How To Live A Better Life - Season 3, Episode 2: "Getting Rid Of Ryan"

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I'm finding out the hard way that I should have been much, much more timely with these reviews. I mean, I feel like I owe it to Zach and Jordan to give them immediate feedback on the newest episode, and I also owe the same to the audience these reviews have found based on their interest in the show. So for that, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that time hasn't quite been on my side lately. College has been a trip so far, but now that I'm coming down from that initial high of independence and existence in a largely adult world, I'm making plans to be able to stick with it for the next three-and-a-half years. One thing that needs to change in order for that to be a reality is that my productivity needs a little kick in the ass.

When I mentioned that I was finding out "the hard way", I was referencing the last review I wrote for this show. In the Stray Observations column I mentioned how this show was putting off a serious reality show vibe, that continues onto this episode. While I still stand by that it has its reality show elements in the season premiere, I can't for the life of me figure out what I was talking about when I said it also showed up in this episode. I mean, this is almost a typical How To Live A Better Life episode, with a few tweaks. Consider it a hybrid of what the show was and what it is now. It has pacing! Real, tv show pacing. During the first 2/3rds of the episode, it was cutting back and forth between the A and B stories, the A story being Mike and Jordan reuniting and trying to get rid of Ryan, and the B story being the Derkiss on a feverish manhunt for his star J-Dawg. And in the end, both story lines converged, only to split back off again and create two new stories, both of which will recur throughout the rest of the season. I know it's basic storytelling, but it's so fresh when How To Live A Better Life does it. That could be considered an insult to the show's past, but I don't care. This is how it is now, and I love it.

What I find interesting though, is how the show, despite taking on new forms of telling its stories, was still trying to get back to the Mike and Jordan of it all. Mike puts it perfectly, right before the episode came to a head:

"We feel like we've just gotten back together and we need more shenanigans, but you just kinda put a damper on things. Would you mind just...staying somewhere else?"

Mike is talking to Ryan in this scene, trying to get rid of him, and this line works. Ryan of course always goes with the flow and never takes offense to anything. I feel like this is the show's way of acknowledging how it dabbled in heightened storytelling but ultimately decided that it's not what it needs to focus on. What further sells this is how the shot is framed. The camera is placed in Ryan's perspective, or a POV shot, looking up at Mike and Jordan as they talk directly to the camera. This kind of shot allows us to look through Ryan's eyes, so while the characters are talking to Ryan, the creators are also talking to the audience. Now this type of angle is nothing new to the show, that doesn't mean it can't be used to send a message. How To Live A Better Life has touched darkness, and darkness touched it back. Now I would argue that the darkness has improved the show, I think that it just really wants to get back to Mike and Jordan's silly antics as a center for it all to orbit around. Splitting up the characters was fun, but that's HTLBL's heart, and as long as there are still good ideas on how to play these guys off of each other in different situations, you can't seriously fault the show for sticking to what it does best.

I think that elements of this 3-episode arc will stick with the show as it plays out the rest of its vastly improved third season, but I know that it doesn't want to lose track of its identity. This is the final season after all. Narrowing the scope and focusing on our main characters as they prepare to deal with whatever ends their stories is not a bad idea. There are still new and big ideas on the horizon, new characters, and new laughs, don't worry. However, above all of that, this is a show about Mike and Jordan. We need to know just how exactly one lives a better life.

Stray Observations:

• The Derkiss is currently the subject of a manhunt by the police, yet allows his location and antics to be filmed by the documentary crew. Ever heard of the phrase "comedy without consequence"? It can be both a good and a bad thing.
• Behold, the first (and only) title sequence without any footage. New music though. This arc really has thrown the show off of its groove. No wonder why it wants to get back to its roots.
• "GET RID OF RYAN!" I swear, these guys do that sort of thing just to spite me.
• "Home is where the.....gay!"
• Jordan's middle name is Octavius, and if he is found James Derkiss will award you with a major role in an upcoming Hollywood film. Also if someone would like to pay his bail, that'd be great.
• "I really hope the ASPCA sees these!"
• Oh yes, more of Jordan's over-the-top crying.
• "You two are like brothers to me, it's gonna be like living with brothers!"
• Jordan majored in pasteurization in pastor school. It's Arrested Development.
• And now James has roped Ryan into his terrible business practices.
• That was a somewhat lazy ending.

