As the near future of scripted TV on the whole remains unknown due to the WGA writers strike, streaming television has been going through its own struggles, with a growing number of shows getting canceled and/or getting removed from services entirely. One of the latest big blows to audiences is the bitingly wacky satire The Other Two is ending at Max, or should I say “has already ended,” since the just-concluded Season 3 will serve as the series’ swan song altogether. And while that’s disappointing, the news was coupled with further unfortunate reports that the two co-creators were previously investigated over HR complaints of toxic on-set behavior.
Creators: Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider
Stars: Drew Tarver, Heléne Yorke, Ken Marino, Molly Shannon, Case Walker, Josh Segarra, Wanda Sykes, Brandon Scott Jones
Seasons: 3
Without going into spoilers for where things turned out, The Other Two's third season carried on the hysterical stories of barely-a-rising-star actor Cary Dubek (Drew Tarver) and his self-absorbed crab-walk to fame, as well as sister Brooke (Heléne Yorke) and her deranged quest to be seen as a "good" person, as both lived in the shadow of their far more famous brother, the highly exploited teen ChaseDreams (Case Walker). The season has been endlessly celebration-worthy, thanks in part to co-star Josh Segarra's unmatchable good-time vibes as Brooke's boyfriend Lance, but also a line of A+ cameos supplementing the already stellar main cast's work.
But alas, not all good things are meant to last forever, and the show's conclusion was addressed by both the co-creator team of Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider as well as a Max executive. And by all accounts, The Other Two's ending appears to have been an amicably made decision that wasn't spurred from controversy. (Speaking to that, THR reports that the HR investigation discussed lower was not a causal factor in the show's conclusion.)
Here's the joke-filled statement from Kelly and Schneider:
It is bittersweet to say goodbye to the Dubek family after three seasons, but we always knew, both creatively and personally, that this was where we wanted to end their stories. And because we are quite literally out of ways to humiliate Drew Tarver, so what’s the point? We are deeply grateful to everyone (gays) who watched the show, to Max for giving us a second home and life, and to our writers, producers and crew, who gave so much of their time, talent, and passion to this show over the last 45ish years. And finally, an enormous thank you to Heléne, Drew, Molly, Case, Wanda, Josh, Brandon, and everyone in our brilliant cast (except Ken) who all made this show better than it had any right to be, and who we will miss terribly (especially Ken). Long live ChaseDreams. #chasedreams #globsaregay #feet.
Meanwhile, Max's exec vice president Suzanna Makkos said the service was "so proud" to have brought Season 3 to fans, and said the show reached its "natural conclusion," with Kelly and Schneider having "masterminded a staple in pop culture." Doesn't sound like any hard feelings were shared there.
But it does sound like some that worked on The Other Two's staff remain upset and bothered by the allegedly toxic and abusive way Chris Kelly spoke to and treated writers and other crew members, with Sarah Schneider reportedly playing into his behavior. The pair were at the heart of various complaints made to human resources, involving incidents that were said to have taken place in the writers room and on set.
A formal investigation reportedly took place after the complains were made, with Kelly and Schneider being kept away from the set for a certain amount of time. When the investigation was completed, both co-creators were cleared without any repercussions. But certain staff members speaking on anonymity claim that the writers room for The Other Two was openly known to be a horror show within the industry, with the series jumping from Comedy Central to then-HBO Max for the second and third seasons.
Kelly and Schneider both honed their comedy chops as award-winning writers on Saturday Night Live, and one of the legendary sketch show's most famed vets Tina Fey publicly pointed to The Other Two's BTS issues (in a semi-joking manner, of course) while accepting an honor at the PEN America Literary Awards in March 2023, putting some of the heat on Lorne Michaels. In her words:
Nobody indulges writers like Lorne Michaels. SNL is the only job in television where you are allowed to write whatever you want every week. Literally no one ever tells you 'no,' and you get your check no matter what. And I think we can see that after 47 seasons of this, we can admit that it’s a mistake. Lorne, you have unleashed an army of monsters into the world. You know it, I know it, and the crew of The Other Two knows it – oh I was supposed to change that. I was supposed to change that. That’s inappropriate. Oh well, it’s not livestreaming.
One can only hope that peace can be found for one and all, with Cary and Brooke included, now that The Other Two is officially concluded. The behind-the-scenes problems makes it hard to be hopeful for Josh Segarra's Lance to get his own spinoff, but I'm still going to keep the faith.
Fans can absolutely still enjoy all three seasons of The Other Two with a Max subscription, and that will hopefully remain the case for years on end. Check out some of the other best TV shows streaming on Max, and what else is hitting the small screen soon with our 2023 TV premiere schedule.
