Plus: fictional bands, our favorite Chris, and SZA covers Eminem

View this email online by Aisha Harris What a time to be alive!* It was the week that Olivia Pope and a whole bunch of other potential murder suspects (or victims!) were welcomed into the Knives Out universe. It was the week when the MLB’s history books became a little more legitimate. And it was the week a theater legend announced she’d be stepping into the shoes of an iconic Broadway role. *The biggest news of the week, of course, was that a former U.S. president became a convicted felon. Seriously – what a time! Let’s get to it. Will they? Won't they? Who cares! Last week Season 3 of Abbott Elementary came to an end, and the one thing every single viewer had predicted would happen since the premiere of the pilot episode finally did happen: Nerdy, awkward school teachers Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) got together. For real, for real. To get there, it only took an untold number of gawky flirtations resulting in direct-to-camera looks of embarrassment, a drunken one-off kiss (in Season 2, during a work conference), and several spectacularly failed attempts at dating other people while denying or downplaying their romantic interests in one another. Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams in Abbott Elementary. Gilles Mingasson/Disney Surely plenty of fans have found joy in the resolution of this long-delayed one true pairing; if so, I'm genuinely happy for you. But call me the "will they-won't they?" grinch — I'm mostly just relieved the convoluted storyline can finally (hopefully!) be put to rest. The writers' insistence on making them the Jim-and-Pam of Abbott has long been the least interesting element of this smart and consistently funny series, and as utterly charming as Brunson and Williams are, even they couldn't keep the perpetually unresolved sexual tension between their characters from grating by Season 3. (The episode where Jacob and Gregory attempt to go on a double date and Gregory gets distracted by seeing Janine out with school district rep Manny might've been less tedious had it not been such a similar iteration of several earlier plotlines.) Of course, this is TV Writing 101, one of the oldest tropes in the playbook. Some shows have found clever ways to mess around with it, as with the deeply intimate but platonic work relationship between 30 Rock's Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy — anyone actively rooting for them to be A Thing plucked that desire from thin air, because there was zero amorous chemistry popping off between those two. (The writers poked fun at this expectation all the time, as when the pair mistakenly married in Season 5.) Before being unceremoniously canceled, Happy Endings began with Alex and Dave's broken engagement, which provided plenty of "will-they-won't-they-get-back-together" fodder a la those classic Hollywood remarriage comedies like The Awful Truth. Living Single actually managed to juggle two different versions of this trope in satisfying ways: the flirtatiously antagonistic Beatrice-and-Benedick vibes shared between corporate climbers Maxine and Kyle, and the goofy puppy love of TV's original Awkward Black Couple, handyman Overton and office manager Synclaire. In both cases, the show confronted the simmering tensions early; Max and Kyle sleep together in Season 2, making their ongoing love-hate dynamic that much funnier throughout the rest of the series, and Overton and Synclaire make it official in Season 1, allowing them to explore other silly hurdles and milestones throughout their courtship. It's easy enough to imagine a version of Abbott that took a page out of 30 Rock, and gave us a fruitful platonic friendship with Janine and Gregory. But watching a lot of TV primes us "will-they" grinches for disappointment, because it seems we're vastly outnumbered, or at least not as vocal in our annoyance as the champions are about their excitement. Law & Order: SVU fans have been rooting for Benson and Stabler to get together for 25 years, and recently almost got their wish. And I'm already exhausted by the corner of social media that insists on 'shipping not only Carmy and Sydney on The Bear, but also Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, the real-life actors who portray them. But if Janine and Gregory must be more than just friends, Abbott has the opportunity to inject the next season with some inspiring coupledom obstacles. They're both richly drawn characters with distinct personalities and flaws, finding their way within the challenging and chaotic public-school ecosystem. It's been delightful watching her learn how to more efficiently channel her do-gooder energy and him loosen up and accept that a job as principal is not in the cards just yet. Now that they're both a little more confident in themselves, here's hoping they follow in the footsteps of their Awkward Black Couple predecessors Overton and Synclaire, and the show opens them up to less hackneyed storylines together. Newsletter continues after sponsor message We Recommend It's highly doubtful anyone who's as addicted to their daily routine of NYT puzzles as I am hasn't already discovered Strands, but in the off-chance it's passed you by, give it a try! (It's still in beta mode, not yet integrated in the app.) It's a word search with a twist; you'll get a clue as to the puzzle's theme – today's is "on the yellow brick road" – and then you have to search for words in the puzzle that match the theme. Sometimes it's very obvious (to me) and other times the themes are so pun-tastic as to be downright inscrutable, and I have no idea what words I might be looking for. It's fun! I was a little meh on Season 1 of Loot; Hollywood's current obsession with satirizing the insanely wealthy has gotten increasingly less scathing. But by the end, it felt like the excellent cast of this workplace comedy – which includes Joel Kim Booster, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Ron Funches – were finally gelling. Plus, I'm willing to stick through pretty much anything for Maya Rudolph, who stars as a Melinda Gates-type who decides to devote her life to altruism after divorcing her cheating tech billionaire husband. I'm only about half-way through Season 2, but I'm fully committed now – the jokes are sharper and Rudolph is as endearing as ever. Didn't know I needed or wanted a SZA cover of "Lose Yourself," but now I know. Listen to the Podcast Sponsor-Free Support your favorite pop culture junkies AND listen without sponsor interruptions with a subscription to Pop Culture Happy Hour+! Learn more and sign up at plus.npr.org/happy. Learn More What We Did This Week Rosario Dawson, Tara Reid, and Rachael Leigh Cook in Josie and the Pussycats. Moviestore Collection Ltd/ Alamy Stock Photo The great Rachel Martin has a fun new interview podcast called Wild Card, so we shared her recent interview with PCHH listeners' favorite Chris – Pine, of course. The Core Four™ reunited to confess our sins – that is, we discussed the truly terrible TV shows that nevertheless had us seated for every single episode. Season 2 of We Are Lady Parts has arrived, so we revisited Glen's lovely conversation with Roxana Hadadi about Season 1. And Glen, Stephen, and I were joined by Margaret H. Willison to debate the best fictional bands, though to be honest, we didn't always see eye-to-eye. What's Making Us Happy Every week on the show, we talk about some other things out in the world that have been giving us joy lately. Here they are: Glen Weldon: The Swan, and Wes Anderson’s other Roald Dahl adaptations on Netflix Margaret H. Willison: “Meter Run,” by Bad Bad Hats Stephen Thompson: “Worth It,” by RAYE Aisha Harris: Gasoline Rainbow on Mubi Nom nom – vote with your tastebuds NPR And one last thing! Last year, in honor of Barbenheimer we asked you to vote on a number of pop culture matchups — Batman versus Superman. N*SYNC versus Backstreet Boys. Etc etc. Now we want to hear your opinions about summer snacks. Are you Team Hot Dog or Team Hamburger? What’s better: churro or a funnel cake? Click here to cast your votes. The results will be revealed at a virtual live event for Pop Culture Happy Hour+ supporters on Thursday, June 27 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Sign up for PCHH+ at plus.npr.org/happyhour to get access to the event. (Once you’ve signed up for PCHH+, make sure to set up your special feed, where you’ll see a bonus episode from May 31 with instructions on how to register for the live event. Email plus@npr.org for any extra assistance.) Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour+. Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free episodes. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: pchh@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Books, Daily News and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Pop Culture Happy Hour emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy