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Hello Ladies - A mortifying, hilarious, melancholy cringe comedy - Sundays on HBO

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HalfBakedProphet

Member
I'm really interested to see where they take this show. If they approach Stuart improving himself in a realistic manner, I think this show has a lot of potential. The balancing act happens when Stuart becomes more compassionate but is still getting shot down. It would change the entire dynamic of the humor. It's funny watching Stuart fail when he is acting like a self-centered tryhard, not so much if he's genuine and likable.

There is some subtlety to this show I wasn't expecting, I'm invested. Hopefully they expand and develop the characters and relationships between them. The formula they've set up is going to get old fairly quick if they don't push things forward
 
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Salvadora

Member
I find this excruciating to watch, but enjoyable nonetheless.

However, I get the feeling that Stephen Merchant works a whole lot better as a supporting character and that too much cringe is detrimental. Some of it is so fantastically well down when compared to others.
 
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bodyofanamerican

Member
They really have to give Stuart a clear and decisive win in the next week or two. I love cringe and irony as much as the next guy, but that was really hard to watch, him behind the gate not getting to enjoy any of that party.

You can really tell which parts of the Office and Extras Steve's been responsible for, what with Hello Ladies' excruciatingly awkward humor and the out of nowhere, yet earned, poignancy.
 
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Salvadora

Member
Azzurri said:
The best part is how cheap he is, and always has to pay for all this expensive shit.
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This is pretty much Stephen Merchant playing himself hilariously.

On the old XFM stuff you can hear how much of a skinflint he is, cracking up about 50p and the like.
 
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Empty

Member
stuart isn't that cheap, though. he has a really nice house with a pool in l.a and drives a convertible mercedes.
 
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Bread

Banned
I have become numb to the cringe in the past few episodes. Once I realized that Stuart is a bad person and doesn't deserve any good of the situations he puts himself in, I embraced the terrible outcomes.
 
D

Deleted member 8095

Unconfirmed Member
This show absolutely kills me! So damn funny and awkward.
 
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ThisWreckage

Banned
i_am_not_jon_ames said:
They really have to give Stuart a clear and decisive win in the next week or two. I love cringe and irony as much as the next guy, but that was really hard to watch, him behind the gate not getting to enjoy any of that party.

You can really tell which parts of the Office and Extras Steve's been responsible for, what with Hello Ladies' excruciatingly awkward humor and the out of nowhere, yet earned, poignancy.
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It's kind of hard for me to take this show seriously because I refuse to believe that someone can be this socially awkward and openly walks into shitty situation after shitty situation like this. A fool doesn't invite sympathy.
 
W

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
He isn't walking into shitty situations tho. He is a walking and talking, shitty situation waiting to happen.
 
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ThisWreckage

Banned
He places himself in shitty situations. I have no idea why he thought throwing a party was going to be a great idea. I have no idea why he thought it would be some sort of uber wild celebrity ridden party. It's unrealistic. I guess it's quite realistic that someone would be so delusional, but I certainly don't know anyone like that. Most people realize they've been dealt a hand and they know what they have to play with. This guy goes all in, every time, with the same shitty hand.
 
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Bread

Banned
ThisWreckage said:
He places himself in shitty situations. I have no idea why he thought throwing a party was going to be a great idea. I have no idea why he thought it would be some sort of uber wild celebrity ridden party. It's unrealistic. I guess it's quite realistic that someone would be so delusional, but I certainly don't know anyone like that. Most people realize they've been dealt a hand and they know what they have to play with. This guy goes all in, every time, with the same shitty hand.
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there's your problem
 
P

pj

Banned
After the first 10 minutes, the rest of each episode kind of writes itself. They spend half the episode dangling pianos over stuart's head, and the rest is cutting the ropes and watching them fall on him.

Also the homeless girl plot should have either been more fleshed out or gotten rid of completely
 
K

Klocker

Member
ThisWreckage said:
He places himself in shitty situations. I have no idea why he thought throwing a party was going to be a great idea. I have no idea why he thought it would be some sort of uber wild celebrity ridden party. It's unrealistic. I guess it's quite realistic that someone would be so delusional, but I certainly don't know anyone like that. Most people realize they've been dealt a hand and they know what they have to play with. This guy goes all in, every time, with the same shitty hand.
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IMO, the premise really is he is very lonely but projecting confidence and optimism in an unrealistic way within the context of his abilities. He is shooting for the stars and landing flat on his face.

Presumably, by taking those actions he is bound to hit the moon one of these days. So on one hand we might say he's unrealistic and on the other, it's a healthy (courageous?) way to approach it but a bit painful along the way
 
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ThisWreckage

Banned
Klocker said:
IMO, the premise really is he is very lonely but projecting confidence and optimism in an unrealistic way within the context of his abilities. He is shooting for the stars and landing flat on his face.

Presumably, by taking those actions he is bound to hit the moon one of these days. So on one hand we might say he's unrealistic and on the other, it's a healthy (courageous?) way to approach it but a bit painful along the way
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I agree, but I still think this show presents itself in completely unrealistic situations and ways. I don't for one second believe that the pool party would have ever achieved any modicum of success whatsoever. The entire plot point with the models showing up and actually having a great time was completely unbelievable and it seems like it was only created to turn the thumb screws into Stuart even further.

They should have stopped with Stuart leaving defeated, but the writers couldn't stop there and had to have him blocked from entering his own party where models were inexplicably having a great time.
 
