In HBO's semi-autobiographical comedy "Crashing," Pete Holmes is portrayed as a man full of enthusiasm who loves God, street hot dogs, and stand-up comedy. The show starts with a significant event in the life of Pete when he found out about her cheating wife leading him to leave the suburbs and go to New York City to pursue his dream as a comic.
In "Crashing," Pete has no apartment and believes that depending on his wife for financial support during open mic tours was like putting someone through medical school. As a result, he would rely on New Yorkers who were kind enough to let him crash on their couches even though Pete's solemness freaked them out.
Aside from Pete Holmes, "Crashing" also stars high-profile comedians such as Artie Lange and Sarah Silverman as themselves. Their role is generally to try and make Pete realize what he could have been if he was in control of his life.
Because of the abundance of comedies about comedy, many people think that "Crashing" would be stale. However, reviews of the show's pilot episode point out two distinct features of the series which sets it apart from other shows of the same genre.
First is how Pete's charm comes from being shamelessly direct. In the premiere episode for instance, Pete is still incredibly optimistic even after finding his wife in bed with another man. According to Vox, this was not the case in previous television shows about writers and comedians which depicted self-loathing misanthropes.
This optimism stems from stubborn denial and religious belief. Pete is a Christian who married his wife whom he met in a Christian college. In "Crashing," Pete insists that their union is part of God's plan for them.
Second is how this show is incredibly good at telling bad jokes. As depicted in the first episode, Pete tends to crash and burn onstage as the crowd heckles him. He gets nervous, trembles onstage, and stares at the audience with a panicked look. Along the way however, with the help of veteran comedians, Pete performs visibly better onstage.
Meanwhile, the trailer for the second episode of "Crashing" was released today. Check it out below!
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