Overall episode grade: B+

How To Live A Better Life - Season 3, Episode 1: "A (Not So) Better Life"

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First thing's first, I came up with that episode title, so this season is already off to a great start.

It's here, finally. Well it's been here for over a week but thanks to college I haven't had a real good chance to write the review until now. None of that matters. We need to discuss how this show has handled the aftermath of a finale that split its world in two. Jordan has run off with the Derkiss to New York so he can pursue his acting ambitions by making movies James Derkiss will produce. The Derkiss is kind of a production everyman, in that he is first and foremost a producer, but can also act as an agent, director, or writer. He's pretty much guaranteed to be able to add something to any project he works on. Whether or not he's actually good at any of that is another story.

Like many season premieres, How To Live A Better Life kicks off a considerable amount of time after its previous finale, but not before the show picks up immediately where it left off to show us who was on the other side of Mike's phone call. It was Ryan, naturally. I mean, at the time of the finale we didn't know who Mike was calling (I did), so that leaves much room for speculation, but when the show reveals that secret you can't help but think, "Oh, duh.". I mean, there isn't a huge collection of characters for the show to draw from in this kind of moment, much less ones that Mike continually interact with who aren't named Jordan Ross, so when you really think about it the only reasonable answer would be Ryan Sylvan. Sure, you could argue that this would be to set up a new character, but like I said, Mike doesn't know anybody. He has direct ties to Jordan and Ryan, and that's it. In accordance to what we've seen on the show, there is nobody (at least in America) he could comfortably call and make plans with. That may change, but I'm just telling it like it is.

So the season starts right off with that and a joke. Very good. Then we hit the time jump, which is a whole three months. Not enough time to make a feature film, but surely something has to be in the works or various stages of production. Not a chance. This is James Derkiss we're talking about. I'm pretty sure he's blacklisted from the major production companies and media outlets. He's just poison. He has terrible ideas and even worse ways for implementing them, as shown in the episode. The guy goes to jail and then subsequently breaks out, for pete's sake. He's a cockroach. Put him in any sort of situation and he'll find a way to make it worse or weasel out of it. So good on Jordan for deciding to get the hell out of dodge when he did. The Derk was going to drag his career into an early grave so his could have some company.

Speaking of production, specifically production value, this premiere did not disappoint. We went into the big city to film the exteriors for "New York", which is so recognizably Indianapolis, Indiana that it's not even funny. But it's not like we could just go to the real New York to get a few fleeting shots (and a couple of sequences involving thematically-appropriate tree signs), so the suspension of disbelief holds up there. How To Live A Better Life is filmed on an average budget of about -$15. "Really?" you ask after you see the sequence of Jordan running home set to licensed music, and I say really. That entire part is just gold thanks to the green screen. Especially him running in the scene from The Dark Knight Rises where the football stadium collapses. It's perfect. The entire time this has been going on, Mike has been trying to turn Ryan into a semi-Jordan because he is crazy and has abandonment issues, which leads to a slightly awkward moment when he finally arrives home to see this taking place, but it's actually a moment of rejoice. Jordan coming home pretty much signifies that How To Live A Better Life has returned, in more ways than one. Expect a nice balance of the same old antics mixed with heightened storytelling. This current story arc isn't over yet.

What? Serialized storytelling in How To Live A Better Life? Yeah, I know.

Stray Observations:

• Some residual callback-itis is present in this episode, with the gratuitous zoom on Ryan's mouth (check), Mountain Dew, Mike taking Haperal, and more.
• "Life is meaningless and we're all going to die anyway." Classic Ryan.
• Not sure why The Derkiss had to give Jordan a tour of the house they had been living in for three months...wait I know: Exposition.
• "If you want a TV, you can just...buy a TV!"
• Those Rembrandt "Pastries" tasted godawful and were very, very old. My saliva was very blue for a long time.
• The exterior shots of "New York" coupled with the music gave off a big reality show vibe, which doesn't exactly go away (more on that next episode).
• Overall Episode Grade: B+   

How To Live A Better Life - Season 2, Episode 14: "The Derkiss"

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I may or may not have hyped this episode a great deal. I mean, naturally an episode like this would have more excitement for it than others, being a season finale and all. Even loosely-plotted comedies usually pull out something rather big for a finale. It's how you guarantee your viewers are going to come back. End on a cliffhanger, and they are going to want to know what happens next. Or, you can fully wrap up your season's story and start anew next year, though you usually have to have a sort of trust that your viewers will still be frothing at the mouth thinking of what next season's story will be like. The recent trend of "different story, different cast, different characters every season" that has been made popular by shows such as American Horror Story, True Detective, and Fargo has to wrap everything up under the latter strategy, and it's so damn good (At least for True Detective and Fargo, I haven't begun watching American Horror Story yet) that I do get giddy over new details regarding what story will be told next season. How To Live A Better Life, with its identity comprised of mostly self-contained episodes, could have very well just made up some finale-esque story for this episode and wrap it all up before its over so the mood was conveyed. At least that's what I would expect. I would not expect the show to upset the balance in its world and actually cause concern for the characters. I would not expect a bit of drama. I would not expect a cliffhanger to be resolved next season. I would not expect to care long-term.

I've been saying it all season. This is not the show you should develop expectations for, because all of that happened. Perhaps even more shockingly, it's not bullshit.

That's right! How To Live A Better Life just got serialized, if only for a couple episodes, but it's definitely a change. Hopping on that train, I feel like the style of these reviews need to change. They're kind of a hybrid of recapping the events of the episode and my reaction to them. Honestly, it's kind of a chore to make sure I cover an entire episode's story in one review. I like how some of the A/V Club writers do their reviews: not a recap, but they highlight some element, scene, or theme of the episode, talk about how it applies, and run with that. They may not even mention half of the episode. You're supposed to have watched it anyway, so why are you just reading what you just saw? It's redundant. Usually in the intros to these reviews I try to come up with something the episode made me realize about the show or something related to it. I enjoy writing that way, rather than just repeating the episode for you. I'm sorry that it's taking so long to get to the point here, but, with this watershed moment in the series, the show is saying that it's time to change. We are heading into the final season, you know. I griped about the show needing to grow up a couple episodes ago, and now that it is, now that is is taking risks with new ideas and respecting the audience (for the most part), while still being the same show we all know and love (to hate), the reviews need to grow with it. I just thought I'd let you know. Things aren't going to be the exact same, but that's good. Change is good. I'm about to go off to college, 2 hours away from my home and family. Could that be influencing this decision? Partially, but the show seriously is getting better, and from what I've seen and participated in for the upcoming third and final season, this episode isn't just a flash in the pan. This is a harbinger of things to come, thematically, and I couldn't be more excited. This is why I love television, and scripted episodic content in general. This is why I live, people.

Right, the actual episode. It almost plays like a series finale with the amount of callbacks that are in the episode. For the first time what seems like a very long time, the infamous, deadly basement stairs are mentioned, and even walked upon! Twice! Mike begins to go downstairs at the beginning of the episode, and immediately corrects himself because obviously Jordan doesn't live down there anymore. That just seems like an odd mistake to make, especially now that you're pretty much a resident of that house. It makes the callback seem forced, and forced jokes are not fun. There was another Arrested Development reference in this episode, and unlike the one in "Mike and Jordan Get Serious", it wasn't forced at all, which is great. After Jordan prematurely runs off from James Derkiss's rejection of his audition, he's shown walking slowly, head completely down, set to the song "Christmas Time Is Here" from Charlie Brown. Arrested Development did the same thing multiple times in one episode, which was funny (notice the dog on top of the red dog house, a reference to the reference the show is referencing). The most terrible bit of filmmaking in this episode was in that sequence of events, which saw Jordan put on a leather jacket and gloves before heading out to the audition, only to not be wearing them in the next scene when he arrives late, only to be wearing them again when he gets back home. He had no place to store those things. The Derkiss wears a messenger bag, that's his thing. Jordan had to have thrown his jacket and gloves in a ditch and then pick them back up on the way home by that logic. I really don't know why this sort of mistake was allowed. HTLBL has let things slip time and time again, but nothing this blatant. It's just odd.

