Well Cary is doing auditions for roles like "Man at Party Who Smells Fart," I wonder which Adam Sandler film he was trying out for? And their sister, Brooke is sleeping in one of the homes she's trying to sell and eating washing machine pizza. To he credit though, air mattresses are really hard to fold up.
Cary arrives at to his place of work, late. Turns out he's a waiter, one of two gay waiters at the establishment and his boss wants a pat on the back and ally-ship for having recently viewed Brokeback Mountain. Curtis can't help but make a jab at Chase's newfound success and we immediately see Cary is jealous because his own career is so lackluster.
Brooke, too, is feeling the pressure now that her little brother has become an overnight teen sensation. She's working out at the gym with a wig on, as one does, and chatting with her co-worker/friend about her wasted potential. Now is the time to Chase Dreams and she uses her brother's song to push her forward and as an exercise in self-torture. But then she gets a text, the new guy she's seeing is landing at JFK and Brooke's summer of 50 dicks starts now.
With the Today Show interview behind them, Chase and Pat are roaming Time Square and want to see Cary for lunch. Too bad he's too busy being part of a tour bus showcase of dancing. "The spirit of dance lives on!" Cue Cary flashing an awkward forced smile and going through the motions of his dance routine.
JFK airport actually translate to sleazy JFK roadside motel where Brooke runs into Beck Bennett from Saturday Night Live - potentially playing himself though I assume his character has a name it just isn't given. And what follows is one of the most awkward conversations I've ever heard in my life.
Kerry Washington got bumped off the Today Show to make room for Chase! That's how fast his new career is blowing up. Even though other people will be writing his songs, I like the way The Other Two clearly intends to ridicule celebrity culture. Back with Chase's significantly less-famous siblings, apparently Cary is banging his roommate, or else Survivor is a major aphrodisiac I wasn't aware of.
Beck Bennett's character does have a name! It's Jeff. Jeff the flight attendant. Brooke isn't thrilled with that development nor his disgusting come-ons. She has no plans to ever see him again.
Remember when I said Cary was banging his roommate? Joking! They actually aren't they just have an extremely dysfunctional relationship that involves passionate fits of kissing followed by zero physicality in which his roommate pretends he's straight and they're just friends. My mistake. But at least Cary knows how to take care of himself behind closed doors.
In a refreshing take on the character, Molly Shannon (who is excellent as always), does not actually play a borderline abusive stage mom, nor does she dismiss her other children in favor of Chase. She actually seems to genuinely care about all of her children and the love between them doesn't feel forced or fake. For a comedy, especially a mature one such as this one, I'm pleasantly surprised.
We get to see Pat in her element with Brooke and Cary over dinner at Cary's workplace with Chase's new manager in tow. Chase had to sit this one out since he ate 12 raw eggs at the behest of said manager to get in shape for the Kid's Choice Awards, and then had to go lie down on a tarp and hope not to die.
Brooke tells her mother about her big plans for the future, Cary discloses his fart commercial, and his mom is a real trooper! Saying his "I smelled something bad" is totally natural. She also lets her know that she dumped Lance two weeks ago and he is completely unfazed. But I imagine someone who still thinks Damn Daniel jokes are funny and that edible shoes are a good idea probably doesn't communicate on the same wavelength as everyone else.
And on the same note as Shannon's heartfelt mother character, the relationship between Brooke, Cary, and Chase proves equally as sweet. There's no snot-nosed spoil little kid making his siblings feel bad, or passive-aggressive older siblings taking their jealousy out on their 13-year-old brother, instead we have three people who genuinely love each other, who sleep cuddled on the couch together, and who miss their father together. I love when comedies, even hard R-rated/MA-rated comedies, can find ways to marry the edgy insults and witty banter with an authentic heart to hold everything together.
ODDS & ENDS
- Every time a movie or television show has "real" talk show-within-a-shows Mario Lopez is always there at some point. I wonder if he asks his agent specifically to send him those roles.
- Cary's audition was a bit too real. I once went to a commercial audition for a woman who is trying new exercise equipment and I just had to walk in a circle with increased pep on each rotation. Super awkward.
- Cary: Great, what went wrong? Curtis: He always had tiny little balls of toilet paper stuck in his butthole. [Woman looks shocked.] Cary: Oh, no one who works here ma'am. We all have very clean buttholes.
- I had a little bit of a shock when I realized the actor that plays Curtis is the same guy that played John Wheaton on The Good Place (Brandon Scott Jones) and in my mind I'm going to pretend it's the same character too since they're alarmingly similar.
- Jeff: Do you know how to see yourself out? Brooke: Yeah I just open the door and I walk out.
A new episode of The Other Two titled "Chase Goes to a Premiere" airs January 31st on Comedy Central.
