After last week’s introductory episodes, this week we delve into the situational half of Couple-ish’s comedy — defrauding the government. Dee’s entire summation of the situation and subsequent mental breakdown was a standout for me in this batch of episodes. Alexander’s unique brand of physical comedy was showcased too as they laughed their way through the lines before sobbing like a freshman at finals week (just in time for the real gravity of the situation to hit). That is the best aspect of this show — it’s all completely ridiculous, but it’s happening all the same. And while you may never find yourself in a tussle with the Department of Immigration, young adulthood is full of moments like those. And that is part of what I’m loving so far in the series and what the trailer hints is (hopefully) to come.
The term “young adult” has an interesting definition. Generally, the term is targeted toward teenagers between the ages of 13-17. And that is fine, until you are a twenty-something and realize that you are technically still a young adult. But now, your choices seem to span everything from a 16-year-old experiencing high school to a 35-year old.
The point being, of course, that there is not much middle ground for twenty-somethings in the world. You are expected to transition straight from being a child to being an adult. And that’s where Couple-ish comes in — focusing on doe-eyed protagonists entering the professional world. These people are suddenly faced with the dangers of the government and assembling IKEA furniture, all the while utilizing the millennial gold mine that is YouTube. I would say that it is so far so good on concept and execution, and I can’t wait to see more.
We had another interesting turn this week in episode four when we finally got to see Rachel and Dee’s videos. Alexander talked early on about how the series would blend the vlogging style made popular in webseries with out-of-the-computer real world shots depicting what really happens. It’s a tricky concept because it requires the audience to change their point-of-view throughout the story. Are we, the audience, watching their story through the fourth wall or are we Dee and Rachel’s audience on their newly founded YouTube channel? Whatever the case, the first foray into the point-of-view shift was smooth, and I hope the show continues to utilize entire episodes for vlog posts in order to help keep the consistency of the separate “worlds” that the vlogs and episodes inhabit.
Couple-ish continues to impress. Another episode aired this week, but here’s a quick recap of what has already happened thus far:
The episode opens with Dee practicing introductions as a couple before has a breakdown of laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation. Amy suggests they use vlogging as a format to help cultivate chemistry between them, with a nice shout-out to Rose and Rosie. The pitfall becomes obvious when Amy insists only the government will be paying attention. The next episode is the aforementioned vlog, complete with an opening logo. It starts with Rachel asking about her laundry before giving a rocky intro to their relationship and “pressed their faces together.” We get some character background on them both, revealing Dee’s career as an illustrator and hints that they might need to get out more, before signing off with only minimal tension.
I expect more of the outer romantic entanglements to begin to arise outside of the vlogs and for viewers of the vlogs to catch on to Canada’s Rose and Rosie.
New episodes of Couple-ish air every Tuesday and Saturday at 5 PM EST.
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