Speaking of James Derkiss, that's a fun character, and I'm not just saying that because I am the man who plays him. James Derkiss is a villain, and when was the last time the show had some direct adversity from a villain-type character? Off the top of my head, I'm going to say never. I could be wrong, but this is the closest thing to a Big Bad that the show has ever had, even if Jordan the character doesn't quite realize it yet. It's fun to watch my early portrayal of the Derkiss, because as of now...well I'm not going to spoil anything. Season three premieres soon and you'll see soon enough that the Derkiss you just saw is only the beginning. I remember Zach telling me that my character was originally slated to be played by someone else and was certainly never supposed to take on the life it has, which is everything that happens in this finale. Hell, I'm not sure this finale was ever supposed to be what it was, but don't you just love happy accidents? They seem to be quite common in this line of work, and I don't think the medium could ever survive without them. I really wish I could expound more on what the character of James Derkiss is going to be rather than what he brings to the table, but you definitely know he's going to be back for the season three premiere so I can talk a little about it more. I'm just glad that he's able to create some actual conflict in this world where most of the conflict is created between Mike and Jordan, by Mike and Jordan. Outside forces are great for shaking things up, especially when you're heading into your final season. The final season of Eureka initially dealt with reclaiming lost characters who where seemingly kidnapped on a super important space venture that was built up over the entirety of the the previous season. It really felt final, like things were completely and fully coming to an end. With this finale, the tone for the final season could definitely be set, even if the problem at hand is resolved in the first episode. That's all they need to do though, set a tone. It's awful when the final season of a show starts and it feels same 'ol, same 'ol. There's no sense of urgency now that the show's days are numbered. The final seasons of Dexter and Burn Notice felt that way for at least 3/4ths of their respective seasons before they finally kicked their asses in gear and realized they needed to give us a satisfying end. Burn Notice did, Dexter didn't, but that's a discussion for another time.

If you want the short version of this review, this was a grand episode. It had great elements to it, good pacing, and most importantly, a reason to tune in for what happens next. I'm very excited for you to see how the show goes from here, because there is still gold left in this stream. After the series concludes this December, when you're looking for a point when How To Live A Better Life grew up, learned from its mistakes, reached its near-final form and got ready to send its viewers on a ride, you can look no farther than here. Expect more typical antics next season, but this time, the show isn't playing around. It's all coming to an end, and it's all because of the Derkiss.

Stray Observations:

• The song Jordan plays at the beginning of the episode should be the theme song for next season.
• I modeled James Derkiss's voice after the lovely Ron Howard, who was the narrator for none other than Arrested Development.
• I still can't get over that damn jacket goof
• Lol @ Derkiss's hate for British people, even though it isn't outwardly stated
• I haven't heard "Right on, right off" in a long time
• They addressed the camera for the third straight episode!
• Jordan doesn't want to star in a movie that will make him famous because his show doesn't have any fans. That's a little backwards logic, isn't it?
• "That was like two days of food!"
• Jordan's bathroom diaries being filmed with a night vision filter during the middle of the day is hilarious
• "Hey, I might have a dog role for you later!" - James Derkiss to a dog
• Ryan Sylvan is auditioning to be the door people walk through to enter the theater.
• "I just really see something in Jordan for this role; a mafia cleanup man for toddlers."
• That final sequence, with the music, the callbacks, and the entire gravity of the situation, it's really well done. I love how Zach decided to make an actual credit roll at the end so the song could play all the way through. It really helps everything sink in. This is what I'm talking about when if you're going to threaten to change a show as we know it, you have to make us actually think it's going to happen.

Overall Episode Grade: A

  

How To Live A Better Life - Season 2, Episode 13: "Jordan Goes To The Dentist"

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How nice. I make a request for the show to grow a little and look what we have here: an intro that matches the actual plot of the episode! Is there such a thing as retroactive wish-fulfillment? Probably not, but this an example of exactly that.

