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All For One | Episodes 16-30

Episode 16: Fish in a Barrel

Characters: Dorothy (Gwenlyn Cumyn), Portia (Claire Gagnon-King), Ariana (Xavier Lopez), Miller (Dan Mousseau), Rochefort (Damien Doepping)

Plot: So we’ve upgraded from foam swords to Nerf guns, I’m not mad about it. We’re 16 episodes in and honestly, who would have thought that Portia would be looking to rally the group together. We’ve got lots of cute Portiana moments including some action in the back from Miller and Dorothy but what we’re mostly focused on is Portia’s concern that her MST sisters thinks she’s a ditz and think that she slept with Rochefort if you remember correctly is because of the scheming everyone else put her up to. SMH.

Portia’s phone goes off, it’s an email from Rick inviting Portia to his office, the other three are excited while Portia isn’t having it. She’s clearly uncomfortable and I hate that everyone ignores it!

We get a secret moment between Miller and Dorothy, Dorothy goes back to catching up with the Inseparables until none other than Rochefort makes an appearance, a drunk appearance. I love the writers for this moment because I actually feel for Douchecanoe and that takes a lot! So it looks like Douchefort came to see if Dorothy knows who “he” is, he, referring to Miller who just left and there are suddenly red flags everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE! Dorothy being naive as she is doesn’t get it, blaming it on Rochefort being drunk but he tries again before he leaves.

Episode Takeaway: Portia can do anything except outrun a clown on a unicycle.

Best Inseparable Line: Portia is the Queen of Baes, yas sometimesawesome

First thought: More Portia in my life is a good thing.

Final thought: Dorothy, hunny...Let’s get your head out of your ass, yeah?

Episode 17: The Good Guys

Characters: Dorothy, Portia, Ariana, Miller

Plot: Things are not well at Dumas and it’s pretty clearly written on Portia’s face. The gang is in celebration mode, something they seem to be doing quite often, which means that the next step in their Rick take down must have been successful. Ariana’s getting cockier by the episode, Portia’s getting more uncomfortable by the episode and WHY ISN’T ANYONE SEEING THIS.

Back to the plan, Portia convinces Rick to leave his office and endured some very much unwanted advances while Ariana hacked into Rick’s computer, finally. Thinking they’re finally going to get a break from the scheming, Portia’s proven wrong when she gets filled in that Ariana left something in Rick’s office, a little meth, NBD. A LITTLE METH. Which we now know is the secret that Dorothy and Miller were chatting about in episode 16.

This plan is the straw that breaks the camel’s back and Portia’s on her feet finally blowing up at everyone the way they deserve and they are shooketh. Ariana tries to justify their decision, Dorothy and Miller don’t care, Rick’s computer is finally decrypted and it looks like he’s got a ton of weird/unexplainable photoshopped photos of himself and...photos of Anne, naked photos of Anne.

Now that we know what he’s holding over her, what does our lovely team do next? Portia wants to stop and we’re team Portia right now. She’s the voice of reason and everyone else seems to ignore her, her girlfriend included. Miller gets a call on his super duper flip phone informing him that Rick’s been let go by campus security. Things are far deeper than anyone’s prepared for and one can only imagine what’s happening from here.

Portiana gets into a fight, for reasons completely valid. Ariana completely ignores what Portia is saying and a very awkward break up ensues in front of Dorothy and Miller. This is when I know Miller’s some sort of shady. While the conversation goes on in the background, Dorothy looks sad, probably wondering if she had a hand in this while Miller smirks and Ariana fights back tears as Portia walks out.

Episode Takeaway: There are no good guys.

Best Inseparable Line: It’s the 21st century! Liberate women’s bodies. We see you cookiemonster.

First thought: Once again, Portia is sad and no one is paying attention to her. Miller I truly do hate you. Dorothy, what has happened to you?

Final thought: Miller’s the real douchecanoe. Portia deserves a lot better.

Episode 18: Midnight

Characters: Dorothy, Ariana, Miller, Connie (Linnea Currie-Roberts)

Plot: Well hello Ariana, looks like someone get a makeover! I love the wardrobe choices for Ariana after the blowout with Portia, I think it goes to show how much she’s changed from the beginning of the season. Ah, they’re drinking again and that never leads to anything good. So we get an update on how they’ve been toying with Rick using the information on his computer and he doesn’t know who’s doing it, yet.

The team is losing sight of what the initial plan was which means that their downfall has yet to happen. Miller and Ariana are in this maniacal supervillain glow and I think Dorothy is finally seeing how far they truly have gone. She’s updating the Inseparables on what’s been going on until she’s interrupted by a tired-looking Connie who was up late talking to Monty (are you even real?).

Connie brings the harsh truth to Dorothy asking her what’s really going on what with Miller never in class and Ariana avoiding her MST responsibilities. Connie’s genuinely worried and there seems to be something going on with her too but try as she might, Dorothy can’t seem to get it out of her.

Connie heads to bed, Ariana comes back and Dorothy looks like she’s finally going to Mom up and lay down the hammer. Ariana’s neglecting everything and Dorothy’s trying to help her realize what she’s been doing and in typical Ariana fashion she leaves in huff of smoke but not before giving Dorothy a thumb drive of the latest data she’s stolen from Rick’s computer, only this time, on Miller and perhaps his true reasoning for helping the girls.

Episode Takeaway: Ariana has a past of hacking which she gave up after joining MST.

Best Inseparable Line: I’M ALWAYS A SLUT FOR RECAPS. Same chiefofmemes, same.

First thought: Where do I get that jacket, Ariana?

Final thought: I lowkey wanna slap Ariana in the face. Is that allowed?

Episode 19: It Hits the Fan

Characters: Dorothy, Miller, Connie

Plot: After looking through what Ariana gave her, Dorothy finally sees Miller for who he really is and admits how much she really was in denial and speak of the devil, Miller walks in toting snacks. Dorothy confronts Miller and tells him to stop lying once and for all and he laughs. He actually freaking laughs.

So it turns out Miller’s been lying the entire time, he’s actually been working for Rick pretty much as one of his goonies. For example, he helped Rick sabotage a girl that Rick didn’t like during exam week, also that thing with the professor’s wife and much more. It’s actually disgusting the worst part about it, he actually tries to justify what he’s been doing and I hope Dorothy doesn’t eat this up.

Miller plays it all off like he’s some hotshot badass but then Dorothy reveals she’s seen the older files too. Police reports no doubt involving Miller and that’s when we see him finally show his true colors. Police seem to be on the hunt for Anton hence the change to Miller so why is Miller still doing all of this? Oh because he loves Dorothy and confesses it in a rather shitty and manipulative way, in my opinion at least. Dorothy doesn’t get it, she’s confused and Miller seems to be feeding her shovel after shovel of shit.

Turns out, Anne turned down a proposal from Rick and Miller, knowing he had to take down MST was just trying to protect Dorothy and I absolutely hate it but kudos to Dorothy for pushing him away! She threatens to take Miller down if he doesn’t leave and in a very dramatic fashion he leaves with a, “You’ll change your mind.”

