In 2022, actor Stephanie Hsu made a splash playing Joy/Jobu Tupaki in the hit indie action comedy everything happens at the same timeearning herself an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Of course, three of her co-stars were also nominated, including Jamie Lee Curtis, so mathematically at least one of them will come away empty-handed, leaving Hsu with a loss . Now, Stephanie Seo is finally getting her own comedy lead role. Hsu stars in new high-concept romantic comedy Rydergave us one of the funniest and most memorable comedy characters of the year.
Yao Xinyi (Xu) is a professional party planner who is used to sweeping people’s lives like a storm and is indifferent to the chaos she leaves behind. She’s a romantic, but not in a healthy way, relentlessly pursuing a movie version of love that may not actually exist at the expense of many people’s feelings. She impulsively jumped onto the bed, interrupting matters just as abruptly without looking back. That is, until she learns that her sexual partners have all died in seemingly unrelated freak accidents, in the exact same order in which she had sex with them. Now, she and her truly crime-obsessed best friend AJ (Zosia Mamet) must solve this bizarre mystery before it kills her other exes.
The play is adapted from the Australian series of the same name, which laid an excellent foundation for TV comedy. It’s part situation comedy, part procedural, with a cast of quirky and delightful characters solving a big mystery through a series of personal, otherwise unrelated encounters, all with deadly stakes. There are also some exciting guest stars (such as Simu Liu, Alexandra Shipp and WWE Superstar Big E) appearing in an episode or scene in Ruby’s Serious Ex and One Night. Each ex gives us a little more insight into the thread, and each senseless, unbelievable death ratchets up the tension as the victim’s trail creeps ever closer to Ruby’s current situation. like high fidelity meet final destinationtwo flavors you would never imagine coming together will be very delicious.
Ruby, who grew up on Nora Ephron movies, saw herself as Meg Ryan’s character, a charming mess whose many flaws would be endearing to the right person. As Ruby looks back on her “sex schedule,” she learns that she’s actually a nightmare, with a lot to answer for, and her window to make amends with those she’s wronged is rapidly closing. It’s a story about self-reflection and growth that thankfully never gets too sweet or serious. Hsu is locked into such a state that Ruby feels like the exact same character, no matter how silly or dramatic a particular scene may be. Ryder As a whole, it functions roughly the same. Even at its most sincere, the next dick joke or Wile E. Coyote accident is never too far away.
Stephanie Hsu and Zosia Mamet are a brilliant fire-and-ice comedy duo. Ruby is impulsive and self-absorbed, while Mamet’s AJ is responsible, methodical, and completely obsessed with making other people’s lives more interesting. Their relationship is lively and natural, with each person’s instantly recognizable way think They sound like they’re jamming with their best friends. Like the dynamic between Rebecca and Paula crazy ex girlfriendRuby and AJ’s love for each other is both beautiful and potentially suffocating. Either way, it’s fun to watch.
There’s no shortage of consistently hilarious performances, from Tommy Martinez as Ruby’s new love interest, who sees all her flaws and shares her love of show tunes, to Ryan Pinkston ) as Ruby’s high-strung, scene-stealing co-worker, to comedian John Early as Ruby’s new love interest. But the star of the show is Stephanie Hsu, and the nimble writing of Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna, who weave killer jokes Get into the conversation, which is so casual that half the jokes will catch you completely off guard. Don’t be surprised if you have to pause and rewind because you laughed at the end of a scene.
Lately, there’s been a slew of streaming TV comedies that feel like they’ve been squashed or stretched to fit the weekend binge-watching mold. In contrast, RyderThe first season has eight episodes and is very well paced. The mystery of Ruby’s lover’s death unfolds at a steady, comfortable pace, and the second season’s runway is so cleverly laid out (yikes) that you might miss it if you weren’t looking carefully. It may seem like weak praise, but it’s actually refreshing to watch a season of streaming television that does so well. one season tv show. This is a satisfying book with clear chapters and promises to continue in interesting ways. This may not sound like rocket science, but it’s surprisingly easy to screw up. Ryder Firmly grasping the fundamentals of modern television comedy while delivering a fresh concept and killer lead performances, I was hungry for more.
“Laid” will premiere on Peacock on December 19.
