Back in 2018, a new comedy premiered on Comedy Central to a solid amount of critical acclaim, but almost no one saw it. That’s the price of doing business on basic cable in today’s super saturated world of television. Thankfully, the show has returned for a second season – this time on the much more popular HBO Max, allowing it to reach a larger audience that will appreciate its humor, smart storytelling, and the ridiculous-because-they’re-true situations its characters will find themselves in. That series is The Other Two, which follows the exploits of the older, but less successful, siblings of ChaseDreams – a Justin Bieber-style YouTube made teen pop idol as they attempt to ride their brother’s coat tails to their own levels of success.
The secret to what makes the series work as well as it does is how it treats its leads versus how it treats the show’s supporting cast. Brooke (the sublime Helene Yorke) and Cary (the perfectly cast Drew Tarver) are the only characters on the series who have the potential to be, frankly, jerks. Brooke and Cary are jealous of Chase’s seemingly unearned success – although the series wisely never allows them to act out against Chase, their mom Pat (the excellent Molly Shannon), or even Chase’s bumbling manager Streeter (Ken Marino, so damn funny) – and they desperately want to parlay it into their own status climbing endeavors, but it never turns malicious or allows to them to sabotage anything. Instead, we see two self-absorbed individuals who still genuinely love their little brother and want what’s best for him – even if they are annoyed that they can’t capture the same level of fame while having actual talent (the fun joke about Chase – while he’s adorable and a teen dream, he also can’t particularly carry a tune outside of an auto-tuned song; but hey, he’s got the girls in a tizzy so you have to strike while the iron is hot).
As the series builds, the real joy in watching comes from the moments where the hi jinks have ended and the show allows its characters a chance to simply be. It might be a heartfelt moment between Brooke and Chase (who, despite all the success he has achieved, is still a young kid who needs to support of his family around him), or the ever strong and forceful Brooke showing cracks in her armor and Cary coming to her rescue without making a big deal out of it. Or the duo growing to actually like Streeter, who is so darn ridiculous but earnest that it’s hard not to root for him. The Other Two is a comedy with an edge (much more of a Schitt’s Creek than a Ted Lasso), but it never loses sight of what makes a comedy truly work: You have to have characters worth rooting for. And here, you will grow to love each one of them, warts and all.
But the show’s true MVP is Molly Shannon. In a story about a child’s rise to superstardom, the parent often becomes the villain, but Shannon is able to walk the line between the clueless “momager” who only sees what their child can do for them and a mother who does want the best for all her kids. It’s not an easy part – and it could easily slip into parody or simply a mean spirited character, but Shannon makes sure you can’t hate Pat, even as you see her making some poor choices for herself and Chase. This is a woman who does love her family, even if she’s not always the best mom.
When a comedy is hitting on all cylinders, it’s a joy to watch. The Other Two is absolutely at that creative peak. The storylines are funny without getting too mean, the characters are compelling (no small feat for a half hour comedy), and the performances are great. You might not fall in love with these characters, but you’ll certainly enjoy watching them. If you’ve been looking for a heir apparent to the dearly departed Schitt’s Creek, The Other Two is the show for you.
The Other Two is currently airing its second season on HBO Max. New episodes drop each Thursday. All previous episodes are currently available to stream.
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