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