R

RepairmanJack

Member
I really don't want Stuart to get any kind of win. Dude's an asshole, I'd rather see him embarrassed more.

Wade is the guy who needs a win.
 
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Napoleonthechimp

Member
Kinyou said:
He does tend to behave like quite a dick though. I mean at times he kind of deserves it
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I emphasise with the guy because I know how it is to want to be loved and accepted by others but be completely clueless on how to achieve it. I think if he completely became self-aware it'd end the show but I'm hoping there is eventually some character development for him and it doesn't remain a "one-joke show".
 
K

Klocker

Member
ThisWreckage said:
I agree, but I still think this show presents itself in completely unrealistic situations and ways. I don't for one second believe that the pool party would have ever achieved any modicum of success whatsoever. The entire plot point with the models showing up and actually having a great time was completely unbelievable and it seems like it was only created to turn the thumb screws into Stuart even further.

They should have stopped with Stuart leaving defeated, but the writers couldn't stop there and had to have him blocked from entering his own party where models were inexplicably having a great time.
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true a bit far fetched but when he puts a crazy idea like that into motion with as much energy as he puts into it, some good things are bound to happen.

It just goes to show that sometimes taking action things can develop more than we think and they do live in Hollywood and ridiculous things probably happen. :)

... but yea, it is a bit far fetched sometimes like the lockout (as soon as they made a point to not let anyone in without an invitation we knew it was going to bite him in ass)
 
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ThisWreckage

Banned
Klocker said:
true a bit far fetched but when he puts a crazy idea like that into motion with as much energy as he puts into it, some good things are bound to happen.

It just goes to show that sometimes taking action things can develop more than we think and they do live in Hollywood and ridiculous things probably happen. :)

... but yea, it is a bit far fetched sometimes like the lockout (as soon as they made a point to not let anyone in without an invitation we knew it was going to bite him in ass)
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Don't get me wrong, I really like the show. I don't want it to seem like that I'm ruthlessly shitting all over it. I have issues more with the writing more than anything and those problems only pop up from time to time. The show has a tendency to "pile on" Stuart more than anything.
 
R

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
New episode tonight!

Long Beach

Stewart goes out in Long Beach after bonding with some construction workers who assure him the city's prospects for romance are good. Meanwhile, Jessica tells Wade how he can get Marion back even though they haven't spoken in a month.
Click to expand...
 
V

Vard

Member
Salvadora said:
This is pretty much Stephen Merchant playing himself hilariously.

On the old XFM stuff you can hear how much of a skinflint he is, cracking up about 50p and the like.
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Haha yea, I find the cheapskate jokes especially funny knowing that is pretty much how he says he is in real life.
 
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Pikelet

Member
I love every interaction Steve Merchant has with children in this show. The part where he interrogates the little girl over why they all jumped in the pool is absolute gold.
 
S

seat

Member
I find the cringiness more comical than sincere. I'm not sure why people are having an issue with it. This show is quite entertaining.
 
T

Tsukumo

Member
HalfBakedProphet said:
I'm really interested to see where they take this show.
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Same here.
I've started watching this "thanks" to Gaf but my verdict is still out until they give us something to figure out the core theme. Personally I think it was a mistake to give the show a title like that: his best friend and the actress are as much in the same place he is (out of water in LA lifestyle, but for different reasons) and their cringe moments actually give me more cringe then the ones the main character finds himself into.
 
W

Wes

venison crêpe
"I just brought the domain name Stuartisms so.... we've got that if we need it."

"If I had a girl like that I'd carry her every day. I'd get one of those suits too."

Decent ep.
 
E

Empty

Member
i think that was the best so far too. all the plots were well done, connected thematically nicely and stuart trying to make friends with the guys was intensely uncomfortable, especially as i've kinda been in a situation like that.

wade ;_;
 
B

Bread

Banned
Wes said:
"I just brought the domain name Stuartisms so.... we've got that if we need it."

"If I had a girl like that I'd carry her every day. I'd get one of those suits too."

Decent ep.
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i wonder what they make at that factory...
 
V

Vard

Member
That was probably my favorite episode so far too. I really hope this gets a second series. Just 2 more episodes this series... it will be very interesting to see what direction it takes.
 
K

Klocker

Member
Wes said:
"I just brought the domain name Stuartisms so.... we've got that if we need it."

"If I had a girl like that I'd carry her every day. I'd get one of those suits too."

Decent ep.
Click to expand...

Friggin love Rory. Replay all his scenes multiple times
 
D

Deleted member 1235

Unconfirmed Member
what is his assistants name? because that guy is a genius.

I love it when he gets carried away with merchant. they're both talking about how great the pool party is gonna be and he goes off on a weird tangent about a model slipping and smashing out her brains on the edge of the pool.
 
K

Klocker

Member
catfish said:
what is his assistants name? because that guy is a genius.

I love it when he gets carried away with merchant. they're both talking about how great the pool party is gonna be and he goes off on a weird tangent about a model slipping and smashing out her brains on the edge of the pool.
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Rory
 
N

Nuklear

Banned
I was rolling when they were all telling him not to put his hand on the glass because it was sharp and he does it anyway and then sticks his hand in his pocket. I haven't laughed that hard in awhile. lol

Man, it sucks there is only two episodes left? Gah... I need more!

I actually enjoy Rory and Wade more than Stuart's crap. Hopefully in the future there is more stuff with them in it.
 
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