Comedian Bridget Everett takes us to her Kansas roots in HBO's "Somebody Somewhere."by Christopher James
Bridget Everett is a one of a kind performer. The comedian and cabaret star first gained notoriety on Inside Amy Schumer. Her routine is brazen not just because of the sexually forward conduct, but moreso because of the sheer force of her confidence.
There’s a cognitive dissonance between Everett’s on-screen persona and her starring role as Sam in Somebody Somewhere. So many of the details about Sam’s life mirror that of Everett’s own life. She’s from a farming family in Kansas and possesses an incredible voice. The main difference - there’s something sullen, almost introverted, about Sam. This bravado that has marked Everett’s whole career is purposefully gone. It’s a bold move that sets the stage for a really special performance...
As she demonstrated in Patti Cake$, Bridget Everett can deliver drama as effectively as she can make you laugh.
Sam is clearly still reeling from the death of her sister, but doesn’t know where to turn. At her job grading college essays, a chance encounter with a former high school classmate, Joel (Jeff Hiller), gives Sam a lifeline. He introduces her to “church choir,” which is basically an unsanctioned nightly cabaret show that Joel runs on the church premises. So much of this entices and scares Sam.
Bridget Everett flexes her dramatic chops just as much as she does her vocal chords in this new, odd HBO crowdpleaser.
Could this be a venue where she can nurture her singing talents? How much is this affiliated by God? Who might be watching me? As family cracks begin to deepen at home, Sam starts to lean on Joel and his church friends for support.
What is Somebody Somewhere - A family drama? A star is born tale? A dark comedy about the midwest? It’s all of those things and none of those things. By not placing itself in an easy box, it might make the show harder to get into, especially with a week by week rollout. As a binge though, it’s a meditative and sweet slice of life, filled with heart and thorns alike. Creators Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen bring the same level of humanity and interest to this project as they did to 2019’s beautiful sleeper, Driveways. Why judge these characters when we can just simply live in their shoes.
Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller have incredible chemistry as new friends Sam and Joel.More than anything, Somebody Somewhere is a showcase for Everett, and she does not disappoint. She commands the screen, even when she’s just simply reacting. She’s a performer that you can’t take your eyes off of, but you aren’t sure why. Then her powerhouse singing voice comes into play and you’re gobsmacked by her charisma and talent. While this could’ve been a one-woman show, the supporting cast helps make this feel like a real world and real town. Jeff Hiller, who has made a career of playing gay waiters, astounds as Joel. As he and Sam form a friendship, we’re constantly reminded that they both have a lot of history and this friendship is very new. Hiller manages to introduce us to the sunny side of Joel, and let us into his darker, bitchier sides once we’ve gotten to know him better.
What propels the show forward is emotion, rather than plot. True to the people within the Kansas locale, both are a bit guarded, hidden behind walls the characters don’t necessarily want to break down. At times, the subtlety of the story can often feel like stagnation, as if the vision of the season isn’t clear. This is why the show would work better as a seven episode binge rather than a week-by-week series. You have to stay on the show’s emotional wavelength in order for it to pay off.
The fifth episode, a bottle episode between sisters stuck hiding from a tornado, is where the show fully took shape for me. You feel the decades of frustration that has glomed onto the loving core of their sisterly bond. If you search real hard, you can see that they care for one another, even if that gets tested in particularly hard ways. Nothing is easy in life. Even the simple things aren’t easy. It takes a lot of power and courage to tell the hard truths, put yourself out there and showcase your talent, or just to be seen. With Somebody Somewhere, we see you Bridgett Everett, and hope to see more of you in the future. B+
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