Ty Watches "Grand Crew" Season Two Finale and You Should Too

Season two of "Grand Crew" wrapped up last Friday. I watched the last two episodes of the season last night. Let’s discuss.

I really enjoyed how they closed out the second season. All the characters were given good arcs this season, I liked where everyone ended up and I would like to watch more. I really hope this show gets picked up for a third season. I feel like it is finding its stride right now. The show got consistently better from the pilot to now. Each actor is really nailing it, they do a wonderful job giving this ensemble separate storylines and the actors make this show so much fun to watch. I have written about the show before and it truly is a really solid throwback to sitcoms from the 90's. There are a plethora of jokes. The writing is top notch. The camaraderie on set seems genuine. I was overly impressed by what I watched last night, and for this whole second season quite frankly. And if it was still the 90's, there wouldn't be any doubt that it would be coming back for a third season.

"Grand Crew" is so much better than a good amount of shows that had multiple seasons in the 90's. But I fear not enough people are watching this show. I also fear people are catching it too late to matter when it streams on Peacock. I fully understand that that is what these networks want, but "Grand Crew" has the ability to have a long run. It is already a better show, in my opinion, than shows like "Young Sheldon" or pretty much anything on CBS. I truly believe it is NBC's best show right now. It is so much better than any reality show or dating show or gameshow. It is only outdone by shows on FX or premium cable. And those shows have free rein.

What makes "Grand Crew" a cut above is the fact they are pulling off so many jokes on a major network. Sitcoms usually do not get all the stuff off that they want. "Grand Crew" is seemingly doing what they want and that rules. I also love that they are giving more, lesser known, comedy people a shot on the show. Jacquis Neal had a two episode run this season. Colton Dunn was excellent in his run. Ronnie Adrian has been one of the funniest people on the whole show. They are giving funny, younger, unheard actors a real shot, and these actors are proving to be more than up to the task. As for the main characters, each and everyone of them is exceptional. They add so much to each other. They seem to like working with one another. They can play off one another. They can make joke after joke that hits each and every time. This is a stellar ensemble who can do great things with more chances.

"Grand Crew" is an excellent show. It is a throwback yet original show in every sense of the words. I hope it gets another season. The show has shown it deserves it. Go watch this show right now on Peacock. It is awesome and you will love it. I know I sure do. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Grand Crew" Season Two

When "Grand Crew" came out last year with its first season I really liked it. It is a funny, quick witted and very well made show. I enjoy the actors and the writers. They all come from stuff that I listen to or watch, so I was predisposed to like the show.

The first season came and went and it was great. I enjoyed every bit of it. It got better and better as it went on. That is the sign of a very good show. When they announced a second season I was stoked. I waited and waited and it premiered at the beginning of this month. The move to Friday night worried me, but in the age of streaming the day a show comes out on a network is not as important as it once was.

I got caught up on the first four episodes of season two yesterday, and I am here to say that season two is even better than the first. The show feels sharper. The writing is even funnier. The relationships are wonderfully crafted. The cast and crew seems to really be vibing off one another. The show works. But what I noticed, the highest compliment I can give a show that I watch, it feels comfortable. Watching "Grand Crew" in this second season is like wrapping a nice warm blanket around myself in the dead of winter. The show is engaging. The storylines with all the characters are funny and thoughtful. The love connections all work. The guest stars are wonderful and people that come from other comedy things I consume. The show feels like a throwback in the best possible way. I grew up with sitcoms in the house. My parents loved and watched shows like "Seinfeld", "The Simpsons", "Curb Your Enthusiasm". These are classic sitcoms that all work in their own way. I go back and watch these shows when I want to relax and go back to that time in my life. Watching "Grand Crew" yesterday gave me that feeling. I was sitting on the love seat and I just felt comfortable with each passing episode. I never grew tired. I didn't look down at my phone. I was engaged. I was focused. And I was completely relaxed. This show is thriving. They are doing pretty much everything right. Even with classic sitcom tropes, they nail it. They went to a psychic in an episode I watched and when it turned out she was a con artist, I didn't roll my eyes. Instead I found myself laughing. I liked the route they went with the story. I liked how they involved all the characters and showed their arc's in 22 minutes. It was a new interpretation of a classic sitcom story. And that is how every episode has felt to this point. The people behind "Grand Crew" seem to have a vast knowledge of what they are doing and they are putting it to use in the best way possible.

I want this show to stick around. I want these actors to keep acting together in this scenario this show has created. I want to see more and more stuff like this on a modern sitcom. "Grand Crew" needs to stay on TV. This is a good show with a fresh take on old classic tropes. The writers are exceptional. I am going to continue to sing this show's praises because it more than deserves it. Go watch. I bet you will all enjoy it as much as I do. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Let's Show Some Appreciation for the Awesomeness of Nicole Byer

This morning I went out for a run and I like to listen to podcasts lately when I decide to listen to anything. The podcast is not important though, this piece is all about the guest on the pod. The guest was Nicole Byer. My piece today is an appreciation post to Nicole Byer.

She is the best. She is so funny. She is open and proud of her accomplishments. She's all about empowerment. She is a great actor and stand up. She is a great podcast host herself. I have been a fan of hers for awhile now, and after hearing her this morning it just hammered home my adoration for Byer. I am not one to get starstruck by an actor, but if I saw her I would be scared to talk to her. She has reached that level of fame to me. I'm sure it is silly, and I am sure she would be a delight. But I would still be in awe.

I knew of her awhile ago, but it was really my wife who opened my eyes to Byer. She had me listen to her standup when we were first dating. It was great. I like how blue and gross it can be at times. I also like how truthful and open she was, and still is in her act. We have both continued to follow her ever since I was first introduced to her. Besides her standup, her television performances are a thing of beauty. And she has been in a ton of stuff. I think I may have been one of the few people that watched every episode of "Party Over Here". That was an underrated sketch show, and Byer was the standout for me. Her two appearances on "The Birthday Boys" were awesome. She's excellent in "Michael Bolton's Big Sexy Valentine" special. She does excellent voicework, most notably for me on "Bob's Burgers". She fit so perfectly on her lone scene in "The Good Place". She was a gem as Trudy Judy when she was on :"Brooklyn 99". But the two shows that are her best in my opinion are "Loosely Exactly Nicole" and "Grand Crew".

"Loosely Exactly Nicole" was before its time. The spoof aspect of it was great. If that show were to come out today it would be a humongous hit. And it totally holds up. "Grand Crew" is letting her truly shine. I adore that show. I hope it comes back for another season. I felt like it was hitting its stride at the end of the season. And Byer was my absolute favorite part. I enjoy all the other actors, but Byer outshines them all. I laughed super hard at almost every scene that she was in. I also like when she does some dramatic stuff. This show really lets her be her best self. Please NBC let it come back for another season.

And then we have her podcast appearances and her hosting. There are too many to mention in this piece. When she is on a podcast I listen to, or one she hosts, I get amped to play it. I know it is going to be hilarious. I know she will do something that will resonate with me. I know she will be completely open and honest. I know she will have a good time. I know she will treat the other hosts and guests with respect and integrity.

Nicole Byer is a truly great actor and stand up who is finally getting her time to shine. She is crushing it right now, I like her so much more than John Cena on "Wipeout", and I am a Cena fan as well. Byer is getting work, the work she has deserved for a long time. I am a fan, obviously, and I just wanted to write an appreciation piece to her today. Keep getting queen, you have earned it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Grand Crew"

Back when RD and I did the what we are looking forward to pod for this year we talked about TV. One of those shows started in early December, as an early premiere, but the series did not officially start until this month. That show is "Grand Crew", and it is really good so far.

They have done six episodes so far, they have ten ordered, and each one has gotten better and better. When they did the first two episodes back in December they were good, but looked like they needed a little work. As with all pilots, they usually start slow. "Grand Crew" was no different. But unlike other shows, "Grand Crew" has blasted away as one of the best new shows on TV in some time.

First and foremost, the cast is incredible. They have wonderful chemistry. They play off one another. They play their characters to perfection. They are so goddamn good. The cast is led, in my opinion, by Nicole Beyer. She is so, so, so good in her role. She is funny and smart. She likes to hook up with dudes, but she always finds a silver lining. She is the funniest, looks the best and just crushes her role. She is so good. So is Echo Kellum. He is the first billed in the credits, so I guess he is the "star" of the show. He is almost as amazing as Beyer. He is the typical lover boy. He wants to find love. He loves romantic comedies and tries to live his life as if he is in one. Kellum is really good at portraying this, and he does a good amount of lifting. Carl Tart is hilarious. I am a big time fan of his as you all know. I love that he is getting a real shot to star on a network sitcom and he is crushing right now. Every time he goes off on a rant on the show I find myself rolling on the floor with laughter. He is so good at controlling the room and owning the scenes he is in. Aaron Jennings is the responsible working one of the group, but he has his comedic moments as well. There was an earlier episode where he thinks he is going to get a promotion, but they are just using him because he is a minority. This was some heavy stuff, but Jennings did a great job making it real yet comical at the same time. The most recent episode, where he is learning chess, is a great masterclass in subtle comedy from Jennings. Grasie Mercedes was an excellent addition. It appeared as if she was going to be a love interest, but they scrapped that and it has worked perfectly. She fits in seamlessly with the rest of the cast. And then we have Justin Cunningham. He is the married one, the settled down one, the one who may or may not have kids and he is so good. He is so funny and relatable. I see a lot of myself in him. My wife and I have said multiple times that he and his wife are us. I love the way he plays his role. The cast is wonderful. They have the same chemistry that the cast of "Happy Endings" had, and that is one of my all time favorite shows. And like I said before, they seem to be finding their groove. They have the relationships all figured out. They are connecting on all fronts. Everything they are doing is working right now. I laugh out loud while watching and none of it is forced.

I hope this show gets its due. I do not want it to leave after three seasons. They have a great thing going, and if they keep up at this pace, "Grand Crew" can become a mainstay. It is that good. Check this show out if you have not yet. It is more than worth your time, even if you just watch it to see this amazing cast. "Grand Crew" is excellent.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.