In this edition of How To Live A Better Life, Jordan goes to the dentist, after Mike notices just how terrible his breath is. The episode begins with Mike blasting the season one theme song (The Authority Song by Jimmy Eat World) out his phone speaker, a practice that should be punished by death. Jordan tells him that he never wants to hear that song anymore, and Mike obliges. It's an obvious wink to the audience that had seen season one, probably about 5% of the viewers, but it's not heavy-handed or forced, so I'll allow it! Jordan then realizes that he needs to tell Mike a secret, and decides that even though they are the only two in the room aside from the camera crew, he needs to get uncomfortably close to Mike to tell his secret. I guess he had to do it,  because that's how Mike gets wind (pun intended) of Jordan's bad breath, and learns that he has not been to the dentist in over three years. I guess that's bad, but if you just keep a healthy schedule of brushing and flossing you should be fine. Of course, you're going to miss out on the x-ray scans of your mouth and the deep, powerhouse cleaning that comes with visiting the dentist, but hey it's not the end of the world, Mike. Though Jordan does wear braces, so that would give dentist visits a bit higher priority. Also, if Jordan's breath is as bad as Mike's reaction to it suggests, how has he not noticed it sooner? I don't even have to be in kissing distance of some of my friends whilst talking to them when I get a big blast of their cock breath. Just wondering, Mike, just wondering.

Speaking of getting uncomfortably close, the cameraman gets right up in Mike's grill when he's calling the dentist, Dr. Smiley, to set up an appointment for Jordan. The camera even smacks the top of the phone at one point, and you can hear the cameraman making all his little sounds. It's just odd, and unprofessional to see stuff like that, especially when this kind of stuff litters the season in small doses. You can explain it away using the "documentary" excuse for this show, but we all know how faithful the creators are to sticking to that mantra. Just re-shoot the scene. That's all that needs to be done.

Mike gets Jordan ready to go and NOPE Jordan slips out the door and runs away in a slow motion action scene. Jordan is doing his best rendition of movie running, where the actor is supposed to be running in a scene, but can't run faster than the camera, so he/she curbs their speed and they just look awkward. It's extremely noticeable, even in slow motion. My advice: if your scene calls for running, commit to it. Devise a shot that allows your actor to run full force without having to hold back. Buy/build a rig that will steady your camera. Never do a shot that won't allow your cameraman to run at full speed if they have to. It may be tough, but tough shots call for creative solutions, and that's just a nice side effect to your problem solving: you'll have a cool-looking shot. What's odd is that Mike is shown still back at the front door as Jordan is running down the street, but the next shot puts him right within arm's reach. Slo-mo or not, Mike would have had to cover the same distance in 1/4 the time Jordan did. That's just poorly-conceived filmmaking.

But now we're past that, and Jordan comes home a new man. You can tell he has grown up because he talks with a flat, unwavering tone, and addresses Mike by "Michael". How To Live A Better Life often fuels its characters and events through stereotypes and misconceptions, and that is what's happening here. Mike doesn't like this new Jordan, and decides to get his pal back to normal by giving him a chip (?), telling him a joke, and having him flex his acting muscles by reading a script Mike wrote with him. Funny thing is, I'm pretty sure that is a real script Zach and Jordan wrote themselves, which was set up to be a How To Live A Better Life movie. I read through what they had wrote with them about a year ago. The plot includes Mike and Jordan going to a big city and getting targeted by the mob. No, I am not kidding.

Mike plays one last trick by telling Jordan he needs to go back to the dentist so he can get back to his old self, and in an action that brings the entire episode full-circle, Jordan busts out the door this time declaring he's not going back, trips on himself, and hits his head on the ground. First off, Jordan lands in a way different position than how he tripped would have had him land, and secondly, he so very purposely taps his head on the ground, quite gingerly. Okay, obviously you don't want to actually slam your head on asphalt to make it look real, and I do realize it is very hard to fake it and make it look real. I won't detriment the show for at least trying to cover it up through the use of slow motion (again), but it's just one of those things that when you see it you can't help but cry foul. I would offer more advice but even I need to figure out a way to properly fake it. I am not perfect, sadly.

This head-banging somehow knocks the Jordan back in Jordan, because when Mike gets up to him he's back to his old self. "I'm back, baby!" is the last line of the episode as it ends. This show is funny, because it will immediately cut to another scene when the previous one probably needs a little more time to fully show everything, and will linger on a scene that absolutely does not as much time as the show is giving it. It's a backwards way of doing things, but at least it's not the norm.

Stray Observations:

• We did it! We're out of the forgettable patch! Next stop, The Derkiss.
• For the second straight episode, the main characters address the camera.
• The second slo-mo sequence had a cool shot in Jordan running through that big puddle.
• Jordan decides to sell his DVDs because they are childish. That's right, entertainment, in any form is a kids game. You've got to be all work and no play if you want to be something as vague as a "businessman"
• Selling the dog will do it too, good thinking Jordan.
• Dr. Smiley's voice sounds suspiciously like Ryan Cage.

Overall episode grade: B+

How To Live A Better Life - Season 2, Episode 12: "Puberty"

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Two down, one to go. In hindsight, it's not very great to say that this episode, the one before it (Jordan's Big Twin Brother), and the one after it (Jordan Goes To The Dentist) are just filler before the kind of finale this season has in store. I mentioned in the last review that these three episodes aren't very memorable, so during a re-watch I feel like I am in a hurry to get through them as quickly as possible so we can get on with "The Derkiss". It's nothing like the last 4 episodes leading up to the finale of Breaking Bad's fourth season, where it is a pleasure to see things be set up to go horribly wrong. I'm not saying these episodes are bad, they are just unfortunately mismatched in terms of carrying momentum into a finale that creates a hell of a lot of weight on its own. And that same kind of mentality carries into writing the reviews. I must do them all, but damn I cannot wait to cover "The Derkiss".

As you might be able to guess by the title, this episode is focused on the growth and sexual maturity of the human body. Jordan walks in on Mike shaving (and leaving the WATER ON), and wonders why he doesn't have to do that himself. Mike tells Jordan he'll get to when they get older, to which Jordan replies with telling him they are the same age. Mike asks, "Are we?" and the two break character, turn to the camera, and discuss how "in the show" they never established what age they are. You may be expecting me to call this particular part stupid, but with all the odd decisions and fourth wall-breaking that has gone on this season, I don't really care anymore. The moment doesn't get in the way of the scene, so that's good.

Later, Mike catches Jordan googling ways to speed up puberty (eat a bowl of nails), and decides to help him out by having him ingest a chocolatey powder which I was waiting for Jordan to spit out, but the episode cut to another scene. Way to play with my expectations.

The next scene picks up in Mike Sylvan's Kitchen where Mike whips up a tasty concoction of hazelnut coffee creamer, mustard, Parmesan cheese, an egg, and mayonnaise. It reminds me of a game my friends and I used to play in 8th grade where we would face off against each other in a video game, and whoever lost had to eat or drink a gross combination of whatever we could find in the kitchen. It was an extremely hostile game, nutritionally speaking. It also led to the discovery of the vanilla, butter, and nut extract that was guaranteed to make any one of us puke when consumed on its own. We even got three of us puking on film. Not sure if I should be proud of that.

Jordan obviously rejects the concoction after tasting it, and resorts to the other tried and true method of forcing puberty: solving a rubiks cube. By "solve", I mean "destroy", because that's exactly what Mike finds the next day. He decides that the jig is up, and explains to Jordan that he already went through puberty and was only trying to help him so he could play tricks on him. This upsets the Jordan. The episode plays it safe and makes amends as Mike explains to Jordan why he was leading him on. He's just looking out for him! He's a pal! Alright, cue the freeze frame high five and let's call it a day.

It's a relatively inoffensive episode, in HTLBL terms. A classic, self-contained, Jordan and Mike episode. It seems like the things that best describe the show also make up a formula for a pretty forgettable episode. I think this show, despite using that formula very well, is really exciting when it changes things up. Those changes can be great, and they can be maddening. But remember I said that this is not the kind of show you can call "predictable". It's really at its most memorable when it is all over the place, not doing a by-the-numbers episode like this. Even when I don't like what they decided to do, at least I have something to yell about. It's time for the show to get away from the safe Mike and Jordan episodes. It's time for the show to grow, throw out some big ideas, and go through a puberty of its own.  

