Somebody Somewhere: Because sometimes you just need a little help from a friend
The Duplass brothers have a hit on their hands, avoiding the oft-occurring sophomore slump inherent in shows with a stellar first season.
The 411 on the Show
Somebody Somewhere is an exploration of Sam Miller, a 40-something Kansan, who returns home to care for her dying sister, Holly, and a year later, finds herself still in her hometown, unsure what to do with her life. Through friendship and healthy nudging from her chosen family, Sam rediscovers her love of music and forges a life in Manhattan, Kansas.
Where Music & Tragic-Comedy Come to Play
Beth: Thank you, Steve Goldberg for the idea to write a post about this show. I so enjoy reading your music Substack, Earworms and Song Loops. I am psyched that we finally have an opportunity to talk TV and music and, in particular, discuss Somebody Somewhere, a gem of a show that combines beautiful storytelling with music in a 30-minute format, making it ripe for binging.
Somebody Somewhere, streaming on HBO and Max holds a special place in my heart in the chamber dedicated to small-town, indie-in-feel shows that do relationships in such a poignant and profound way. I first tuned into the show last year in season one (and wrote about it here) and instantly vibed with Sam, played by comedienne and cabaret performer Bridget Everett.
Sam, a talented but insecure vocalist trying to rediscover her voice — literally and figuratively — gets to belt out some amazing covers on the show, often at the gentle nudging of her good friend, Joel. “Gloria” (Laura Branigan), “Don’t Give Up” (Kate Bush & Peter Gabriel), and then a song she writes and sings to Joel at the end of S1, a testament to the love she has for him, “Home.”
Steve, what drew you to the show and how would you best describe this show to someone who has never seen it?
In Which We Try Our Best to Describe this Exceptional Show
Steve: Wow, first I want to say that as a recovering prestige TV addict, I was particularly excited to find your Substack. I used to obsessively read the recaps of shows I watched on TelevisionWithoutPity.com (sadly, no longer in existence). I even harbored dreams of being a recapper. But as much as I love TV, I love music even more, so my writing went in that direction. Now I get to do both!
How would I describe Somebody Somewhere to a person who’s never seen it? That’s a tough one. I would say maybe:
“If you’ve been craving a show that explores the joys and challenges of forming and deepening genuine friendship, if you want to spend time with people that are fully dimensional, who are trying to find their places in the world, who don’t look like Hollywood actors, who might make fart jokes one minute and cry on your shoulder the next, then Somebody Somewhere is for you.”
That is long-winded, but it’s a tough one to sum up. I guess a pithy answer might be:
“It’s a show about the power of finding your community. Of finding your chosen family where you can express your true self without judgment.”
What drew me to the show at first was Bridget Everett. I first discovered her on Inside Amy Schumer. Her bawdy cabaret act would be used as the ending scene on the show and Bridget was hilarious.
We do get tiny bits of that character in Somebody Somewhere, but for the most part, Sam is the polar opposite of the extroverted boobs-in-the-face cabaret singer. She’s awkward and shy and doesn’t like being the center of attention. If I had to choose one of the show’s many themes, I’d say the show is about Sam slowly coming out of her shell. It’s about her trusting others to love her despite her tendency to pull away when things get hard. How about this:
If you are sick of feeling like the bad guys are winning, watch Somebody Somewhere. It’s the shot of pure love and human kindness that we all need.
Like my Earworm posts, it often takes a lot of words for me to distill a topic down to two sentences.
Have you recommended the show to others? How have you done so? I feel like there aren't any other series to compare it to. Northern Exposure meets Joe Pera Talks with You? One show that I do see in a similar vein is Sort Of, which also features non-binary actors and characters.
And yes, the healing power of music is a major theme of the show. The clip above is so powerful. The vulnerability and open-heartedness are extraordinary.
Beth: I can’t watch Sam sing “Home” in that clip above without intensely feeling how vulnerable she is with Joel in that moment.
The question of who to recommend this show to and other shows like it is an excellent one. I’d say pretty much anyone I’d want to pass the time with, though I know this is a simple and fairly subjective answer.
The inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters like Joel, Tiffani, and Fred — part of Sam’s chosen family — enriches the story. Also, as Sam is a straight female, they offer perspectives outside of her own. I love that multiple voices and stories are being shared in this show and are expressed in quiet, understated, “we’re all just trying to figure out life” ways. They have near-total acceptance of one another but aren’t afraid to call each other out when necessary, surfacing difficult emotions with profound sensitivity. That’s not easy and requires a ton of psychological safety.
In season two, Fred arranges a reconciliation between Joel and Sam after Sam ices Joel out for concealing his relationship with Brad. He tells Sam, “Yeah, you gotta make this right again. You and Joel.” He’s not letting Sam off the hook despite her attempts to run away and avoid the hurt and disappointment that her emotions are keeping front and center. This could have been a misfire, but Fred’s directness and handling of Sam in that moment made it a win.
You mentioned Sam as awkward and shy and I agree with you. She’s living with a lot of pain. First off, there’s the trauma of her sister’s death. Then, there’s her mother Mary Jo’s declining mental health and alcoholism. Lastly, there’s her dad Ed’s avoidance of Mary Jo’s situation, not out of malice, but his basic inability to cope. Add this to Tricia’s angry assertiveness and you have a recipe for a tense family situation.
On the subject of shows that this is like, did you ever watch One Mississippi with Tig Notaro on Prime? Came out in 2015. It’s also a semi-autobiographical story and was created by Tig and Diablo Cody (Juno), who, by the way, I happened to see her production of Jagged Little Pill on Broadway in Boston and have some thoughts on that, which we can save for a future chat.
I do think a Broadway songs post for Earworms and Song Loops would be an awesome addition if I can pitch that idea. (Steve says: Yes! Great idea!)
Back to the similarities…One Mississippi and Somebody Somewhere are both dramedies that deal with grief and fractured families, feature an inclusive ensemble cast of straight and queer characters, and are semi-autobiographical. Everett hails from the same town in which the show is filmed and takes place — Manhattan, Kansas.
Music, Love, Laughter, & More Feelings
Steve: Yes! One Mississippi! That’s the best comparison show. Very similar now that you mention it. I was so upset when it wasn’t renewed for a 3rd season. I think Tig Notaro has done okay for herself since then!:) Maybe she can appear as a friend (or a nemesis!) in season 3!
The way Somebody Somewhere incorporates music – it’s Sam’s lifeline in many ways – is masterful. It could so easily become a cliché, with Sam “finding her voice” in a “transformational” “audience gives a standing ovation” sort of way. Even though all three of those things do happen, it’s never hackneyed or manipulative. Having Sam be asked to sing “Ave Maria” at Fred’s wedding in season 2 was a perfect and realistic setup for getting Sam to face some of her demons.
This vocal request leads to Sam discovering that her old high-school music teacher (Darlene) is still in town and giving private voice lessons. This plot line deftly brings to the surface Sam’s mixed feelings about singing. She finds great joy in it but is extremely self-critical and self-conscious when singing in front of others.
Beth: I nearly forgot about Sam singing “Ave Maria” because I was so bowled over by her rendition of Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” at Fred’s wedding reception, which was beyond.
I agree with you that Sam’s singing is not used as some public declaration or showy thing, but is more about her “finding her voice” and allowing her friends and family to see her true self. I love when the camera pans to Joel in these moments because he’s her “ride-or-die,” and every time Joel (Jeff Hiller) looks at Sam, it’s with this tender, “I’ve got you” near-crying face, as if he’s gently holding all her hopes and pain. It’s a thing of beauty; and yes, being an empath, I always tear up in these moments.
When Joel and Sam sing a duet of “Don’t Give Up” at the end of the first episode of season one, with him doing the Kate Bush part and her doing the Peter Gabriel part, it’s magical. Their chemistry is palpable. She’s so nervous to get up on stage and the way he encourages her, chanting the nasty nickname she was given in high school (“Sampire”) as a way of owning it and stripping away its power, allows her to know she is in a safe place with a community of new, accepting people.
After this scene, I knew this show was BEVP-worthy!
Darlene, for Sam, in a lot of ways is a stand-in for the type of mother Sam is craving and needs. I dare say, she’s like a surrogate.
As we see in season two, Sam experiences intense emotions during their private voice sessions. When Darlene tries to safely encourage Sam to breathe deep and sing freely with all she is capable of, Sam, understandably, becomes overwhelmed by Darlene’s tenderness and honesty. It’s too much for her, which explains why Sam decides to quit. Running away has been her MO every time something becomes too intimate and triggers an uncomfortable inner conflict. We see this played out in the rift she develops with Joel and her sister Tricia as well.
Sisterly Love
Tricia, Sam’s sister, is such a polarizing character. I had some dislike for her in the first season, but my feelings shifted this season and softened up as the writing went more toward her and Sam’s relationship and exploring that dynamic.
Are you a Tricia Stan? What did you think about some of the deeper themes this season going toward exploring their sibling relationship? Did it work for you?
Steve: I assumed that Sam didn’t go back to singing lessons because Darlene said to her, while trying to get Sam to sense the depth of her breath, that it should feel “like the first time you fell in love.” That was the final trigger for Sam and she ran out, never to return. I didn’t see Darlene as a surrogate mother so much as the teacher/mentor from her past she’d always wanted to impress and never felt she ever did or ever could. Discovering that Darlene had believed in Sam’s singing voice all along disrupted Sam’s self-protective narrative and she didn’t know how to handle it.
Later on, when Sam finally tells Joel why she ran out of the voice lesson, she shyly admits that she’s never fallen in love before. So her running out/running away from Darlene’s makes more sense.
As much as I adore Sam’s friendship with Joel, season two for me was all about sisterly love. I didn’t have anything close to intense dislike for Tricia in season one; I saw her as uptight, conservative and feeling like she had to be the “adult” in the family. She wasn’t given much to work with in terms of showing her full complexities. But I felt her hidden struggles regardless.
In season two though, Tricia is a whirlwind of emotional depth. Mary Catherine Garrison is nothing short of amazing in the role. Every gesture, every eye roll speaks to Tricia’s history. Her entire world has come crashing down upon her. She’d thought she’d had her life all lined up “according to plan.” Then her husband cheats on her with her best friend and business partner, her daughter goes off to college and her alcoholic mother with cognitive impairment has to be put in assisted living.
The scenes with Sam and Tricia are perhaps my favorites of the season. The day drinking, the drive to Wichita to drop off Mary Jo, their mother, at the assisted living/rehab facility, the night they packaged up the cunt pillows and Tricia dirty danced with her refrigerator….they truly felt like sisters. You can feel the 40-plus years of history between them. Fighting, making up, bonding over the insanity of their lots in life.
For me, Sam is harder to empathize with this season than Tricia. Sam assumes that her sister will have a problem being their friend Fred’s wedding planner because he’s transgender. Sam is also quick to judge, not Tricia. It’s dynamics and dichotomies like this that make Somebody Somewhere truly unique, layered, and profoundly human.
What was your sense of the sisters' relationship? I just realized I have no idea what their last name is! I looked on IMDB and it didn’t list a last name. It did say Tricia Miller, but I assumed that’s her married name.
Beth: “Miller” is Tricia’s maiden name. Ed, Sam and Tricia’s dad, are also listed as a “Miller” in the cast credits. Interestingly enough, the only other character whose last name is visible in the credits, is Fred, but his last name is “Rococo” so yeah, of course you’d want to humble brag that.
I don’t recall a homophobic comment made by Tricia in S1. To your point though, she’s lived a life that is more traditional so this is where I hypothesized that Sam, perhaps identifying as less traditional than her sister, might see a mismatch with straight, cisgender Tricia being a wedding planner for Fred, a transgender male-identifying character.
Sam is also territorial with her chosen family, like Fred and Joel. At some point in either S1 or 2, Tricia comments that Sam has always had a hard time sharing her personal information. This observation tracks.
Also, Sam appears to have a hard time with Tricia’s style choices or seems embarrassed by them, as evidenced when Fred and his fiancee come over to see the table-setting ideas at Tricia’s house. Sam is pretty dismissive.
Sam’s discomfort with never having been in love, never permitting herself to experience this level of profound intimacy, is likely the underlying cause of her rejecting Tricia, who is all about the ceremonial, celebratory aspects the wedding planning lends itself to.
Phew. That was a lot of deep analysis.
I did enjoy watching Sam and Tricia grow together this season though. It totally worked.
The Lighter Stuff & Season 3 Predictions
There are a ton of lighter moments in season two. You called out the “cunt” pillow design business, and also the car ride where Tricia and Sam take their mom to the assisted living place in Wichita. When Sam is visibly seething while driving, having to listen to Tricia’s phone’s incessant pinging — assuming that it’s some new hookup — it’s both hilarious and relatable. There’s also numerous lovely scenes between Joel and Sam. For example, when they are competing on how many steps they’ve taken during the day, while motivating one another to walk more, that I just loved.
