The Missing Reel
- Episode aired Apr 9, 2025
- TV-MA
- 29m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
3.8K
YOUR RATING
A reel of film goes missing, sending Matt and Sal on a race against the clock to find it.A reel of film goes missing, sending Matt and Sal on a race against the clock to find it.A reel of film goes missing, sending Matt and Sal on a race against the clock to find it.
Catherine O'Hara
- Patty Leigh
- (credit only)
Chase Sui Wonders
- Quinn Hackett
- (credit only)
Kathryn Hahn
- Maya Mason
- (credit only)
Julyah Rose
- Bartender
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
I am in love with this show and this episode until the very end was no different.
The kinetic energy of the shooting is revolutionizing comedy for me. The metahumor about Hollywood has been sharp as a tack. I am laughing and laughing.
What is bothering me is that Apple should be giving these guys as much time to breathe as they want too. The ending was so abrupt. If I was going to do it, there would be a slow motion camera roll with the Chinatown song enrapturing the viewer, and instead of a vulgar voiceover, there would be text on the screen saying what happened ala a 1970s movie. Instead of the Chinatown thing being an insult, why not just have that be the final line? This could have had that perfect tone that really sticks with a person and haunts you.
In my opinion the previous episode missed a huge opportunity for poignancy too. Imagine if Seth Rogan talked to his younger self to mirror what happened in the Ron Howard film? Looking at the moon and imagining himself giving Young Seth a hug, finally forgiving himself for what he did with Ron. Imagining in my head the perfection this scene could have aspired too, that really tugs at the heartstrings. It makes me disappointed that the writers don't have that sentimentality gene that could turn great to masterpiece. Because for some reason they are capable of bringing us all the way there but not sticking the landing. Maybe if the writers see this on the 0.0001% chance they should think about upping the heart. I think if you do that Emmy's are guaranteed.
At the end I was still very satisfied with what I got, it was fun as heck and really engaging to find out the secret of the mystery in real time. This show doesn't hesitate to show you how fun it must be to work in Hollywood every day does it?
The kinetic energy of the shooting is revolutionizing comedy for me. The metahumor about Hollywood has been sharp as a tack. I am laughing and laughing.
What is bothering me is that Apple should be giving these guys as much time to breathe as they want too. The ending was so abrupt. If I was going to do it, there would be a slow motion camera roll with the Chinatown song enrapturing the viewer, and instead of a vulgar voiceover, there would be text on the screen saying what happened ala a 1970s movie. Instead of the Chinatown thing being an insult, why not just have that be the final line? This could have had that perfect tone that really sticks with a person and haunts you.
In my opinion the previous episode missed a huge opportunity for poignancy too. Imagine if Seth Rogan talked to his younger self to mirror what happened in the Ron Howard film? Looking at the moon and imagining himself giving Young Seth a hug, finally forgiving himself for what he did with Ron. Imagining in my head the perfection this scene could have aspired too, that really tugs at the heartstrings. It makes me disappointed that the writers don't have that sentimentality gene that could turn great to masterpiece. Because for some reason they are capable of bringing us all the way there but not sticking the landing. Maybe if the writers see this on the 0.0001% chance they should think about upping the heart. I think if you do that Emmy's are guaranteed.
At the end I was still very satisfied with what I got, it was fun as heck and really engaging to find out the secret of the mystery in real time. This show doesn't hesitate to show you how fun it must be to work in Hollywood every day does it?
Wanted to give this a 7.5/10 to be precise.
This was entertaining and funny too. Matching 'The Oner' is a hill of a task but I am sure the upcoming episodes that have interesting titles, can beat it.
While the Ep. 3 was a disaster, Ep. 4 brings back the charm and humor. I liked it. Maybe not as much as the first 2 episodes but yeah definitely a good one to enjoy!
We have titles like Cinemacon, Golden Globes etc. Coming and I cannot wait to see the mayhem lol!
So far the series has been fun but for me I have watched better comedy shows and except for 'The Oner', nothing felt extremely funny as such but it is one of the good shows I have watched in while especially in a time period where Hollywood makes every movie to extract money from the audience without having quality.
Good entertaining show!
The Oner is the best!
This was entertaining and funny too. Matching 'The Oner' is a hill of a task but I am sure the upcoming episodes that have interesting titles, can beat it.
While the Ep. 3 was a disaster, Ep. 4 brings back the charm and humor. I liked it. Maybe not as much as the first 2 episodes but yeah definitely a good one to enjoy!
We have titles like Cinemacon, Golden Globes etc. Coming and I cannot wait to see the mayhem lol!
So far the series has been fun but for me I have watched better comedy shows and except for 'The Oner', nothing felt extremely funny as such but it is one of the good shows I have watched in while especially in a time period where Hollywood makes every movie to extract money from the audience without having quality.
Good entertaining show!
The Oner is the best!
