Thirteen-year-old ChaseDreams becomes a famous singer overnight. Meanwhile, his two older siblings, Brooke and Cary, do not.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. Premieres and finales may feature longer reviews. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the series premiere of Comedy Central's The Other Two.
"Pilot" was written by Chris Kelly & Sarah Schneider and directed by Chris Kelly
Right off the bat, it's very exciting and important that the show features a family that isn't all that cynical of each other despite the wildly different life experiences they have all had. The series opens with 13-year-old Chase launching as a viral video star by accident. He had no aspirations of being a professional singer. But now, that fame is instantly his. His life is immediately changing with new pressures and responsibilities. He has an agent. People are writing songs for him. He's appearing on talk shows and bumping other important guests. He has to drop out of school in order to welcome all of these new opportunities. And yet, he's still a pretty sweet and innocent kid. Sure, this premiere doesn't actually spend a whole lot of time with him. In fact, that final moment with the three siblings in bed together is very telling. This is a family that does love and support one another. Chase actually likes the idea of spending more time with Cary and Brooke now because he'll be traveling to New York more often. This will be the new normal for the family. Cary and Brooke may live here and are trying to get their lives moving forward. But Chase and their mother will frequently be dropping by because of something extravagant that they now have going on. It could be frustrating for the two older siblings. They could be jealous and envious of this newfound fame that Chase has instantly received. However, they are still happy for him. They just wish that their lives had more purpose in them. Cary is a waiter who is barely getting any acting jobs. He's auditioning for parts like "Man at a Party Who Smells a Fart." He's part of an elaborate stop for a city tour bus. He's hopelessly crushing on his straight roommate who keeps sending him mixed signals about his sexual interest. His life hasn't fully taken off yet. He's still stuck in an awkward holding pattern. However, he at least has an ambition that he is working to achieve. Right now, Brooke isn't happy with her career or her relationship. She broke up with her boyfriend Lance because she was too embarrassed by him. More importantly though, she just tired of him and wanted something different. That sees her embarking on a quest to have as much sex as she possibly can in the next few months. She is already making some progress in that venture as well. She succeeds unlike Cary. However, she doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. For so long, she has been defined as the dancer of the family. She too had a career when she was young. That wasn't a life that could last though. It was all-consuming for her for so long. However, she notes that she hasn't danced in 12 years. In that time, she hasn't found anything else to be passionate about. She has a career as a real estate agent. However, she is squatting in one of the apartments that her company owns. So, she is flailing around a lot at the moment with no real direction to pursue. All she really has is her brother. And now, she'll have her other brother in the city as well. That could be beneficial to all of them. Cary and Brooke don't hate the song that led to Chase's sudden fame. In fact, it's very perceptive of the show to understand what kind of videos break out in this kind of way. It may not be very deep. However, it's catchy. Cary and Brooke can't be upset about that. They are happy for Chase's success.
