![]() ![]() The push and pull of conflicts in "Champagne" perfectly encapsulates just how good Please Like Me is at letting its cast and characters bounce off each other in a way that feels wholly realistic. But in terms of storytelling, these claustrophobic scenes prove the power of just letting the characters fly at each other - that is, if the characters are well-defined enough to make interactions interesting in real time. "Champagne" doesn't spend quite all its time in that vestibule, and so it's not technically a bottle episode (an episode that takes place entirely in a single space). With Thomas and Saville at the helm, Please Like Me has emerged as one the most offbeat and genuine comedies on television. Saville's wide shots and blanched palette immediately make Please Like Me distinctive from so many other shows, creating a world that looks like ours, but with a little extra magic. But it is beautiful, thanks to the meticulous script and direction from Matthew Saville, the show's consummate director. So, no, suggesting that they all go get stuck in an enclosed space for who knows how long might not have been the best idea. Ella has just realized that Tom was (is?) in love with Claire, who in turn is trying to move past her recent abortion as privately as she can. Josh has just revealed to Arnold that not only did he take advantage of their open relationship, but his one-night stand is now calling him from the hospital before life-threatening surgery. ![]() In "Champagne," the first half of the two-part finale, Thomas and Ward's script puts the core cast's bond to the test by trapping them in that glass vestibule on one of their most fraught days to date. Which is all to say: By the end of this third season, everyone on Please Like Me is inextricably, begrudgingly, and yet happily wrapped up in each other's business. His father, Alan (David Roberts), is struggling to keep his relationship with Mae (Renee Lim) afloat, while his mother, Rose, is just doing her best to keep herself afloat. All the while, Josh's divorced parents are off on their own paths. She also has a complicated history with Tom, who is now trying his best to be good for Ella (Emily Barclay). Meanwhile, Josh's ex-girlfriend Claire (Caitlin Stasey) came back to Australia after trying, and failing, to find herself in Germany. ![]() In this third season, Josh's relationship with the anxious Arnold (Keegan Joyce) has gotten more serious. Josh lives with his best friend Tom (Thomas Ward), whose hangdog expression follows him through every one of his (many) social miscalculations. He lets his characters joke and ramble in a way that lets you know they're comfortable with each other - maybe too comfortable, really. PivotĪs a writer, Thomas finds delight in those tossed-off lines that are often weirder, and funnier, than the main conversation at hand. Please Like Me's greatest asset is an immediate and distinctive voice Josh didn't have the best Christmas. While it began with Thomas's character (also named Josh) coming to grips with his homosexuality as his mother (Debra Lawrance) did the same with her bipolar disorder, the series quickly settled an easy rhythm that's both confident and deeply caring, quirky and hilarious, even as it finds a way to bruise. From creator and star Josh Thomas, Please Like Me is a straightforward gem of a show. Please Like Me is an Australian import that airs on Pivot in the United States. It's too bad she couldn't see me, then, because I was laughing the whole time. ![]() "You said that already," another counters, tired. "Okay," one finally says, "maybe this wasn't my best idea." They're stuck together for however long they're stuck together, and right now, it totally sucks. They're gathered together in a glass vestibule on a slowly rotating wheel, the city stretching out underneath them, but they're still nowhere near the bottom. Two couples and a fidgety woman glance at each other with increasing tension. The episode of the week for December 6 through December 12 is "Champagne/Christmas Trifle," the two-part third season finale of Please Like Me. Every Sunday, we pick a new episode of the week. ![]()
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