Dorothy finally breaks down and who comes to her rescue? Connie. CONNIE MOTHER FUCKING BONACIEUX! It’s finally over with Miller, Dorothy blames herself and Dornie hugs.

Episode Takeaway: Miller gets paid a lot to do something that he’s really good at. So how much to pay him to go away?

Best Inseparable Line: BREAK HIS ARMS. sometimesawesome is my spirity animal.

First thought: Miller is disgusting.

Final thought: DORNIE HUGS. Miller is still disgusting.

Episode 20: Last Dance with Miller Winters

Characters: Dorothy, Miller

Plot: Dorothy’s dealing with her messy break up as much as best as she can and honestly I’m just glad we don’t have another Burrito Blanket disaster. She misses Miller and as crazy as it sounds, it’s understandable, she honestly thought he was being genuine and maybe a part of him was but, meh. So the Inseparables try to get her to keep positive and Dorothy does what’s probably the most responsible thing I’ve seen her do all season, writer her college paper.

When the live stream comes back up it’s nighttime and Miller is creepily hovering over the computer and we officially hate how he calls them digital beans. Dorothy comes back threatening to break his arms and Miller looks deranged with power. We say punch him.

Miller came to erase the files Dorothy had on him and Dorothy can’t believe he’s actually that stupid to think she’d hold things over his head that he did when he was 15. Miller in a very aggressive, creepy way, tries to manipulate Dorothy to get back together with him and all of a sudden the Miller that Alex and Rochefort mentioned before is in front of us. Dorothy almost falls for the Miller bullshit but our girl knows better and kicks him to the curb, again. Oh but also, we get a Dorothy slap and an enraged Dorothy is back and with a plan!

Episode Takeaway: Dan Mousseau is a genius at playing the villain.

Best Inseparable Line: She dumped u dude get OVER it #desperate. You tell ‘em emblue!

First thought: Sad Dorothy is sad.

Final thought: The writers really know how to throw a punch in this episode.

Episode 21: We’ll Do It Live

Characters: Dorothy, Alex, Ariana, Portia, Treville (Denise Yuen)

Plot: Before I go on, we have to note that the cast and crew behind All For One is absolutely phenomenal. In episode 21 we get not only a 20-minute episode, but a live episode at that and with chatties from fans of the show.

So we have all of the people back for this episode and a new venue, in Dorothy’s attempt to fix basically everything. We get a great little monologue from Dorothy on how she thinks her family, mainly her mom and gran would react to the mess she’s gotten herself into.

So while Dorothy waits for the girls to show up she tries her best to remain calm and collected, by that I mean she feng shuis the room like a million times and with some moral cyber support from Connie, Dorothy finally starts to feel like she has things under control, kinda.

Ariana’s the first to show up, looking darker than usual in her black on black ensemble that even I’m envious of. She’s still playing the bitter card and it’s really getting to Dorothy but she tries to reel Ariana back in and they actually get into a bit of an emotional conversation, until Portia shows up (yay)! Portia admits she’s only there to fill Alex in on what’s been going on and in a not so subtle way, Dorothy leaves to “check on something” leaving Portiana alone.

Portia’s back at the computer catching up with the Inseparables while Ariana broods in the corner. I like that the writers gave the characters times to interact with the Inseparables, really showing off the abilities of the actors. Things get emotional and Ariana finally speaks up, where they both realize what went wrong in their relationship and the overall theme is COMMUNICATION.

Next to enter the scene is Alex and by enter, I mean pop up from behind one of the lounge couches in a very short dress and clearly intoxicated. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ALEX WE KNEW? Well she’s clearly gone off the deep end and if Alex can do it, it can happen to anyone. Dorothy returns and she starts what I like to call, the rambliest of ramble apologies ever, as she should. Portia is the first to forgive her, while Alex and Ariana are next in line to admit that a lot of what happened with Miller isn’t her fault. So in an attempt to save what’s left of Anne’s image, the girls are banding together again to protect her with Portia volunteering as leader and we are here for it folks. We are here for it.

Episode Takeaway: This wasn’t a literal, figurative disaster as Dorothy thought. The actors are freaking phenomenal.

Best Inseparable Line: You’re going to need a strong drink for this. We should all have one. Sassyinspanish, also my spirit animal.

First thought: NEW VENUE! NEW VENUE! A live episode and Dorothy’s wearing...Overalls?

Final thought: THE GANG IS BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.

Episode 22: Caper

Characters: Portia

Plot: We get a Portia-centric episode with a brand new confident Portia and we love it. She’s taking the lead and she’s manning the group via walkie talkie from Dorothy’s apartment, in an attempt to get the stolen pictures back from Rick.

Alex goes against the plan and finds an open window and decides to climb inside, obviously. Ariana sounds like a pod person, very robotic as she reports back to Portia and we finally get to see Portia’s reaction to Ariana’s new demeanor and while she says she doesn’t care, we all know she cares. Alex continues on with a plan of her own and Portia tries not to have an aneurysm at Mission Control.

Dorothy has no idea what to do to distract a guard but she’s caw-cawing on the walkie and then there’s silence. I know I should be worried and not laugh but I am, I’m laughing so hard. Portia finally takes the reins back on Mission Control, the girls make it to Rick’s office and then the walkie goes dead.

Episode Takeaway: We need more Portia in the future.

Best Inseparable Line: Kitten, let’s not pretend you don’t care enormously. Sica_inimicis calling it like it is.

First thought: PORTIA! PORTIA WITH GLASSES!

Final thought: Boss Portia is a thing, but nervous Portia is still a thing and I love it.

Episode 23: Rough at the Edges

Characters: Dorothy, Alex, Portia, Ariana, Rochefort

Plot: Following the plot to get into Rick’s office the girls regroup back at home base and Portia fills us in on what we missed. In attempt to save Dorothy from the guards, Portia had to climb through the window Alex did in episode 22 and she pulled the fire alarm to distract the guards (something we don’t recommend doing).

Ariana wasn’t able to get to the photos but she was able to disable the cameras, Dorothy tries to salvage the setback in their mission but the other girls aren’t having it. They look pretty defeated and Dorothy does her best to perk the girls up. Ariana leaves and Portia admits to Dorothy her doubts about being a leader and it’s honestly endearing. Dorothy cheers her up and it’s so great to see how much Dorothy has gone back to being the girl we saw in the first episode.

So the team regroups for attempt number two to get the stolen photos back and it was a failure to say the least. Alex fell out of a tree amd Miller was disguised as a guard with a fake mustache. We see a bit of the old Alex when Miller gets brought up and I just want her to come back! Ariana gets grumpy and leaves to meet Portia for coffee, coffee where they discuss being friends and never touch each other below the waist again coffee, Ariana’s words, not mine!

Alex leaves too after some not so great words are exchanged and then we’re back with Ariana post-Portia coffee. There aren’t any updates on accessing Rick’s files so Dorothy tries to get her to take a break and after a bit of opposition, she finally succeeds but not without a knock on the door from Rochefort.

Episode Takeaway: Dumas has hidden tunnels.

Best Inseparable Line: I would do anything you say #QueenPortia. I’m starting to think chiefofmemes has a crush.

First thought: Why is Alex on the floor.

Final thought: The Ariana we know seems to be coming back!

Episode 24: Underhanded

Characters: Dorothy, Ariana, Rochefort, Portia, Alex, Treville (Denise Yuen)

Plot: We pick up with Rochefort at the door and he actually asks to come in, which is...weird. Portia and Ariana come back into the room and Rochefort offers up information on Miller’s next play which is also looking for the Dumas tunnels. As it turns out Owen isn’t so stupid after all handing over the map of the tunnels and his building keys, now we wait for the other shoe to drop.

The only thing Rochefort wants is for all of Miller’s files and without hesitation, Dorothy accepts. PLEASE tell me there are copies of Miller’s files. Ariana thinks it’s a trap, Portia thinks he actually might be genuine, Alex doesn’t care and Dorothy refuses to be the deciding factor but the girls actually have valid reasons as to why she should vote on what to do next.

The live stream kicks back up and we’re at a new venue, the MST house! So update! The girls wiped Rick’s cloud, broke into his office, cracked into his safe and found the remaining files that Rick has against Anne. I’d call that a win. The girls break the thumb drive together, using a flowerpot, causing Treville (YES) to walk in with a sword, a real freaking Musketeer sword, as if she couldn’t get more badass.

Treville’s looking for an explanation, Dorothy tells her they’ve wiped the photos clean and Treville looks rather relieved but also confused. Dorothy, once again not aware of social cues, asks if this means she could be an MST sister and Ariana asks to play with her sword. Timing guys, timing.

Episode Takeaway: Treville is a badass and I didn’t realize how much I missed her until now, the rapport between the girls is amazing!

Best Inseparable Line: Never underestimate a douchecanoe, they might grow up and become douchekayaks. Breton FTW.

First thought: Hello, Owen - you’re looking very smug today.

Final thought: TREVILLE!

Episode 25: Dorothy the Sigma

Characters: Dorothy, Connie, Treville, Miller

Plot: From the title I think it’s pretty obvious to say what happens. Our beloved Dorothy Castlemore, is finally a Mu Sigma Theta pledge. She breaks out into a happy dance which Treville so happily interrupts until she realizes that Dorothy and Connie are live streaming and insists that they need permission. Plot twist. Dorothy has been texting with Anne, including emojis and Treville does not look impressed. Control, much? Also making an appearance in the chatties this episode are Ariana, Alex and Portia, how great is that?

So on another note, why is Connie there? Not that we’re mad. Somehow Monty comes up and Connie reveals that they broke up and Dorothy tries to be supportive without flailing her arms in gay. We get some great Dornie conversation and I’ve missed this so much, it starts to feel like the conversation’s about to take a serious turn when Miller shows up (seriously, do these people not lock their doors!).

So he swaggers in and eyes Connie in a very uncomfortable way. Turns out he’s been hanging out with Monty...comforting her in her break up. WHAT A FREAKING ASSHOLE. Something isn’t right and cue the phone ringing. Connie gets a call from Treville and it looks like she’s been kicked from her sorority after photos of Connie have been leaked, making its way around the university.

Episode Takeaway: Dornie

Best Inseparable Line: HELLO MY FLAWLESS QUEEN. SHARE WITH US YOUR DARK SECRETS!! sassyinspanish...I just...I love you.

First thought: DOROTHY’S A SIGMA! DOROTHY’S A SIGMA!

Final thought: Dorothy’s going to protect her girl, dont’ worry.

Episode 26: The Connie Conundrum

Characters: Dorothy, Connie, Treville

Plot: Dorothy has a black eye (again), picking fights left and right, protecting anyone who makes fun of Connie. It’s cute how protective Dorothy is over her girlfriend. Miller seems to have dropped off the map and he’s lucky, because Dorothy would end him. Rick resigned and it isn’t enough for Dorothy because he really should have suffered.

Dorothy’s worked up, Connie tries to calm her but can’t get through to her. Dorothy returns with Treville and our newest pledge is trying fix Connie’s sorority situation by getting her into MST and oh would you look at that, Anne sends Treville an email telling her to make Connie a pledge. What’re the odds? So now Connie’s a Sigma and Dorothy’s giving her these, “don’t be mad at me eyes” and Connie loves it.

After reveling in the joy of being an MST for a whole 20 seconds, Connie finally decides to answer her parents’ incessant calls and comes back very not joyous. It looks like her parents are pulling her out of Dumas, end of story.

Episode Takeaway: Revenge porn is a thing and slut shaming isn’t okay.

Best Inseparable Line: Dorothy “I don’t know how calm works” Castlemore - love you sometimesawesome

First thought: Oof, the fallout. I hate sad Connie.

Final thought: Dorothy is just...kiss Connie already!

Episode 27: But What If

Characters: Dorothy, Connie,

Plot: We’re back at Dorothy’s place and Connie’s lugging her suitcases to the door much to Dorothy’s dismay. I don’t understand how Connie can be so...relaxed about the whole situation and Dorothy is trying to hard to get her to fight to stay.

Brainstorming ensues and a brilliant plan comes to fruition!

Episode Takeaway: Operation get Connie to stay is in full action mode!

Best Inseparable Line: Connie. There are some choice in life that test the scrotum of our character. Sassyinspanish, I was with you until now...

First thought: Don’t leave Connie!

Final thought: What is this plan?!

Episode 28: Bonacieux Bonanza

Characters: Dorothy, Alex, Ariana, Connie, Portia, Treville, Miller, Rochefort

Plot: So this brilliant plot of theirs to raise money for Connie to stay? An MST carnival, complete with the ladies of MST in bathing suits to promote body positivity! I have to say this plan is pretty brilliant, after the slut shaminG/victim blaming going on at Dumas, I love that MST came together to support body positivity and fighting the bullies!

Everyone seems to be going back to normal, kind of and we get a rare Portiana moment alone. Awkward Ariana is so cute and it’s so clear that she wants to work on things with Portia and honestly, may the odds be ever in her favor. They finally reach some middle ground and they agree to work on their friendship.

Treville appears to quickly shut down the camera and when we’re back we get some paint-covered MST girls after the day’s festitivies. Things are going great until Miller appears (ugh) and he’s got some news. There’s an interim student union President and it’s...drumroll please...FREAKING ROCHEFORT.

Episode Takeaway: Rochefort is literally the worst.

Best Inseparable Line: That is not how a selfie stick works. It truly isn’t ai_firestarter.

First thought: Look at all these happy people!

Final thought: Um Rochefort...what about your deal with Dorothy?

Episode 29: Douche Heel Turn

Characters: Dorothy, Connie, Portia, Ariana, Alex, Rochefort, Miller, Treville

Plot: So it looks like the deal’s off after Rochefort realized having Miller on his side would be more useful, alas our girls got played. Miller, being the stupid henchman that he is follows orders to tear down the fundraiser and leave it to the girls to talk some sense into Rochefort. Manipulation from the other side doesn’t look so bad.

