Television

Crashing S3 E2: “The Temple Gig” recap and review

This episode packs a lot into it yet doesn’t feel rushed.

January 28, 2019

I’m happy to be back on the weekly Crashing train. Last week, we saw what Pete’s been up to on the college circuit and saw a bit of an intro on what to expect this season. This week, we get a more detailed picture of what’s in store and where Pete may be headed.

Coming off his failed audition at the Comedy Cellar, Pete is trying to integrate back into the New York comedy scene. He feels a bit removed and is finding it hard to find a spot around town. He runs into Elon Gold at a comedy show who tells him he thought he killed at the Cellar and he’s surprised Estee didn’t pass him. Elon then tells Pete he has a show he thinks would be perfect for him: a Jewish event at a synagogue. Pete’s worried since he’s not even Jewish, but Elon says they’ll love him even more in that case.

Pete and Ali meet up the next day at a coffee shop and she brings his stuff that he had left at her place. She also drops the bomb on him that she’s been dating someone new named Ted, who shows up right then to say hi, AND she’s doing Late Night with Seth Meyers. Some of the bookers were in the audience at the Comedy Cellar. Pete is genuinely stoked for her.

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He then goes to return a jacket at a store and while he’s waiting for the manager, a random girl comes up to him and says he shouldn’t return it because it looks good on him. They start flirting and before you know it, they’re getting coffee together. Her name is Kat, they have a great coffee date, and she wants to see him perform. They continue hanging out and head to another clothing store, where they learn quite a bit more about each other and she asks him to come in the dressing room with her while she tries on a dress. She kisses him and they continue to have an amazing day together. They head to another clothing store, and this time they have sex in the dressing room. Then it’s a bathroom. They eventually exchange numbers and go their separate ways. What a day for Pete, and it’s not even close to over.

HBO

Pete heads to the synagogue for the show. Elon and Modi (the other comedian performing) ask Pete what’s going on and he tells them about Kat from earlier that day. They start questioning his impulsive behavior with her. They ask him if maybe he’s just a little bit lost, especially given his typically religious self. He thinks it was a special encounter and that’s that.

The comedy show starts and Modi kills it. Pete gets up there…and he absolutely crushes it! He’s clearly got a knack for this kind of show. Halfway through the set, he realizes Kat is in the audience. Elon and Modi realize too based on the look Pete gives, and they make some hilarious comments (“Hope the shul doesn’t have a dressing room,” Elon says. “It definitely has a bathroom,” comments Modi). Pete sits with Kat after his set, and she tells him she wanted to see him perform so she left what she was doing and came. He’s clearly smitten.

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The woman running the event tells Pete she thinks he’s the real deal and has a future in the religious market, and she’s going to make a call for him. I wonder what’s going to happen there…

Elon then starts telling Pete that he spoke to the Rabbi and told him a bit about how Pete may be lost in life at the moment. The Rabbi wants to sit down with Pete in a few minutes, which is pretty amazing given it usually takes some time to be seen by the Rabbi. Pete bails to go hang out with Kat. It seems he’s totally ok with being “lost” if it means exploring this new chapter with Kat.

This episode packs a lot into it yet doesn’t feel rushed. There are some awesome stand up bits from the laundromat gig we see at the beginning to the synagogue sets. We get an update on Ali’s story, there are lots of laughs this episode, and we meet Pete’s new love interest, Kat. She seems impulsive and out there for Pete, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

Crashing S3 E2: "The Temple Gig"

Is it good?

The Temple Gig is a great second episode of the season. We meet Pete's new love interest, Kat, as Pete's career is potentially spinning in a new direction, so there's a lot of development this episode that I'm looking forward to seeing evolve over the rest of the season.

Some fantastic stand-up bits in this episode

We meet Pete's new potential love interest and it appears it's going to be an exciting ride

Lots of laughs

Progresses a few different plot lines (Pete's love life, Pete's professional life, Ali)

Missing some of our favorite supporting players (Artie, Leif, etc.)

Good