—you’ll at least find something funny about What We Do in the Shadows.
The FX comedy, adapted from the movie of the same name, has really found its stride in its sophomore season. The first season arrived out of the gate fully formed and extremely confident, but the second season has elevated itself; the show has done one of my favorite things, expanding its world in a way that effortlessly fits within the larger universe. If there are vampires and werewolves, of course there are see zombies, ghosts, and shamans. Each little iteration and addition feels like a flourish on top of an already delicious looking dish.
This season has also done a good job of providing individual episodes for each of its core characters, with the strongest being this week’s Matt Berry-driven affair. "On the Run" derives its namesake from Berry’s Laszlo taking up residency in Pennsylvania—"because it sounds like Transylvania"—after he’s accosted by Jim the Vampire (yes, that’s his full name). Winningly played by Mark Hamill, who isn’t afraid to really sink his teeth into the role, Jim the Vampire comes across like a hammed-up version of Dracula and serves as a worthy foil for Laszlo. A long-beloved British comedian, Matt Berry doesn’t seem to be as much of a household name here in the states, but "On the Run" provides him a showcase; the manner in which he adopts and reveals to the audience his new persona is executed hilariously well—and that was well before an expertly timed Borat joke that had me laughing as hard as MJ laughed at The Glove.
What We Do in the Shadows has always had a good premise, but the show has been bolstered by an expanding the world, fantastic performances, and writing that’s equal parts sharp and absurd. Sure, comedy is subjective, but you’re objectively silly if you’re not watching this show. —William Goodman