Alex takes her stand against Miller calling him a user, a parasite and I AM LIVING FOR THIS MOMENT, it’s been such a long time coming. Rochefort finally comes to his senses and stands up to Miller too and does what we’ve all been waiting for. HE’S FIRED! Rochefort’s obviously shaken up by standing up to his cousin, we don’t blame him but it’s honestly for the best.

Episode Takeaway: ALEX IS BACK.

Best Inseparable Line: Slay Alex Slaaaay. chiefofmemes

First thought: Ugh, come on Owen.

Final thought: Did we raise the money? Did we help Connie?

Episode 30: Inseparable

Characters: Dorothy, Connie, Ariana, Alex, Portia, Treville

Plot: So the fundraising event only raised half of what Connie needed and since they weren’t going to meet their goal, they started refunding their money. Dorothy calls Connie a pretty lady and there are feelings. We get a cute Dornie moment and it actually hurts.

In a twist of events, we have a sincere moment in which Dorothy finally tells Connie how she feels and I am screaming. Dorothy basically confesses her love for her and the timing sucks but here we are. Connie’s hesitant, I totally get it but Dorothy’s looking at her with her sad eyes saying what they have is worth fighting for and then it happens. Connie grabs Dorothy’s face and they’re KISSING.

So they kiss a bit more until the MST girls show up with drinks to distract what’s going on and Portia calls out the new energy in the air because TA-DA Dornie is a thing! The girls hug it out and Portia laughs because they’re going to be sisters soon and Ariana is quick to point out she never wants to think of Portia that way.

We get the cutest all for one and one for all moment, find out that Dorothy is moving into the house next semester, Treville is running for MST president after Anne leaves and Portia reveals she’s looking to run too. SO MANY OPTIONS. WE WANT THEM ALL TO WIN.

The Nerf guns make an appearance, shenanigans ensue and Treville shows up to let Connie and Dorothy know that they are both officially Mu Sigma Theta sisters. Treville, ever the professional looks like she’s going to leave when Dorothy tells her to stay and Treville is the cutest when she asks if she means it! Dorothy hands her a Nerf gun which Treville shoots with great aim and we can’t not love this group more.

But that’s not all. The Inseparables have an announcement, they’ve banded together to help fundraise for Connie to stay. All is well at Dumas and this has been one hell of a journey.

That’s not at all again...There’s a knock on the door and well...it’s Monty. WELL F@#$!

Episode Takeaway: DORNIE IS CANON.

Best Inseparable Line: This is more fun! Cookiemonster, yes it is.

First thought: Dornie.

Final thought: DORNIE and season two premiered today!

#Gwenlyn Cumyn #Xavier Lopez #All For One #Cherrydale Productions #KindaTV #Linnea Currie-Roberts #Claire Gagnon-King #Dan Mousseau #Damien Doepping #Denise Yuen #AJ Simmons #RJ Lackie #Sarah Shelson

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uneasyhearts33 · 7 years

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GUYS ALL FOR ONE ONLY HAS A FEW MORE DAYS TO GET MONEY!! They’re hosting a contest and the person who gets the most referrals gets gifts!! Use my link if you wanna help them and me out!!! :)

Even if it’s just $1 every little bit helps! and US dollars go even farther :)

#SIGNAL BOOST #all for one #a4o #lgbtq webseries #kindatv #allfors2 #Gwenlyn Cumyn #xavier lopez #dan mousseau #denise yuen #aj simmons #claire gagnon-king #linnea currie-roberts #damien doepping #cherrydale productions #Carmilla #Dornie

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nettvnow-blog · 6 years

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All For One | Episodes 7-15

Episode 7: Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One

Characters: Dorothy (Gwenlyn Cumyn), Ariana (Xavier Lopez), Portia (Claire Gagnon-King), Alex (AJ Simmons)

Plot: In this episode Portia so happily welcomes everyone and by that she means everyone to this inclusive event for a good old fashioned, Girls Night*

It’s been a week of Dorothy being MIA with her friends, though she’s not necessarily missing out on any action with Miller (oops, my hand slipped). Alex being Alex throws down the third degree on wanting more deets on her friend’s boyfriend but Portia’s quick to put everyone back on track because she has an agenda for the night. Of course she does and Alex is OBVIOUSLY loving it...see below for loving it expression.

It’s a valiant effort from Portia to host a night to help show Dorothy that she doesn’t need a sorority to make her feel like she has sisters and truthfully, we have to agree with Portia! MST or not, she’s got these girls for life. Dorothy’s still a bit of a downer but she’s fully on track to recover from the Blanket Burrito incident of 2K16 and is ready to get this party started. We start off with a 90s karaoke event which Alex is quick to turn off the camera for (rude) but we pick back up just in time for truth or dare, where the Inseparables get to take a hold of the reins for a bit!

Ariana is the clear winner in the ‘Who Wishes They Were Anywhere but Here’ category as we’re met with one snarky comment after another and it finally gets under Alex’s skin when Ariana provokes her during her choice of picking truth, sparking some not so great memories from Alex’s past.

The night takes an awkward turn and in an attempt to salvage what’s left of the their night Alex slowly but sure begins to open up. There was a boy, they dated in high school and it ended badly, end of story. So why is this different than any other high school fling? Well, he was a runaway and Alex was supposed to help protect him but instead ended up hurting him and let him down, making him disappear. Guys, we’re gearing up for some really great character development, especially with Alex, so let her grow on you.

Portia, taking the reins once again transitions from this sad moment to a round of crank calling and just like that, we’re back on track!

*A gender inclusive sleepover event!

Episode Takeaway: Portia is too good for this earth, what did we ever do to deserve this cinnamon roll?

Best Inseparable Line: I like to feel the cool breeze between my toes because breton needs to give us more of a reason to think he’s weird.

First thought: Hi, hi, hi how do I get invited to one of these inclusive sleepovers also Portia, where can I get that onesie?

Final thought: I still don’t know where to get that onesie and Dorothy, I promise you, no one wants to hear what you and Miller might get up to over the phone. Gross.

Episode 8: A Revelation or Two

Characters: Dorothy, Ariana, Portia, Alex, Connie (Linnea Currie-Roberts)

Plot: So things are about to get heavy and not hot and heavy in the way that we’d hope (Dornie!) but something’s going down in Connie’s sorority, Psi Pi Alpha and Dorothy is ready to help her through it. So we find out that Connie did in fact put MST down as her first choice and was rejected which is bizarre given that her cousin, Anne, is the President. Legacies don’t just get shut down like that guys!

So as it turns out, Rick, President of the Student Union and infamous ex-boyfriend of Anne, told her to reject Connie, for what reason? We’re not so sure but it smells like blackmail to me. Connie being Connie says she doesn’t want to react because she loves Anne and of course she doesn't want to do anything to make matters worse for her. Now here, we get a firsthand view of a not lover’s quarrel, the first of many I’m sure, when Connie so straightforwardly yells, “Dorothy, you’re not my girlfriend!”

And...scene…

Except that it isn’t...Because Connie reveals that Anne was told to block two pledge and guess who pledge number two was...All because of Douchcanoe, Owen Rochefort. We shouldn’t be surprised at this revelation but we are and I’m shookth (am I using that right?) at Cumyn’s performance to keep it together when I’d be a baby crying on the floor.

Dorothy shares her news with the trio we’ve come to love and you can only imagine where they each stand on this. Alex is for ‘Team Don’t Do Anything!’ While Ariana is on Team ‘Let’s Rock This Shit! Personally,’ I’m on ‘Team Let’s Rock This Shit.’ Nevertheless, Alex talks some sense into Dorothy and they plan to take Rick down at the next Student Union gathering.

Episode Takeaway: Alex’s moral compass seems to be rubbing off on Dorothy...kinda and Ariana is definitely a lot more dark than we thought she was...Hacking the Pentagon, what?!

Best Inseparable Line: This is why I don’t date guys, from our favorite cookiemonster *cough* Laure Hollis, with an honorable mention from monochrome stating the obvious, ur a lesbian.

First thought: GUYS CONNIE IS BACK!

Final thought: Rick the Dick is a thing, also I want to see these hyena videos that Ariana’s talking about.

Episode 9: Vengeance Interruptus

Characters: Dorothy, Alex, Ariana, Portia, Treville

Plot: So that went well...not. As you can see, our beloved leading ladies are covered in what appears to be...fruit, so I’m assuming their non-violent, Rick the Dick, confrontation went well. So you guys ready for the rundown? After getting cleaned up, Alex lets us know she was well prepared, cue cards and all until they realized that everyone at the student union...LOVES and I mean LOVES the student union in a not cool scientology way, yikes.

They’re two hours into the meeting and Alex finally gets her chance to speak but Rick and being the charming man that he is, diplomatically states he’d love a sit down. It should’ve ended there right? But it didn’t because Dorothy, oh our sweet and firecracker of a girl, decided to pick a fight with Rochefort in hope of provoking him in front of Rick.

As if her night couldn’t get any worse, Treville springs a surprise visit and Dorothy is not prepared. Straight to the point, Treville asks for an explanation of Dorothy’s earlier antics and boy were we not prepared for this version of Treville because she is ON IT, even shooting Alex down as she tries to be a good friend and explain but on the premise that Rick is evil, Treville grants her permission to continue the validation of her earlier outburst but despite her best rebuttal Treville is once again ON IT. She gives off some, “don’t mess with me vibes,” and guys, I AM HERE FOR IT.

Episode Takeaway: Treville is a badass, Dorothy still has a lot to learn and Alex is pretty great despite her motherly antics.

Best Inseparable Line: So gang, let’s regroup: how do we get Dorothy into MST? sometimesawesome asking the important questions in life but also, agreed.

First thought: *nods absentmindedly to The Beatles, Revolution*

Final thought: I need more Treville in my life.

Episode 10: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

Characters: Dorothy, Portia, Ariana, Alex, Miller (Dan Mousseau)

Plot: Welcome back viewers and oh...gross...kissing. Now I know that I said I loved the chemistry between Miller and Dorothy because it’s there, absolutely! But after the not-lovers spat that Dornie had in episode 8 how can I not be rooting for them? So Miller finally removes his face from Dorothy’s long enough for us to get an update, I’m all about new love, romance and all that jazz but c’mon you gotta remember your friends. We find out there isn’t any updates on Rick, but judging from the episode title, we’re in store for something good and oh if it isn't Miller with the interruption suggesting that maybe Dorothy can do something about it just on the DL.

So Miller comes up with a brilliant plan to take down Rick by exposing him for his other misdeeds, but this time be smarter about it by going after him for something the team can actually prove. I hate to admit it, but Miller’s onto something, let the sucking face continue.

And we’re back, with Miller and Dorothy a respectable distance away from each other, we finally get to hear this diabolical plan of theirs which now includes Portiana and Alex! This moment also strikes the first time that Miller meets Dorothy’s friends and it’s all great until Alex shows up...Because it turns out she knows Miller and she knows him by Anton. We’re with Breton on this one, wtf?!

Episode Takeaway: Portia’s a Hufflepuff, Ariana’s a Slytherin, Alex is a Ravenclaw and Miller is a hippogriff.

Best Inseparable Line: I don’t think u 2 attacking each other’s faces will stop Rick, preach on monochrome, preach on!

First thought: Gross, turn the camera off if you’re gonna mack.

Final thought: Shit just hit the fan, cue dramatic zoom in and zoom out on Alex’s face!

Episode 11: Don’t You Dare Look Back

Characters: Dorothy, Portia, Ariana, Alex, Anton/Miller

Plot: So Anton...Anton is Miller and Miller is Anton. Got it? Okay, good. Well whoever he is, is doing a shit job at trying to save face as he tries to hurdle Alex outside away from prying eyes and ears but leave it to Dorothy to intervene at the right time.

So here’s what we find out, Anton is Miller’s middle name and he knew Alex in high school, are you guys thinking what I’m thinking? Absolutely, he was totally Alex’s high school runaway boyfriend. Dorothy, trying to continue the conversation gets shut down hard and I mean hard as Anton/Miller loses his cool and yells for them to drop it. Strike one bruh...strike one.

The episode takes a bit more of a serious turn as Alex confesses that she thought he was dead, Anton/Miller takes a step forward, his hand going straight to comfort her by grabbing her forearm, a very intimate and affectionate move might I add. In front of Dorothy. Strike two.

Dorothy quite literally inserts herself into the conversation, standing between Alex and Anton/Miller and tries to reel the conversation back to herself, naturally. She turns to Anton/Miller looking for some sort of clarity and he at least has the decency to reply with, “it’s complicated.”

Okay, now every time I’ve seen this episode I’ve had to pause at this moment (1:41). The acting is phenomenal and not much is even being said. There are three things I love especially about this moment, 1) Ariana’s reaction to watching this go down. 2) Dorothy’s stance after confronting Anton/Miller and 3) Anton/Miller might be the tallest one in the room, but right now he’s looking very, very small.

The scene continues with Alex powerfully taking control of the situation, kicking everyone out of the room to talk to Anton/Miller. Some go quietly, some go kicking and screaming, Dorothy.

The gloves come off and underneath all that macho, pie-baking, scruff, there is a real human in there who felt things. Anton/Miller admits how dejected he felt after being dumped, to which Alex reminds him that she didn’t break up with him, she just told him that he might be better off with a better family that could care for him. Honestly, both sides are pretty heavy to take in but I feel for both of them, I really do. The acting from Simmons and Mousseau are phenomenal and it’s quite possible one of the shortest episodes of the series thus far and just wow.

Episode Takeaway: Anton/Miller might not be such a bad guy after all.

Best Inseparable Line: I think Akari^89 takes the cake with this one...

First thought: Anton/Miller is TOTALLY trying to save face right now and I hope no one buys it. Especially Dorothy and Alex.

Final thought: Where does this leave Alex and Dorothy but also Dorothy and Anton/Miller?

Episode 12: Bugaboo

Characters: Dorothy, Ariana, Portia, Alex, Miller

Plot: Things seem to be going swimmingly as the entire gang (Miller and Alex included) have banded together to help take down Rick. Miller seems to be handling it better than Alex, if the way Alex’s pacing gives anything away.

Portia makes drinks, because of course she does and Miller continues to rattle off any ideas to take Rick down, but it’s Alex with the not-so-legal tactic to get what they need, by bugging Rick’s office. Miller has this devlish gleam in his eye and it most definitely does not go unnoticed by Dorothy. The plan takes on a life of its own with Portia and Miller placing the bug, Ariana hacking the video camera and Dorothy in the least bitter way possible (yeah, right), asks Mom what her role is and we can totally tell she’s not having it with being shafted to backup for Miller and Portia while Alex heads up everything from base AKA Dorothy/Connie’s apartment. Speaking of Connie, where is she? I miss her.

Six hours later the plan is moving forward and we’ve got Alex at the helm alongside the Inseparables which spark the conversation on what’s been going on with Alex and Dorothy. You have to feel for them because this really isn’t anyone’s fault but when feelings are involved well, I’m sure you guys know how it goes.

The walkie talkie banter is pretty solid in this episode, in addition to the Miller backstory Alex divulges too. Long story short but they met at a mall, Miller’s parents had just passed away and he left to avoid getting stuck in a group home. We can’t blame him there, but unbeknownst to us, he had an aunt and uncle ready and willing to take him in, he just didn’t want them. Oh and not to leave you guys hanging but the bugging of Rick’s office was a success!

Episode Takeaway: Alex is a boss at executing plans, walkie talkies need to become a thing again, jealous Dorothy is probably one of my favorites and Alex admits that the Inseparables are real friends!

Best Inseparable Line: So how did teeny bopper Alex meet Anton and faaaalll in loo~ooove. Breton, I despise you but I also love you.

First thought: Dorothy has some feelings.

Final thought: Dorothy still has some feelings.

Episode 13: 100% Success Rate

Characters: Dorothy, Ariana, Alex, Portia, Connie, Miller

Plot: The squad is in full celebration mode after the successful hacking/bugging of Rick’s office and it appears that foam swords are now part of this crew’s celebration. You do you! Alex takes this moment to confront Dorothy and clear the air, quite frankly I’m a bit peeved at how standoffish Dorothy is being, when Alex has been nothing but kind to her, given the circumstances. Dorothy is awkward as hell and Alex is still the best for being so supportive. Plot twist though: Alex tells her to be careful because Miller is cool but the Anton she knew wanted to set the world on fire. Another plot twist, apparently Rick might be involved in some heavy coke smuggling ring, things sure have changed since I was in college.

This is probably a great time for Connie to show up. HI CONNIE! After a quick rundown on what’s been going down, Connie doesn’t exactly disapprove but she doesn’t exactly approve either. Either way, we’re just happy to see Connie back in our lives and in Dorothy’s (squeal). So naturally, this is a great time for Monty to be brought back up and for Connie to even ask about Miller. The roomie reconciliation ends and everyone comes out of Dorothy’s room to get back to celebrating. There’s an awkward conversation between Dorothy and Miller about Connie that honestly leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth but I suppose time will tell and Miller officially goes back on my Do Not Trust list. The episode segues into a group dance because why not and the episode ends in a rather dramatic way with a dark room and Alex back at the helm with a message to the Inseparables: Keep an eye on Dorothy and don’t trust Miller. This doesn’t feel right.

Episode Takeaway: Dorothy doesn’t know how to be cool. CONNIE IS BACK. Ariana and Miller fake sword fighting is everything, fake sword fighting in general is awesome.

Best Inseparable Line: And as usual Dorothy has the subtlety of a hammer. Sassyinspanish is quickly becoming my favorite.

First thought: Do we get another episode of Jealous Dorothy?

Final thought: Alex is the real MVP.

Episode 14: The Red Pill

Characters: Dorothy, Alex, Ariana, Portia, Miller

Plot: To say things are getting out of hand would be an understatement. There hasn’t been any incriminating evidence on Rick, Douchcanoe seems to be a very willing participant to do whatever Rick tell him to do and our Musketeers are once again left asking themselves what more can they do? Alex and Miller are at each other’s throats because once again one of Alex’s plans haven’t flourished so the overall frustration is understandable. Ariana’s dark side is showing again and I’m starting to feel like things may not be so great in the foreseeable future.

The bug seems to be useless right now and instead of trying to think of a more strategic approach Miller goes 0 to 100 real quick. I do however agree with one approach that they’re going for, and that’s making Rochefort look weak to Rick. The way to do that? By using Portia as bait and I am NOT here for this, especially with how Ariana is pushing her to do this.

Episode Takeaway: Rick the Dick drinks cherry coke. Ariana’s quick with the quips.

Best Inseparable Line: Ariana SWEETHEART pls save it for fanfiction.net. Akari^89 with the mic drop!

First thought: Why are Alex and Miller fighting?

Final thought: I am NOT here for Portia being pushed into a corner and being used as bait. Not one freaking bit.

Episode 15: Backstab in the Back

Characters: Dorothy, Portia, Ariana, Miller, Alex

Plot: It’s party time back at Casa de Castlemore, the drinks are flowing and everyone seems to be in a great mood except, Portia. Can you blame the girl? We get a rundown from Rick himself as Dorothy plays the tape of Rick tearing into Rochefort after his let up AKA being seduced by Portia. Plot twist, but not a surprise at all: Alex still doesn’t know about the plan.

Now can I please introduce you to the highlight of this episode? This reenactment from Portia and Miller who are being puppeteered by their significant other. Is it hilarious? Oh it is by far one of the best things this season, expect it’s pretty obvious that Portia doesn’t think so judging by her annoyed face.

Alex appears and things take yet another bad turn and this time there’s no telling what Rick will do and Portia may face the brunt of it. Alex has a point, their plan wasn’t thought through in the slightest. Alex lashes out at Miller, calling him out on his Anton bullshit (YAS), she calls out Dorothy and her lack of brains and she even calls out Portia for going along with it, which poor Portia, she so doesn’t deserve it but she did go along with it. Alex leaves in a huff only to be stopped by Dorothy asking her not to tell Treville which tells me that she absolutely cares and wasn’t fully comfortable...Yikes.

Episode Takeaway: Ariana and Dorothy are not the best reenactors, but A for effort, also A for hilarity.

Best Inseparable Line: Ariana’s kinda skeezy when she’s wasted. Breton, I actually agree with you for once.

First thought: Why is Portia sad and why isn’t anyone paying attention to her.

Final thought: When is Portia going to snap and when is Dorothy going to get her head out of her ass?

#RJ Lackie #Sarah Shelson #Cherrydale Productions #KindaTV #Claire Gagnon-King #Xavier Lopez #AJ Simmons #Denise Yuen #All For One #Linnea Currie-Roberts #Dan Mousseau #Damien Doepping #Gwenlyn Cumyn

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All For One Has Something For Everyone

All For One is yet another Canadian web series. I’m mostly very sick of them, and most of them are bad. Luckily, this one is not. Produced by Cherrydale Productions, distributed by KindaTV, and written by Sarah Shelson and RJ Lackie (Inhuman Condition), All For One invites inevitable comparison to Kinda’s most famous property by manifesting as a queer-tinted modern-day remake of a classic literary work captured entirely by webcam. I originally planned to write this review without acknowledging that comparison, partly because doing so would be a pain in the ass, but moreso because A4O does not have the same problem with being compared to Carmilla most other web series might: it doesn’t pale in comparison. It’s not really fair to either show to say one is better than the other (A4O has one season, Carmilla has three), but for those of you who keep fandom power rankings, I’d take A4O’s first season over Carm’s, which is the only apples-to-apples comparison to be made. Inevitable comparison over with, let’s talk about the actual show now. It’s The Three Musketeers, but about sororities and super queer. You wanna know more about the plot than that, go watch the damn thing; this is a review, not a summary. Structurally, the show revolves around nominal main character Dorothy’s webcam, with her never-seen-except-as-IMs crew of internet besties (“the Inseparables”) serving as a modern day Greek chorus, chirping away in the margins. This is a very smart creative decision for a few reasons*. First, it allows the writers to manipulate tone and pace on the fly by injecting comic relief, self-awareness, and/or cheap pathos whenever the fuck they feel like it without eating up that most precious of web series resources: screentime. Second, it allows them to multi-task; one plot line may be advancing on-screen while a second plays out quietly among the Inseparables (occasionally joined by whichever lead characters aren’t appearing in a given episode). Third, it gives the writing team (Lackie/Shelson) an easy counter to one of Lackie’s writerly crutches; almost all of Lackie’s characters are prone to bouts of plot-centric myopia, and in the past his shows have allowed, if not downright enabled, them to get away it, but with an ever-present jury firing off incisive running commentary, characters are generally (and effectively) called out when they start to go down that road. Not all of them course correct, but once the issue’s been dragged into the narrative, that becomes a feature, not a bug. Speaking of writing…

*Worth noting is that many, maybe even all, of the Inseparables are characters from other shows. I only caught two of them myself, but I’m assured that there are others. One is from Carmilla, making me feel better about giving in to the cheap comparison above, and the best of the bunch is from Lackie’s older web series, Santiago. It’s likewise worth noting that neither Lackie nor Shelson has (to my knowledge) ever admitted to either of those, but I’m not an idiot and hopefully neither are you, dear reader, so let’s call a cameo a cameo and move on with the review.

A4O is an excellently written show, and not just by the admittedly low bar set by web series. I haven’t seen any of Shelson’s other work, so I can’t speak to how the partnership affects her, but what I can say is that she seems to have a knack for allowing Lackie to be Lackie (which, my own pot shots at his previous monomaniacal characters non-withstanding, is a very good thing) while subtly steering him away from his bad habits and injecting her own high-energy voice and full-auto black market machine-gun pacing. A4O does an exceptional job of serving a way over-sized cast (five main characters, at least three major supporting roles, a few off-screen-but-still-developed side characters, plus the Inseparables) in a relatively brisk three hours or so; not only does every major player in the show have an arc (or several, in some cases), even the off-screen ghosts and most of the text-only Inseparables are gifted with pathos, progression, and payoff. It’s an absolute masterclass in using every available bit of narrative real-estate to build your characters and tell your story*. *Bringing up the vampiric elephant in the room one (hopefully) last time, this is something that even Carmilla never totally figured out in its three seasons, largely punting on giving its supporting players any real meat in exchange for more time with its leads. That was probably the right play for that specific show (they were really great leads), but it’s refreshing to see a web series have its cakes and eat it too in a kitchen where most of its peers, far from either having or eating cake, accidentally added salt instead of sugar to the batter and have long-since retreated to the vomitorium. For that matter, even most twenty-minute TV sitcoms with more than five or six characters generally can’t serve them all nearly as consistently/artfully as A4O**, either. ** Footnote to a footnote! Brooklyn Nine-Nine is probably the current show that comes the closest, with seven principles, two consistently present supporting players, and a large tertiary library who usually get strong, character-driven notes to play, though of course Brooklyn has roughly quadruple the screentime to work with that A4O does.

Beyond that big-picture high-concept goodness, Lackie/Shelson also have a strong ear for banter (though both clearly watched way too much Buffy in highschool); A4O has a comedic batting average that hangs with all but the strongest of its TV brethren. They may be shorter on A+ knock-you-off-the-couch laugh grenades, but they’re firing off laugh bullets near-constantly and score at least a glancing blow with most of them. Their dramatic beats also mostly land, and they generally obey one the most oft-broken cardinal rules of good writing: thou shalt not sell-out thy characters* for either plot convenience or lazy comic beats. The writing isn’t perfect—as great as the overall pacing is, there are a couple conversations that overstay their welcome long past the point of narrative utility (occasionally to the point of undercutting what had up till then been a home-run scene), and Shelson/Lackie have never written a conversation they felt couldn’t be improved by an awkward pause or seven—but I can count on my thumbs the number of web series pilot seasons that get closer. *There’s one major exception to this, and I’ll bitch about it later when I get to the part of the review where I’m hateful jerk who ruins things I like.

Given the size of the cast, I don’t have the ink to spill to cover everybody individually, either as a character or an actor, but top-to-bottom the cast is stellar, and every single one of them should be proud of the work they did. The worst performance in the show is probably still in the B+ to A- range. Gun to my head, I’d shout out Alejandra Simmons (Alex) as the MVP of the leads and Denise Yuen (Treville) as the top dog among the supporting players, but sincerely, I’ve got nothing bad to say about the cast as a whole in twenty-nine out of thirty episodes*. *We’re almost there, pessimists. I have nothing terribly interesting to say about the direction. The cast act in front of a stationary webcam. The blocking is functional. They mostly use the setup to their advantage, cutting off scenes that work just fine implied (except as noted above). Solid, functional work that does the job, but doesn’t exactly leave you racing to the director’s IMDB. Alright, before I get into the higher-concept thematic stuff, let’s get the part where I piss all over something I really like out of the way (we all knew this was coming and when I do alone we’ll all understand why).

The show does have two major warts, and one begets the other. The first is the live episode, coming in right around the 2/3s mark of the season. It’s by far the show’s longest episode, and neither the writers nor the actors are up to the sudden formula shift, the unscripted environment, or the awkward necessity of combining what probably should have been three or four separate major sequences into one clunky stationary set-piece. One conceit of this…look, I like the cast and crew a lot here, but calling this episode anything kinder than a tire fire is being a disingenuous reviewer so… one conceit of this tire fire is that, as it aired, fans were able to masquerade as Inseparables and ask the cast live questions in-character. I’m sure it was great fun for the fans involved, but the fans involved had nothing interesting to say, and the actresses were stuck and-yessing responses without either the help of the writing staff or the freedom to really riff (as I assume the rest of the season was already pretty thoroughly structured or maybe even filmed and they couldn’t risk contradicting or redirecting anything with a careless opinion or anecdote). Oh, also, the single-set-for-twenty-minutes-and-also-they-all-need-to-get-their-turn-talking-to-the-fans setup necessitates a whole lot of contrived entering, exiting, and maneuvering that does nothing for the story and everything to remind you that you’re watching a manufactured production, and could only feel less authentic if accompanied by flashing text to the effect of “fuck your suspension of disbelief, loser.”

The episode is an amazing technical achievement in that they did it at all, but to paraphrase one of the least annoying iterations of Jeff Goldblum, they were so excited to see if they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should. While I’m sure the episode was effective as a gimmick to goose the fanbase, removed from the context of the twenty minutes where it was accomplishing that goal, it mostly just saps the narrative momentum of the show right as it was cresting, takes its actresses away from doing what they do best, and introduces the single biggest creative misstep (in this not-so-humble reviewers estimation, anyhow) of the season in Alex’s sudden, dramatic, and inorganic character shift.

…which brings us to wart number two, wherein the show’s strongest character, fed up with being the responsible one, suddenly morphs from nuanced character into a party-girl pastiche that seems more at home on MadTV than KindaTV. While the idea behind the change is a decent one (Alex lashes out against her role as “Mom”) it scans totally false for the character we’ve been given, doesn’t fit the tone of the show, and doesn’t serve much narrative purpose beyond forcing one of the other leads into the leadership role (there were better ways to get there), and letting actress Simmons show off her comic chops (which, granted, are sharp). It’s also completely devoid of the nuance and verisimilitude that otherwise permeates not only Simmons’ work but the show’s character-writing in general. In a world where every other character is consistently, painfully, beautifully themselves at their own expense, turning the best of the bunch into a cartoonish punchline for three episodes or so fucks up the emotional feng shui something fierce. I suspect the writers might even agree with me, as the gimmick is quietly dropped a few episodes later with no lasting consequences.

Now, that was a negative couple paragraphs, but let’s put it all in perspective: ultimately, A4O has one bad episode out of thirty. Show me another show with a better batting average and I’ll show you Banshee, which I’ve previously described as “the best show on television*”. *And as “The Ballad of Sheriff Punch,” though that’s neither here nor there. Beyond that, the show’s only real creative misfire happens to its best character and isn’t bad enough to keep her from staying its best character. I’m picking nits here, and I’m using some very precise tweezers and a microscope to pick them. I’m also done doing it. Onto the abstraction! One of the most incredible things about A4O is how many hats it manages to wear. It’s a comedy and a drama, sure, but it’s also a character study… scratch that, six or seven character studies. It’s also The Three Musketeers and sometimes it’s Animal House. It’s a virtuoso performance of an increasingly well-traveled formula, but thanks to its Inseparable gimmickry, it’s also the only show of its kind. It’s about persistence, and friendship, and admitting when you’re wrong, but it’s also about ambition, and narrative, and perspective, and bikini fund-raisers that end when one of the show’s stronger supporting players marches in cheerfully proclaiming “Hi. I’m here to ruin everything.” This is a show that tries to do about three-hundred* more things than any other web series out there**, and somehow feels less rushed, crowded, or inept than any of its competitors. * Estimated. I’m not a math person, I swear on my thirteenth finger. ** Well, beside Next Time On Lonny, I guess, but the whole point of that show was that it did everything. All that narrative ambition and versatility feeds back into the show’s characters, allowing them to exist in more dimensions than their screentime ought to allow. Pay attention to Yuen’s Treville, and note how much we learn about her simply from the things she owns or the way her eyes react to a certain name or an unexpected offer. I doubt she’s on-screen more than seven or eight minutes in the whole show, but she’s got more depth and nuance than anyone outside of the two leads on that apparently inescapable point of comparison*. This is something Lackie’s shown before in flashes (the bodyguard from Inhuman Condition is arguably its most interesting character and might not have ten lines), but here its displayed consistently. Almost all of the Inseparables have at least two or three layers to them, and that’s without the benefit of an performer to embody them or any capacity to meaningfully interact with the A-plot. *Last time, I swear. For the record, I do *really* like Carmilla, and it’s because I like it so much (and because it’s so much better than web series have any right to be**) that it’s such a useful measuring stick to show exactly how impressive A4O is at its best. ** I’ve previously compared its second season favorably and mostly sincerely to Shakespeare.

That’s not to say the leads are underdeveloped, either; in contrast to, say, Parks and Rec, where every character seems to exist solely to populate the Parks Department, all of A4Os feel lived in, with rich personal histories and plenty of implicit relationships and interests we don’t need to see or even hear about to take as read. Shelson & Lackie do an excellent job of letting the things they do reveal or spend time on imply a thousand more they don’t, and it’s the sort of expansive and elegant world-building you never get from web series* and rarely get from anything. *Credit where its due, Inhuman Condition was similarly economical at building its world, but not nearly as adept at bread-crumbing the personal histories of its principles. More than all that, though, at the end of the day, A4O is just fucking fun. The heroes have Sepinwall’s oft-discussed but rarely attained “I don’t even care if they’re not being funny right now, I like them and I just wanna hang out with them,” vibe, the villains are enthusiastic and memorable without succumbing to camp, and even the damn theme music is smiley. The emotional moments (mostly) feel earned and make you feel feelings, and they’re paced properly to do it without burning you out or risking diminishing returns.

Since it’s nominally a KindaTV show and I didn’t spend any time on the gender politics, I’ll awkwardly pause here to quickly note that A4O is pleasantly open-minded and inclusive. These people care about telling these stories respectfully and for as many people as possible, and it shows.

End of day, A4O is television in microcosm. It’s funny and cute and sad and angry and it’s still got time for both nerf gun duels and planted meth. It’s got close friends and bitter rivals, will-they-won’t-they’s and wish-they-wouldn’ts. It’s a pleasant place to escape to when you’re feeling shitty, and it’s a great neighborhood to show your friends around when you’re feeling good. It’s inventive and ambitious and yet familiar and comfortable. It’s great actresses (and actors) giving strong performances of sharp lines equally charged with uniquely subtle character biases and peppy Lackie-banter, all done at Shelson’s bullet-train pace that somehow never feels rushed and always gets you to exactly where you need to be. It’s fearless but rarely reckless, smart but never condescending, and sweet without ever veering into twee-town. It’s got all your favorite things from classic literature and modern television, and yet it’s something you’ve never quite seen before. It’s one of a kind, for now, and that’s a shame. Incidentally, it’s also currently fundraising to make another season. How’s that old Musketeer mantra go again? All for one and whatever amount you feel comfortable donating for All For One…

Written by Nick Feldman.

#Nick Feldman #RJ Lackie #Sarah Shelson #KindaTV #Carmilla #The Three Musketeers #The Soliloquies of Santiago #Cherrydale Productions #Denise Yuen #A4O #All For One #Gwenlyn Cumyn #AJ Simmons #Shannon Litt #Claire Gagnon-King #Angie Lopez #Linnea Currie-Roberts #Dan Mousseau #Damien Doepping

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