Stray Observations:

• The intro was kind of dumb. Jordan was talking about if he won a million dollars he'd buy California (because that is how much that state is worth), and use its people to take over Hollywood. Its new name? Jordanwood. Not worth going through a lackluster joke just to get an Austin Powers reference, nice try show.
• Mike is doing a TERRIBLE job at shaving his face that doesn't even need shaving.
• The establishing shot of the puberty powder is not that great.
• Rubiks cubes, otherwise known as "The Devil's Workshop of the 80s"
• I would watch Mike Sylvan's Kitchen. Spinoff? Spinoff? Spinoff?
• Mike didn't put an egg in the concoction. That's why it didn't work!
• Mike's reaction to Jordan actually drinking it is priceless.
• It's only fitting that the bloopers to this episode are pretty hilarious. I laughed harder at those than the episode itself.

Final episode grade: B-

How To Live A Better Life - Season 2, Episode 11: "Jordan's Big Twin Brother" Review

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So there's four episodes left this season, and excluding the finale, with this episode we've hit the forgettable patch of the season. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just that I had a hard time retaining this episode, as well as the ones that come after it ("Puberty" and "Jordan Goes To The Dentist"). How To Live A Better Life, as I have explained before, lives and breathes on self-contained concept episodes. It just so happens that there's three particularly unmemorable ones in a row before we get to the absolutely ball-dropping "The Derkiss". 

I guess this episode is of note because we see the return of Gordon, Jordan's big twin brother (that sounds familiar). Gordon makes the journey up to Jordan's house to tell him that his Uncle Remus died, and then promptly leaves. If that was all he was there for, couldn't he have just called? He mentions that he'll be in town for the next couple of days so I assume he has other engagements but still, what a waste of a trip. Still, it was good to see you, Gordon.

Jordan doesn't want Gordon to go without some quality catch-up time spent together, so Gordon invites him to go fishing. Once Jordan gets back, he's very noticeably sauced, and a Mountain Dew bottle falls out of his shirt ("I'm holding that for a friend!"). This fires up Mike, and he has a heated discussion with Gordon about Jordan's boundaries, which in turn fires up Gordon, and in a major case of foreshadowing, Gordon threatens to take Jordan away from Jordan's own house. Makes little sense, but it's funny seeing Jordan reduced to a child while his brother and his British counterpart have an unofficial custody battle (How old is Jordan? Where are his and Gordon's parents?), which throws Jordan in the middle of a decision between the two. He decides on secret option C: Run away, but Mike and Gordon are waiting outside his house as if they knew he would do that, so Jordan has to make a decision. Who does he choose? Who? WHO? Well Mike of course. I guess one reason why this episode isn't particularly memorable to me is that the situation carries no real consequence or weight to it. I know, this is a comedy, but if someone is threatening to remove a central character from a show and mix things up, at least put some effort into making us think that it could be a possibility, if only for an episode. It's funny to say this now (post-season two finale) because the consequences and weight that are missing from this episode are ever so apparent in the season finale, and it's pretty much the exact same situation too. It's probably because it's the season finale, but this episode just feels like a test for what's to come. And boy, what's coming is good.

Stray Observations:

• There were about 4 really clean, loud slaps to Mike's body this episode. It's almost like he was wearing some baby oil.
• The distinction between the Gordon and Jordan characters was really well played by Jordan, be it a simple one.
• Mike looking at a sleeping Jordan: "I should take advantage of this!" 
• Unofficial awkward cut counter: 3
• Gratuitous zoom on Mike's mouth? Check. 
• The universal way to distinguish between twins is that they're always wearing different shirts.
• Gordon's wearing his shoes on the bed. Ugh, barbarian.
• Those twin shots look good. I wonder who taught them that?
• Overall Episode Grade: B

How To Live A Better Life - Season 2, Episode 4: "Do The Dew" Review

Watch The Episode Here

Early on in a series, you've got to establish whether or not it's going to be a plot-driven show or a character-driven show. The Walking Dead? Plot driven. Six Feet Under? Character driven. Breaking Bad? It's a mixture of both, but leans more towards the plot. With this episode, (and basically all of season one, but I like to use this one as an example) How To Live A Better Life really shows that it is almost purely about the characters. The fact that an entire episode can be sustained with only Mike, Jordan, and bottle of Mountain Dew without getting boring is a testament to the development of the main characters and "writing" on this show. It keeps things interesting by never letting you guess what's going to happen next. How To Live A Better Life is a lot of things, but "predictable" is not one of them.

With the exception of the intro, this episode takes place entirely in Jordan's basement. So, a bottle episode. Except for the intro, which wasn't too bad. Mike and Jordan are about to watch a movie, and Mike asks Jordan why he enjoys Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb. Jordan gives an honest opinion of it, which reflects real-life Jordan Ross's affinity for cinema. I think Jordan just had to show off his movie knowledge somehow, and this was it. Mike then asks about Pulp Fiction. In a complete comical 180, Jordan says he thought it was about orange juice, and he really likes orange juice. End scene. Other fruits have pulp, guys! Help put an end to stereotyping. One thing I noticed in this scene was that two 2-liters of Mountain Dew were totally sitting on the bed next to Mike. Foreshadowing, or a mistake? You decide. You know what? I'd love it if the show actually foreshadowed what the episode was going to be about in the cold open. Especially if it's a cold open that has nothing to do with the rest of the episode, as many sitcoms like to do. I can't say I'm a huge fan of this practice, and maybe it's just because I got into tv through serialized, one-hour dramas. They just feel out of place, and adding an extra detail or two could ground it a little more. Of course, that would require planning, and there's not a whole lot of that on this show (at least until season 3).

The episode picks up on Jordan finding Mike in his basement after a hard day of...something. Jordan needs to turn to a vice to relax, so he whips out some Mountain Dew, of course. Against Mike's wishes, he gets thrashed, and Mike is forced to take care of him until the next day. Hungover Jordan jumps up out of bed and heads straight to the fridge for more Dew, because that's the best way to handle a Dew-related hangover. If the characters were about 10 years older and Mountain Dew was replaced with some sort of hard liquor, this episode would have been much much sadder. However, that's not the case. Jordan wonders how he's ever going to kick this addiction, and leave it up to Mike to come up with a foolproof plan. He thinks that they should just binge on it all day, in the hopes that its effect wears off and they get sick of it. Genius! Fight fire with fire, especially when dealing with crippling addiction. This public service announcement brought to you straight from JZ Productions.

So what follows next is them doing exactly that. Mike apparently is a heavy drinker, so it also becomes kind of a competition between the two, which is even worse. Had it not be so euphemised (which isn't a real word, why?), this would be straight black comedy at this point. I have no problem with black comedy, I love it, but that doesn't mean I can't recognize how goddamn awful and sad the subject is. It's hilarious! I love the montage that secedes them both going in together. The characters are bonding! It all leads up to them both completely sauced, and Mike lets it slip his evil plan about essentially ruining Jordan's life with this documentary. Also, he's not British! Plot twist! Jordan flips out, but he's drunk, so when they both wake up the next day, he doesn't remember any of it. So ends the episode.

Now, this is a HUGE revelation. The entire first season and first three episodes of this season have all been some clever ruse by Mike! Is How To Live A Better Life Actually this scripted out? Or did they just pull that one right out of their ass? It's most likely the latter, because as of now (post-season two finale), that plot point has not been revisited, at least in a serious form. I don't remember how the creators are planning to deal with this, probably by hanging a lampshade on it, but when they do, the show could be changed forever. I say "could" because knowing this show, calling a short amount of attention to it and just moving on might just be the right way to deal with it. We don't need ball-busting drama. This is How To Live A Better Life. We want terrible intro and end scenes.

Stray Observations:

• What kind of addict still keeps a bottle of temptation in his home after he tried to kick it? That's just playing with fire.
• This was quite literally a bottle episode. Think about it.
• Those shot glasses are wicked.
• "It's like an after schoo' special!"
• Mike dragging drunk Jordan to bed: "I feel like a teenage mom!"
• "To the top, Jordan!"
• I really liked the music used for the montage. It was a really nice moment for the characters, dark themes be damned.
• lol @ Jordan's muffled scream trying to keep up with Mike's drinking skill
• Why exactly does Mike want to ruin Jordan's life?
• Overall Episode Grade: B