In the aftermath of Chase’s first successful single, he has launched a follow-up. This one goes out to Carey and is an ode to his sexual orientation, “My Brother’s Gay”. Carey and Brooke are post-shopping trip, clad in their lazy day clothes, both commando - as these two codependent siblings have no issue admitting to one another, when Carey begins getting recognized on the street from the music video.
Understandably, he is of mixed minds about the single, which parallels nicely with the public’s reaction. They love it, they hate it, they love it again, hate it, until it reaches camp status - meaning Carey will go down in gay history as someone to mock yet also adore - like Britney Spears.
Carey wavers between asking Shirley (Wanda Sykes - who is working for Chase now I guess, even though last week I think she was still Yendani’s manager) to remove the video or keep it up. Honestly, I don’t think his opinion matters to her, it’s more about Carey’s journey to self-acceptance.
First he is pursued by one of those people, the ones who use gay slurs and whittle gay people down to their core stereotypes as depicted by media. Bitsy’s scene and all of the scenes with Shirley in the publicity office are indicative of what The Other Two does so effortlessly and hilariously, skewer the heck out of Hollywood and the media in general, their finger is directly on the pulse which is what makes the jokes work as well as they do.
Once Cary realizes he’ll be used as a superficial publicity magnet and not getting serious acting roles out of this, he wants to back out. Until a stranger stops him to tell him the video encouraged him to come out to his own parents. The scene is played totally straight and the pride Carey feels for having a profound effect on someone is genuine.
He even decides to end his strange fling with his roommate. He doesn’t want to keep getting treated like a dispensable booty call for Max to use as he pleases. But when Carey gets the chance to date someone new, he mistakenly demonstrates some internalized homophobia. The Other Two surprises me with its depth here, as Carey has spent the entire episode watching people taunt the gay community. It’s no wonder the industry is fostering a sense of self-doubt in him.
By the end of the episode, he admits to Brooke he’s f***ked up, Brooke shares the sentiment, but her reasons are because she’s drunk. She doesn’t catch Carey’s anguish.
And speaking of Brooke, she spends her first official day as Chase’s assistant answering fan mail but gets caught up on one letter for a dying girl. Except “Rachel Klein” doesn’t appear to exist, at least she isn’t at the hospital.
Brooke goes on a mission to find the perv who pretended to be a little girl and winds up insulting an entire family, devastating a funeral, and making a kid nearly cry. So, a typical day.
But she actually winds up getting a win in Shirley’s eyes as she accidentally-on-purpose books Chase to take a suburban girl to the school dance. Which, will appease the general public, as Shirley says.
ODDS & ENDS
- Throw up a few Hail Mary’s, Chase has a pimple.
- Publicist: They’re saying the video is so five years ago. Shirley: That’s the worst thing you can be.
- Brooke wearing the dirty underwear from Chase’s fan mail almost made me throw my laptop across the room. Someone help her. That said, Brooke walking around in Halloween boxers was a little bit too relatable.
- Carey: I have a meeting, with an agent. Guy: We all do, this is an agency.
- Shirley: Tomi Lahren just called it an affront to family values. The gays are back on board.
- Pink’s Assistant: Check the return address. Brooke: New Jersey? Assistant: Exactly. Where the pervs live.
- Shirley: It’s coming down. The AV Club just said it’s “no Moonlight.”
- Shirley: You’re fired, get me a new Renee. (Can Wanda Sykes please be promoted to a regular?)
- The running joke of Carey and Brooke putting drinks on Billy Eichner’s tab returns.
A new episode of The Other Two titled "Chase Goes to a High School Dance" airs on February 21st on Comedy Central.
