Derry Girls, The Mole, and Corden vs. McNally
Across the pond and down under, plus finally a good celebrity feud
Hello!
On this week’s episode of Criticism Is Dead, we discuss Derry Girls and The Mole, two shows about groups of people trying to get what they want, episode after episode.
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02:28 Derry Girls, streaming on Netflix in the U.S., strikes a sweet balance between teenage self-obsession and adulthood.
After three seasons of shenanigans and hijinks, Derry Girls finally comes to a close. We will miss these characters, who are so easy to love: scheming and joyous and irrational and caring and petty and every other quality universal to teenagers whose brains have not fully developed yet. We will miss the adults in their lives, too, those characters who are a little more world-weary but still just as funny, just as much of a delight to watch bicker and jest. We will miss the ’90s throwback, and the budding awareness of sociopolitical issues that govern daily lives, and the cynical Sister Michael. Honestly, the finale could have been a little better, in our opinion, but no matter — a salute and a farewell to Derry Girls!
21:11 The Mole — Netflix’s revival of the early-aughts reality competition show — has some flaws, but is ultimately a fun ride for anyone who likes puzzles, heists, and gameplay.
There’s a real pleasure to watching how people sabotage themselves and each other in this show, whether it’s in purposely tanking missions or in serving as textbook examples of the Prisoner’s Dilemma. That disenchanted view of human nature, coupled with the variety of challenges in this Mole reboot, make for an overall entertaining watch. There are real weaknesses, of course: the confessionals, for one, as well as the casting of players who “speak the language [of reality TV] a little too fluently,” as Dan D’Addario puts it for Variety. Nevertheless, I’m thrilled to see this franchise come back.
42:04 Plus, culture notes about James Corden getting banned (possibly twice?) from Balthazar.
Finally, some good fucking food!
LAST-MINUTE UPDATE BEFORE THIS GOES OUT (BUT NOT BEFORE OUR EPISODE ALREADY PUBLISHED BUT OK): He admits wrongdoing!
Bonus links
Let’s go!!!!!!
Let’s go mate!!!!!
That’s it for now, see you next week!
— Jenny
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Some credits:
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu