Dispatches from Elsewhere

Everything about this felt like it felt to "play the game" in San Francisco". We went to the "jejune Institute" ~10 years ago for "Nonchalance" and played 2 rounds of the game and never quite figured out what was going on, but it was amazing and fun and quirky, just like the show. Very well thought out and imaginative. I'm hoping the show continues and we can finally reach an understanding of what on Earth we were doing and where it was leading...

Jason Segal is one of the most fascinating "creatives" in the entertainment industry. He is constantly re-inventing himself and his career, from "Freeks & Geeks" to "How I met your mother," from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" to re-inventing The Muppets. This is his latest, a limited series based on a mysterious ARG that popped up in San Francisco a few years back (and then, just as mysteriously disappeared.) It's anything but safe. It's funny, clever, disturbing and very addictive. It's anything but boring, concerning 4 people who find themselves caught up in a strange company by the name of The Jejune Institute. A company which may or may not be real and may or may not contain the answers we all seek. Starting created, directed and written by Segal. Co-starring Sally Field, Richard E. Grant and Andre Benjamin (3000). Really interesting, highly recommended.

If you look at the breakdown of voting for this show, you will see sharp divisions between people who thought it was wonderful versus terrible. Lots of folks gave it a perfect "10" and lots gave it the worst possible "1". That's exactly the kind of show or movie I seek out. It shows the filmmaker is taking huge chances to make something truly unexpected and different. I love to see filmmakers NOT playing it safe.

Did this experiment work? I can't say it's the best thing I ever saw. But I was definitely entertained, and I looked forward to each episode. It would help, by the way, to go seek out the documentary about the real "Jejune Institute". I found it on Amazon Prime.

After watching the first episode I found it intriguing yet chaotic. I kept wondering where it was going but at the same time wanting to find out. I can however now see why David Lynch loved Philadelphia so much as the city comes off as quirky as this presentation. The jury is still out for me as maybe I should smoke something before I watch the next episode?

The first 7 episodes of this show were great! It was nice seeing Sally Field in a show again, and I didn't realize how much I'd missed Andre 3000. The diversity of the cast was nice, the plot seemed a little out there but in a fun and interesting way. Unfortunately by episode 8 things start to slide, episode 9 does a poor job of wrapping anything up, and episode 10 is self indulgent, pretentious nonsense best left unwatched. Seriously, if you haven't seen it yet, don't bother, it adds nothing to the show and is not the feel-good, uplifting ending they seemed to think it was going to be. Disappointed.