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2 • February 4 - 10, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch By Sarah Passingham TV Media L ike many comedians, Pete Hol- mes ("Ugly Americans"), writer, creator and star of HBO's "Crash- ing," has drawn humor from some of his deepest memories and most personal life moments. The con- cept of the series was formed from Holmes' experiences as he rededi- cated himself to the pursuit of a standup comedy career. The come- dy is currently in its sophomore season, with a new episode airing Sunday, Feb. 4, on HBO. The show's lead — also named Pete, and played by Holmes him- self — struggles with the realities of adulthood, such as the dissolu- tion of his marriage to Jess (Lauren Lapkus, "Orange Is the New Black"), questioning his faith, and reimagining his dreams when confronted with the diffi- culties of carving out a place for himself in the comedy world. As the series is semi-au- tobiographical, many of Holmes' comedy contemporaries appear as themselves in the show, includ- ing Artie Lange ("The Artie Lange Show"), T.J. Miller ("Silicon Val- ley"), Hannibal Buress ("Broad City") and Sarah Silverman ("I Love You, America"). Other come- dians, such as Jermaine Fowler ("Superior Donuts") and Aparna Nancherla ("Inside Amy Shumer"), feature as well, albeit in more fic- tional roles. This is not the first endeavor for which Holmes has combined his personal and professional lives for compelling content. He has long been the host of the popular podcast "You Made It Weird," in which he welcomes friends, guests and other comedi- ans into conversations that ex- plore complex ideas. Between the podcast, the confessional nature of standup comedy and the series inspired by events from his own life, Holmes has honed his skill of oversharing until it becomes art. Holmes attended Gordon Col- lege, an Evangelical Christian col- lege in Massachusetts, and his faith has been challenged and broadened since those formative years. Following his upbringing in Christianity, Holmes explored Bud- dhism as an adult, and he brings his knowledge of and experience with faith with him in his everyday life, including in his creative proj- ects. As Holmes told the New York Times, spirituality is "not just a Sunday-only thing for me. It's something I'm constantly reading and thinking about." So, naturally, it's a driving force of the plot of "Crashing." Confronting divorce and a new career pushes Pete to question what his faith means to him, and he is not the only charac- ter in the show who contemplates his spirituality. Lange, playing himself in the fi- nale of the first season, engages in a discussion about the place of spirituality in a world where peo- ple seek logical meaning for life's events. Artie comes out of the con- versation giving himself a sort of baptism as a new believer. For Lange, getting out of New Jersey and finding a home in New York City as a successful standup co- median was its own spiritual ex- perience. Speaking to Exclaim! about leaving his home state, he said he "became more enlight- ened than my friends by going into show business." The passion that Lange has for comedy is felt by au- diences and critics, as his turn playing a fictional version of him- self in "Crashing" has gifted him with the most well-received performance of his career. Holmes shared with Paste magazine that in creating "Crashing" as a dark comedy, he felt that he was "playing catch-up with other great artists like Lena Dunham and Ricky Gervais." It is not a surprise then that Judd Apa- tow, who famously executive pro- duced "Girls" for HBO, would set- tle into the same role for "Crash- ing." Holmes shared with The Hol- lywood Reporter that what in- spired him to need Apatow as a mentor was the "serious heart and warmth" he felt the characters of "Girls" had and which he wanted in the characters of his own show. What seems like a perfect fit now almost wasn't. When Holmes pitched the concept of "Crashing" to Apatow, the latter told Vulture he felt it was "too sad." Holmes, however, was motivated and cer- tain about the show, and after writing a series of episodes, the partnership with Apatow became a match made in heaven, and they got to work. The series leans into the adulthood malaise that Apa- tow is known for producing not only in his television series, but in his film career as well. In "Funny People" (2009), a comedian deals with a terminal illness with signa- ture Apatow humility as he devel- ops a quick friendship with a green comic. So, while it is a story told many times before, it may be told best with "Crashing," as Hol- mes and Apatow have practiced and are at their best. "Crashing" upends some ste- reotypes that many autobiograph- ical comedies lean on, and the goodness of Pete is what steers the show into plots less traveled. While comedians are often por- trayed as bad people making bad decisions, for "Crashing," Holmes created Pete from a different cloth. He is a thoughtful, if at times naive person whose decency is often what causes problems for him, as well as some of the most enjoy- able tension. A key factor in what makes "Crashing" work is the op- posing natures of the fictional ver- sions of Holmes and Lange. Lange is the gruff veteran comic to Pete's innocent newcomer, and the two explore parallel problems ques- tioning faith and entertainment. Centering the story from Pete's point of view is what makes "Crashing" a fresh take on a com- ic's origin story. Catch a new episode of "Crash- ing," airing Sunday, Feb. 4, on HBO. Divine comedy: HBO's 'Crashing' explores faith Cover Story this week Jermaine Fowler in "Crashing" The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon I read that British Airways is getting rid of reclining seats on their planes. And if you think that's bad, Southwest just announced that their new seats only recline forward. I saw that Princess Charlotte went to her first day of nursery school yesterday. It was a little intimidating for the other kids. Like for "show and tell," she brought Scotland. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert One of the things that inspires me most about Oprah is that I believe she's reasonable enough to consider the possibility that being a billionaire TV star doesn't necessarily qualify you to have the launch codes. Then again, if we did go toe to toe with North Korea, I bet she could calm Kim Jong-un down just by helping him lose weight. The Late Show With James Corden This is our first show of the new year after the holidays. We're very happy to be back. We actually would have come back last week but marijuana was just legalized here in California so, you know. Jimmy Kimmel Live Trump is asking Congress to put up $18 billion for this wall he said Mexico was gonna pay for. Meanwhile, millions of children are about to lose their health insurance because Congress still hasn't funded the CHIP program. I guess the wall is so we don't try to escape to Mexico to find a doctor for our kids. With Trump's approval rating right now, I'm not sure he could beat Maury Povich for president, never mind Oprah. Late Laughs 001659190r1 001683830r1 www.advantageseamlessgutters.com www.advantageseamlessgutters.com BAXTER • ALEXANDRIA • PERHAM • CROSSLAKE 7419 Forthun Rd. Baxter, MN 56425 218-270-2663 Protecting Your Home.

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