Every moment with Brad, Joel’s unlikely but sweet boyfriend, has a tinge of awkward and funny mixed with genuine longing and kindness, reminding viewers that this show is not only about Sam’s growth but about Joel’s as well.
In season one, Joel started off secure in his religious affiliation with the church and by the end of that first season, he was grappling with his religious identity and connection to church. As we start season two, there’s a continued arc in Joel’s spiritual story. He’s no longer actively going to church, but when Fred asks him to officiate his wedding, he’s forced to reckon with his unresolved thoughts and emotions regarding his faith, as he takes on this role. I found this story line to be equally as compelling as any of Sam’s struggles.
While season two effectively explored Sam and Tricia's sibling relationship, it's Sam and Joel's friendship that is at the core of Somebody Somewhere. As we see in similar dramatic comedies that feature strong transformative platonic friendships, like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or Dead to Me, Joel’s ability to be emotionally available and present for Sam ever since episode 1 of the first season, pushes Sam towards actualizing a more confident and empowered self.
What were some of the more lighthearted subplots you think worked well (in either season)?
And what are some of your S3 predictions?
Steve: Yeah, thanks for pointing out that Somebody Somewhere is more “comma” (comedy/drama - did I make that up? Probably not) than “dramedy” (drama/comedy).
This is illustrated most blatantly in the scene where both Sam and Joel get food poisoning and are on the phone and on the throne, sharing their gastrointestinal distress with each other (and in turn with us) live and in great detail. That something usually kept private behind closed bathroom door is shared without pause, illustrates how much openness and love they have for each other.
One aspect that cements and challenges Sam and Joel's friendship is their use of humor as a bonding mechanism and a way to avoid facing the hard stuff. I can relate to this trait, and I imagine many viewers can, too.
As far as what I imagine for season three, I hadn’t even thought about it!
This is because, as a viewer, I feel absorbed in the show's world-building. I trust the creators to guide me wherever it may go. That said, I do have some wishes.
They’ve set up a possible romantic interest for Sam in paroled neighbor Drew, which is exciting. I hope that story arc lasts at least through the next season. I wonder how that will affect her friendship with Joel.
I would bet that Tricia will also get a love interest. Someone who doesn’t sit around playing video games like her husband (I’m assuming they aren’t divorced yet). Since Mike Hagerty isn’t coming back, I am curious how they will handle this. I am guessing his death will be part of season 3. And someone has got to run the farm, so I expect Sam to take on that role and perhaps co-run it with Fred. I really don’t know what to guess for Joel. I expect he will reconnect with his faith and rejoin either his old church or a new one.
Beth: Your predictions for S3 feel spot on. So, if I can sum it up, things we low-key hope for and think could be a natural progression for the show:
Sam enters into a romantic relationship. Hopefully with the parole dude from next door, Drew, whose window she accidentally broke at the end of S2.
Tricia gets a new beau. Or maybe even consummates her relationship with her fabulous fridge, like a variation on Lars & The Real Girl (with Garrison in a reprisal of the Ryan Gosling character) and we get an AI-Human love story
Mike Hagerty gets a proper goodbye. While this show features its fair share of grieving, dying is part of life, and dealing with moving on in the absence of a loved one is par for the course.
A bonus: Joel and Brad have a double date with Sam and Drew. I think we need this. Maybe Fred crashes the date?
Steve, like you, I could talk about this show forever. It has been so much fun covering this revelatory, beautiful piece of television with you. I can’t wait to see your next Substack post and to explore the much-needed rabbit hole of music and media.
Steve: Ditto!:)
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Awww, Beth, Steve where were you guys when I was watching Season 3! We could've done 'After Party' debriefs. I was heavily invested.
I love the points you've highlighted, especially about how music and Sue's singing are woven into events as part of her evolution.
Find me when you've watched season 3 - I've so many thoughts...
P.S I've deep into Season 3 of The Diplomat and SO glad that I watched the other seasons again before I started. Its seamless flow of action between events makes me wonder if they shot this all in one long stream without breaks because WOW. Beth, they couldn't have, right?? but geez. Bet you'll binge-watch, extremely hard not to!
One of my favorite shows too. I read an interview with Bridget Everett, where she spoke about the decision of the writers to keep Sam’s father as part of the story, and had him take off to go on a fishing trip, rather than reflect the death of the actor who portrays him. She says that in the scene where she’s cleaning the barn and begins crying, that was actually a moment of real grief - she was crying for the actor who had passed away.