Miracle Workers - The Oregon Trail

[Small Man Big Horse]

Season 1 Thread: https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,71805.0.html
Season 2 Thread: https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=76470.0

This has been back for a few weeks now, without original showrunner Simon Rich but despite my love for Rich and concerns it might not be as good as before thankfully it's still on great form. It's a western setting this time around with Daniel Radcliffe as a priest leading a bunch of folks across America with Steve Buscemi's Benny The Teen helping out despite being a criminal bastard, Westerns are my least favourite genre but I've been really enjoying this. Geraldine Viswanathan and Karan Soni have been especially fun, and the fourth episode had Paul F. Tompkins guest starring and unsurprisingly being great, while Daniel Radcliffe's sexy version of She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain was a real highlight, and this is a reliably amusing comedy that I'm extremely fond of.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

The episode also had the three busy Debras as ladies of the n..., well, as whores.

[dead-ced-dead]

Loved the first two seasons. I'm waiting for all episodes to come out before watching this one.

[frajer]

The episode also had the three busy Debras as ladies of the n..., well, as whores.

Yes! Always love to see the 'Derbas'.

Quality run so far. I didn't realise Simon Rich had departed, and completely agree that it's felt consistent with the previous two.

Also the Little House on the Prairie style credits make me do a huge grin every time.

[Small Man Big Horse]

The episode also had the three busy Debras as ladies of the n..., well, as whores.

Oh man, I didn't recognise them at all and am deeply ashamed now, especially as I watched and really enjoyed their Adult Swim series!

Also the Little House on the Prairie style credits make me do a huge grin every time.

Likewise, it's such a simple idea (and one I'm sure I've seen done before) but it leads to a big smile each week.

[Better Midlands]

Thanks for the heads up, the first two seasons were very watchable. I enjoy Radcliffe doing comedy - his performance in Guns Akimbo was fun.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

Quality run so far. I didn't realise Simon Rich had departed, and completely agree that it's felt consistent with the previous two.

The season is still based on a short story by Rich. And show-running duties are now assumed by Dan Mirk and Robert Padnick, who had worked on the previous seasons, as well as on Man Seeking Woman, also based on a short story by Rich. It's more likely that Rich wanted to focus on new projects while putting Miracle Workers in the hands of people he trusted.

[frajer]

The season is still based on a short story by Rich. And show-running duties are now assumed by Dan Mirk and Robert Padnick, who had worked on the previous seasons, as well as on Man Seeking Woman, also based on a short story by Rich. It's more likely that Rich wanted to focus on new projects while putting Miracle Workers in the hands of people he trusted.

That's interesting, thank you. Yeah it definitely comes across as a continuation of the same style and high quality, I likely wouldn't have even realised the change of hands behind the scenes unless you fine lads had made me aware.

[Small Man Big Horse]

The season is still based on a short story by Rich. And show-running duties are now assumed by Dan Mirk and Robert Padnick, who had worked on the previous seasons, as well as on Man Seeking Woman, also based on a short story by Rich. It's more likely that Rich wanted to focus on new projects while putting Miracle Workers in the hands of people he trusted.

Yeah, I didn't get the feeling that Rich had been fired from the project, and I know he's working on a film version of his short story Stage 13 with Edgar Wright currently attached to direct, so presume that he was too busy with that to do the series as well.

[dead-ced-dead]

I just finished and enjoyed this. Basically if you like seasons 1 and 2, I imagine you'll like this. Radcliffe is as manic and nervy as ever, Viswanathan is as charming as ever and Buscemi brings the same oddball charm.

Good fun.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

I'd say it had the best Buscemi character of all three seasons. In the first two, he was supposed to be completely clueless, which didn't allow him to say anything really witty. This time, as a bandit, the script gave him many more opportunities.
Radcliffe was similarly a little more active in this one, which brought us some great scenes in drag, maybe the highlight of the entire season.

Ezekiel's wife, the Bible-thumper with whom he had zero chemistry, was played by Radcliffe's actual longstanding girlfriend.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I've finished it now as well, I thought it dipped in the middle with the introduction Ezekiel's wife and the July 4th episode wasn't all that, but it picked up a lot towards the end and the final two episodes were the show on top form. For my money I slightly preferred season 2, but I enjoyed it more than the first season.

Radcliffe was similarly a little more active in this one, which brought us some great scenes in drag, maybe the highlight of the entire season.

That was my favourite part too, though the cannibalism in the penultimate episode came a close second.

[steveh]

For my money I slightly preferred season 2, but I enjoyed it more than the first season.

Would agree with that. It also comes across that they are enjoying themselves making it. Hope there will be more.

Kinda felt they should have filmed it in Cinemascope format.

[Timothy]

I loved the first season but didn't really like the second and stopped watching that halfway. Really enjoyed how they had to save the world in the first one and the second's lack of story and the characters weren't really for me.

Is this new season more like the first or the second? Does it have a plot?

[Small Man Big Horse]

I loved the first season but didn't really like the second and stopped watching that halfway. Really enjoyed how they had to save the world in the first one and the second's lack of story and the characters weren't really for me.

Is this new season more like the first or the second? Does it have a plot?

Vaguely, in that they're travelling the American west to Oregon, and there's a will they won't they romance and a will they won't they kill each other father daughter thing, but it's definitely quite slight when compared to the first season.

[olliebean]

I've enjoyed all three seasons of this but tbh it's been diminishing returns, and I'd sooner have seen another season of Man Seeking Woman than any of them.

[Timothy]

Vaguely, in that they're travelling the American west to Oregon, and there's a will they won't they romance and a will they won't they kill each other father daughter thing, but it's definitely quite slight when compared to the first season.

Thanks! I will check this out!

I'm also looking into buying some of Simon Rich's books. Which ones would you recommend?

[Small Man Big Horse]

I think Spoiled Brats is my favourite but I highly recommend Hits and Misses as well, plus his novel Elliot Allagash is fun if a little lightweight. The others are by no means bad either, but a little simplistic, I only just read his first short story collection Ant Farm: And Other Desperate Situations this week and it's quite fun, but really a collection of short scripts than proper stories, and he's come a long, long way since writing it.

I've not yet read What in God's Name as I was waiting for a couple more years to have passed and my memories of the first season of Miracle Workers to have faded a little, but has anyone read it out of interest, and if so was it any good?

[Timothy]

Thanks! I have ordered Spoiled Brats, looking forward to read it.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I hope you enjoy it, obviously, and will be interested to hear your thoughts.

I found The Last Girlfriend on Earth: And Other Love Stories in a charity shop today which pleased me no end, it'll be a little while before I read it as I've only just started Paul Murray's The Mark And The Void but am looking forward to reading it afterwards.