The Studio's latest episode, "The Missing Reel," satirizes the Hollywood movie industry by focusing on the cost and technical finickiness of filmmaking. Olivia Wilde is working on Rolling Blackout, a Chinatown-style neo-noir about the California solar panel racket. As her increasingly dictatorial directing style drives her cast and crew crazy, the final reel of the film goes missing. If Matt reports the reel missing, the insurance payout would cover the reshoots for the movie's climactic shootout sequence, but his premiums would go up. Matt sets out to find the reel himself, recruiting Sal as his second-in-command. As they search L. A. for the missing reel and interrogate their suspects, "The Missing Reel" becomes a noir of its own. Every episode of The Studio so far has gotten delightfully meta in its construction, using its own cinematography and structure to reflect the aspect of filmmaking being covered by the episode. Episodes 2, "The Oner," and "The Note" have all gotten delightfully meta in their construction, using their own cinematography and structure to reflect the aspect of filmmaking being covered by the episode. "The Missing Reel" also gets meta in its filmmaking, telling the story of Matt's investigation into the missing final reel of a detective noir in the style of a classic detective noir. However, it's a bit too on-the-nose in the ways it apes that style. The search for the missing reel is surprisingly engaging mystery story full of unexpected twists and turns. In its fourth episode, The Studio continues to nail its satire of the Hollywood movie industry by lampooning the hypocrisy of studio heads ruthlessly cutting costs on their film productions while giving themselves shockingly large bonuses. Wilde portrays herself as a diva driving her cast and crew up the wall, poking fun at the rumors she was difficult to work with on her last directorial feature. The Studio is not afraid to be traditionally episodic, each episode introduces a new conflict, escalates the stakes of that conflict, and resolves it in time for the end credits, all while exploring the show's characters and their relationships. The Studio, a series by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, is not just about the movie industry but represents it. The show is a mix of neurotic, delusional, and unreasonably costly, and can mock itself in the mirror before turning back into a dreadful scream about the aspect ratio. The series gained momentum with "The Missing Reel," which introduces its love for film noir and fourth-wall-breaking comedy lines. In this episode, a real film roll is nowhere to be found, making it seem like a film roll made of celluloid. Olivia Wilde, in a satirical version of herself, is now getting behind the camera to direct a cool Chinatown-style neo-noir shot only on celluloid. The tenth and last reel, which includes a hard-hitting showdown and Wilde's own personal cameo, disappears suddenly, and panic attacks start. The exec, Matt, is portrayed as the perfectly wrong guy with crazy ideas and manners, as Seth Rogen is an expert in. When the hair-raising tenth reel shockingly disappears, Matt doesn't have to say that he should notify the studio or phone the insurance company. He goes full-on noir private detective, wearing a trench coat, recording hard-boiled voiceovers on his phone, and dragging his second-in-command, Sal, to have a good old-fashioned L. A. investigator's session. The show exposes the full meta, including fedoras, slow pans, back-alley interrogations, and Seth Rogen channeling Bogart by way of Seth Rogen. The question of whether this is the saturation point of the parody depends on the audience's humor tolerance. Leading reviewers opined that the show had been so promising in the elaboration of the minutest details of the episodes; mainly radioactive notes, awkward moments of creative feedback, and wrap-party rivalries. However, the show is turned along the path of being a full-on pastiche, which is no surprise. The groundless and inconclusive nature of the mystery is slowly introduced, and the eventual unmasking still has its own charm. Wilde and Efron give performances filled with biting satire that fully matched their public images while subverting them.
There have been so many shows in the past 50 years than have done noire themed and it's very hard now days to do this style and not be original but somehow the studio have figured out a way to do it.
Even though I've seen a million of this type of episode across tv this is easily my favorite. Each episode continues to be a paradox of itself in the best possible way and the cameos are doing a great job of not only being funny but actually contributing to the episode. This show keeps you guessing on what the next episode will be like but it keeps me counting down the days to the next episode weekly.
Even though I've seen a million of this type of episode across tv this is easily my favorite. Each episode continues to be a paradox of itself in the best possible way and the cameos are doing a great job of not only being funny but actually contributing to the episode. This show keeps you guessing on what the next episode will be like but it keeps me counting down the days to the next episode weekly.
With the show as a whole being entertaining and even educational at times, I felt like this episode missed the mark. Just like a cliche mystery, I predicted the way this episode was going to play out from the very beginning. I feel like the plot of this episode started to get a bit corny. I didn't like how Seth Rogans character was so easily fooled or how they tried to create an old school detective narration aspect. I just feel like this episode stands out from the rest in the worst way. With the understanding that film making with actual film is become obsolete, I think they could have delivered this concept more creatively. I like the idea but the execution was too predictable.
Did you know
- TriviaThe older man in the beginning of the episode screening the movie with Seth Rogan is Ike Barinholz's dad.
- GoofsTrivia Zac asks Seth "Is that your '53 Corvette on the lot?" Seth confirms it and Zac asks if that was the first year Corvettes were made. Ike mentions "It's the third one ever made." Later shots show Seth and Ike driving the car, painted in Pennant Blue with a beige interior. Whether intentionally or accidentally, the car is actually not a 1953. 300 Corvettes were built for 1953, all painted Polo White, with red interiors, black convertible tops, and inline six-cylinder engines. Pennant Blue was introduced as an exterior paint option for 1954 and was also available for 1955. Seth's car is a 1955. The presence of a gold 'V' on its front fender further distinguishes the car as one equipped with a V8 engine, introduced for 1955.
- ConnectionsReferences Chinatown (1974)
- SoundtracksLove Theme from Chinatown (End Title)
Written and Performed by Jerry Goldsmith
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- 29m
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