The Afterparty: Yasper

February 1, 2022 4:10 AM - Season 1, Episode 3

Yasper explains how he tried to get Xavier to help him get his music career off the ground.
posted by simonw (12 comments total)

Admittedly I always enjoy a musical episode, but I loved this one so much. Ben Schwartz was on fire, and the choreography and song writing and the performances by the rest of the cast were all fantastic.

This is where the whole show really clicked for me, going from "fun and has potential" to "this is something very special".
posted by simonw at 4:14 AM on February 1, 2022

I think this was the episode that made me love this show. I was always a huge fan of Jean-Ralphio Saperstein and Yasper doesn't seem very far off. I think these are the only two things I've ever seen Ben Schwartz in so perhaps that's his entire range, I dunno, but I am here for it.

I binged the first three episodes in one night and now it's very frustrating that I have to wait until Friday for the next one.
posted by bondcliff at 10:31 AM on February 1, 2022

First song is great. Two shots gives you hope, man! Second and third, not so much. A whole song about dot dot dots was reminding me of Ted Lasso and Sam on the Bantr app.

I love the four categories: "PLEASE DO NOT LIST THEM." LOL. No drumroll, either.

"It sounds like you got one big rosebush growing on a pile of shit."

I'm amused at there being (OF COURSE) two Jennifers, because there always is.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:43 PM on February 1, 2022 [3 favorites]

Admittedly I always enjoy a musical episode, but I loved this one so much.

I always HATE a musical episode but I loved this one so much.

You only get one shot! Twice! And the visuals in the "dot dot dot" song were so well done. Even the "let's all party" song that Yasper was editing on Xavier's DAW sounded about right. And the ska-rpe diem flashback clip. So perfect.

I was always a huge fan of Jean-Ralphio Saperstein and Yasper doesn't seem very far off. I think these are the only two things I've ever seen Ben Schwartz in so perhaps that's his entire range, I dunno, but I am here for it.

Look up "Middleditch and Schwartz" on Netflix, they do some hilarious full-length improv (Note: I usually hate improv just as much as musicals.) Any time I see Ben Schwartz on a show I wonder how much of his part was improvised on the spot.
posted by mmoncur at 9:27 PM on February 1, 2022 [1 favorite]

The episode (and presumably music) is credited to Jack Dolgen, one of the three songwriters for Crazy Ex Girlfriend! That made me happier than maybe anything in the episode itself, and this episode made me really fucking happy.
posted by rorgy at 3:56 AM on February 2, 2022 [3 favorites]

Huh I guess I wasn't wrong when I felt like I lost track of Jennifer 2 during the last episode. (Indigo was also conspicuously missing from most of this episode.)

On the subject of outfit changes, Aniq's shirt is different in Yasper's movie than it is in the "real" scenes.

And they really lampshaded how eloquent and completely not intoxicated Chelsea was at the afterparty, especially compared to her scribbling on a car with lipstick during the reunion.

The flaming jello shot actually being a candle...chef's kiss.
posted by bcwinters at 6:36 AM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

Here's a fun Twitter thread from Christopher Miller with some behind the scenes footage from the episode.

For the song TWO SHOTS, the idea was Walt (Jamie Demetriou) tries to join in but doesn’t know the moves so we had a rehearsal without Jamie & then brought him in just before shooting. Watch him in the BG. Hilarious

And Phil Lord shared the Private Eyes: The Hall & Oates Story poster.
posted by simonw at 12:56 PM on February 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

I’m extremely impressed at the boldness of doing a Hamilton parody to kick things off, but also, wow, the song sequences were so so good. I feel like I could rewatch the three dots song, just looking in the background for dots they snuck in.

Also, holy moly that brick joke payoff with the candle two episodes later. This show is made for me specifically.
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:50 AM on February 3, 2022

Loved that first song -- not just a Hamilton parody, but an actual repudiation of many of the things the musical stands for and a sincerely hopeful paean to second chances.
posted by chortly at 10:59 PM on February 19, 2022

I don’t think was a Hamilton parody. I think it was a high school musical parody.

ETA ok yes I get it.
posted by bq at 9:25 AM on November 16, 2022

Aniq's shirt is different in Yasper's movie than it is in the "real" scenes.

Coming late to the afterparty but I also noticed that Yasper's sneakers are different in his recollection of events than the ones he is wearing in real life. Enough so it got distracting and I wondered about it. So much good acting in this series.
posted by jessamyn at 8:20 AM on April 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

Only just started watching late but this is so great! I especially loved how in "Yeah Right, Whatever," he called out to the chorus when they were just singing "Whatever," that it wasn't as positive without the "Yeah, right"... and then a verse later, all they sang was "Yeah, right" - which (of course) was equally sarcastic on its own. I'm all in.

Also I will watch Tiffany Haddish in anything, but she is fantastic here for how dry she is, especially contrasted with how over the top the rest of the scenarios get.
posted by Mchelly at 12:17 PM on July 25, 2023