This is an interesting entry, a TV episode that Andrew Rannells both wrote and directed, inspired by an essay he wrote for the New York Times “Modern Love” column. The essay went on to become the “My Second Date with Brad” chapter in his memoir, and while you can definitely recognize the story from that chapter/essay, Rannells turns the TV adaptation of it into something a little different.
Before I get into the episode, I’ll just say that all episodes of this anthology show are like this, TV versions of “Modern Love” columns (though I’m guessing most aren’t written and directed by their original authors.) I watched the first season and thought, for the most part, that the cast was better than the show as a whole, but I like season 2 quite a bit more. I found a lot of the episodes more interesting, and I felt more invested in the many of the couples or would-be couples.
Ben is on a stroll through the city with the guy he’s seeing when, down the street, he spots Robbie, with whom he shared an ill-fated only date. As the two gradually approach one another, both think back on that night together, their fumbling but nice connection disrupted by a sudden blow to Ben’s life.
Ben is the “Andrew” character and Robbie the “Brad” character here, but while they follow their plot positions from the original essay, they don’t really stand in for either person in any major way. Instead, these are new characters following the major beats of the essay—the alternately good/awkward date and the phone call that changes everything. Marquis Rodriguez (Ben) and Zane Pais (Robbie) both do a nice job navigating the shifting emotions of the piece.
What I really enjoy is how the script structures the episode. Like I said, we open on Ben and Robbie unexpectedly running into each other after the events of their date, so the main story is told in flashbacks as they slowly meander toward one another on the sidewalk. Being a TV episode instead of a first-person essay allows Rannells to get into both characters’ heads, and there’s a bit of a Rashomon element as both of them remember parts of that night differently. There are moments where Ben remembers himself killing it while Robbie remembers Ben putting his foot in his mouth, moments where Robbie thinks he came forward to be the caring white knight while Ben thinks Robbie was coming in too hard and fast. Along with the wistful “what might have been” atmosphere, I like this little exploration of how we tell our own stories to ourselves, with the truth probably being not quite how anyone recalls it.
For a first-time director, I like what Rannells does here. During the sex scene, I flashed back to an anecdote Rannells has shared about having to block a sex scene for Elijah on Girls himself because he was “the only gay on set” and no one knew what to do. No worries on that front here! Also, the moment when Ben and Robbie do finally cross paths leads the episode to a lovely close.
Finally, even though the story is very much focused on Ben and Robbie, Rannells manages to sneak a couple of his friends into the cast. Nikki M. James, the original Nabalungi from The Book of Mormon, plays one of Robbie’s friends. And Zuzanna Szadkowski, who figures prominently in Rannells’s memoir as his us-against-the-world friend during their early days in NYC, plays a coworker of Ben’s.
Recommend?
In General – Yeah, I think so. Recognizing the connections with Rannells’s original essay make it even more interesting, but it’s neat enough all on its own.
Andrew Rannells – I would. Again, especially if you’ve read the essay (or Too Much is Not Enough,) but this is good work either way.
Warnings
Sexual content, language, drinking, and thematic elements.
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