Creator, comedian and star Pete Holmes is back for a second season of his well-received new show “Crashing,” which premiered on Jan. 14th. (screenshot/HBO)
Creator, comedian and star Pete Holmes is back for a second season of his well-received new show “Crashing,” which premiered on Jan. 14th. In Season One, we followed the semi-autobiographical story of Pete as an up-and-coming comedian living in the city. After his wife cheats on him with a tantric-yoga-practicing, man-bun-wearing hippie, he finds himself with nothing but comedy and a part-time job at Coldstone Creamery.
At the end of the previous season, we were left with Pete finally coming to terms with his divorce. Season two picks up by taking this relatively well-adjusted character we were left with and throwing him in the dumpster. The ultra-conservative, pious man we thought him to be has left in the past season as we follow Pete’s night of debauchery out with some comedian friends, causing him to call into question everything he thought he knew about himself, the universe and our place in it.
Religion, morality and themes of existentialism shape this newest season, providing big pay-off for those who have been patient since the pilot. The potential many knew this show had is beginning to show in these latest episodes. As we’ve seen in the past, the concept of religion in our modern society, specifically its declining importance among the youngest generation, has been the source of a lot of material for Holmes. In the show, Pete experiences his first one night stand, hooking up with a fellow comedian at the local venue he frequently performs at. A wave of sober realizations hit him the next morning when he is forced to confront his ideas of premarital sex, love and the ability to understand that someone doesn’t want you in their apartment making baked ziti after a regrettable night.
The odd relationship he forms with his wife’s lover, i.e. the man who ruined his marriage, turns out to be surprisingly important and formative for Pete. Representing just about as far apart as two people can be on the spectrum of personalities and beliefs, the unlikely bond teaches Pete the art of letting go, softening his edges and thing or two about how people work.
While the show certainly covers well-trodden terrain in terms of comedic cliché in both a meta sense and literal material, it is nonetheless an enjoyable experience. The philosophical aspects buried under some tired character arcs, such as the “dude, man” millennial version of counterculture, are what make the show stand out among the clutter of TV shows targeting a younger, more sardonic demographic. Overall, “Crashing” is definitively moving in the right direction in season two.
3.5/5 stars
Mitchell Clark is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at mitchell.clark@uconn.edu.