Strangers With Candy - Season Three

Rating:
Summary: The Man In The Mirror Told Me I Was Fired...
Review: ...And then he tried to shave me. This is my favorite season of this show because it has such a fast pace. Don't get me wrong all the seasons are wonderful and you should get them now. The third season is fantastic and I am at a loss why these guys didn't win an Emmy. They ended on a high note. I have written Comedy Central many times about putting the show back on the air as I think it was foolish to take it off given it's massive underground following.
Like another reviewer said, it's impossible to repay these fine actors and writers for such a masterpiece of pitch black comedy. In closing, let me say that my favorite episode is probably Stew going nuts or the one where she gives advice in the newspaper.

Rating:
Summary: Not For Eschatologists Only
Review: Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert and Gregory Hollimon all shine in "Strangers With Candy," a sublime spoof of those ABC "After School Specials" we grew up with in the late 1970s and early 80s. "Strangers With Candy" is based upon the unlikely premise of 46 year-old ex junkie whore Jerri Blank turning around her life by returning as a high school freshman after 32 years on the wild side. Each week brings some new "crisis," which involves fitting in vs. conforming, trying drugs and alcohol, teenage sexual experimentation, retardation and special ed, etc. Naturally, half-wit Jerri always makes the wrong choice.

"Strangers With Candy" was Comedy Central's most clever and politically incorrect show (even moreso than "South Park"). Along with Jerri are her alcoholic stepmother (prudishly played by Deborah Rush), a classmate of indeterminate ethnicity ("Orlando," played by Orlando Pabotoy) who Jerri uses for the butt of her racist jokes, and the amazingly narcissistic faculty, headed by Principal Onyx Blackman (Greg Hollimon), the black principal with a penchant for "fine white women." Blackman has a thing for Jerri's stepmom, but it never pans out, because her stepmom is as big a racist as Jerri! Swishy art teacher Joffrey Jellineck (Paul Dinello) and uptight science teacher Chuck Knoblet (Stephen Colbert) confound students with their learned ignorance, and the pair carry on a secret gay affair in the boiler room.

But Sedaris really makes the show work for her over-the-top earnestness in playing Jerri. Sedaris wins the Chloris Leachman award for botching up her natural good looks with gaudy makeup, harelip overbite, twitching unibrow, wrinkled forehead and padded hips just to get totally into character. And like Lucille Ball, Sedaris will do anything for a laugh, but unlike Ball, we're talking NC-17 rated here!

It was a shame to watch it being given the boot in 2001 because of low ratings. For some reason, it never caught on. However, it is becoming evident that it was because "Strangers With Candy" was ahead of its time: All three seasons are now available on DVD.

This DVD compilation of the show's third and last season, is it's best, I think: The writing and acting were running on all eight cylinders, and the subtle in-jokes were finely hones. Best episodes: "Jerri's Burning Issue," in which Jerri manages to give her newly deflowered boyfriend syphillis, crabs and gonnorhea; "Freedom Isn't Free" -- Jerri has a run-in with the local televangelical preacher, who bans her naked photo, made under the influence of a hilarious send-up of Marilyn Manson, the immortal Buddha Stalin.

The lyrics to the end credits (a Buddha Stalin song) are a scream:

In the United Hates of Asscarica
They censor my words and it ain't fair-ica
I'll say what I want, I don't care-ica
So welcome to my nightmare-ica

Puppy Dog Pee in a doody stew
Booger souflee in a sea of poo
Doody Doo Doody, Doo Doo
Ca Ca Ca, Pee Pee, Poo Poo

In the United Hates of Asscarica
You try to trap me in a snare-ica
But I've lured you into my lair-ica
Now who's gonna answer your prayer-ica?

In "Trail of Tears," Jerri discovers she's part American Indian, and then is sent to a Native American Total Immersion camp run by paleface Will Ferrell, and learns to set fire to wagon trains and scalp pioneers.

"Blank Relay": Jerri and fellow girls' track teammates shave minutes off their time and hair off their faces after taking steroids.

"Bully" is a fun one: Pacifist ("I Pass A Fist") Joffrey Jellineck learns that violence never solves anything, except conflict.

"The Last Temptation of Blank" is the show's ultimate episode. Guest starlet Wynona Ryder comes aboard to give Jerri a cool makeover; Sheri Oteri and Mark McKinney guest as school board bureaucrats who have plans to turn Flatpoint High into a strip mall (Remember "Strip Mall," the actual short-lived program that replaced SWC?) and Principal Blackman torches the campus rather than letting it be taken over.

This would be your last chance to put this excellent series on your DVD player and be prepared to be entertained, humored and offended. However, great news! A "prequel" movie is in the works, with ALL the original major cast members, including the cute-as-a-button Maria Thayer and is actually in post-production.

Thank you, O Gods of Celluloid!!!

Rating:
Summary: A minor quibble
Review: Another excellent season, better than Season 2, but not as great as Season 1. My beef (and my name's not even Stew!) is the lame packaging (two thin plastic boxes, as opposed to the nice cardboard digipak), and lack of decent "extras". Otherwise, a wonderful finale to a sorely missed program.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite all-around season
Review: Better than good, it's gooder. Thats right, SWC Season 3 is probably the best season of this sadly short-lived cult classic show. Each character fully comes into his own. The episodes are:
1. Jerri's Burning Issue
2. Is Freedom Free?
3. Trail of Tears-Will Ferrell guest stars, Andy Richter
4. Invisible Love
5. Is My Daddy Crazy-Stu at his best
6. Steroid Relay-Andy Richter
7. Ask Jerri- My favorite from this season b/c of Noblet and Jellineck, but really all episodes are great
8. Sexual Harassment
9. Bully
10. The Last Temptation of Blank-Winona Ryder guest stars
Also I want to remind everyone that the MOVIE is coming, probably in 2005.

Rating:
Summary: Funniest, most original comedy on television
Review: First, I agree with Trudy (another reviewer) that the 2nd season was the best, the 1st next, and the 3rd season last. I think the direction wasn't as good as the 2nd season--it just didn't feel like the original "Afterschool Specials" it was mimicking. Season 2 was the most polished in terms of performances, and nailing Jerri's and others' characters down.

In the 3rd season, Jerri was less destructive and messy, more light-headed and weird. One of my favorite aspects of Jerri's character was the way she would intentionally destroy things, laugh at others' pain, and intimidate other people. By the 3rd season, she was a bit too...."nice". Also, the dialogue and repartee had a bit less bite and predictability.

That's NOT to say that the 3rd season is not worth watching. It's still hysterical, better than most everything else on television. I like the friction between her and her stepmother and brother, her obsession with sex (the "pole" and the "hole"), and her childish naivete despite her decades of experience living on the street. Her facial contortions and near-rotten teeth make for a unique visual!

Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Greg Holloman, and Deborah Rush turn out consistently great performances as Jerri's teachers, principal and stepmother, respectively.

One thing: you have to understand the context of the show (Jerri's background, that she & her stepmother hate each other, that the two main teachers are having a secret love affair, etc) for the show to make sense, and not to feel distracting. Watch the first two seasons first.

Rating:
Summary: FI-NA-LEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
Review: GAWD!!! I've been anxiously waiting for season three to come out! I was getting really impatient! AND I can't believe they are coming out with a movie!!!!! I could soil myself with excitement... oh Dizzy!

Rating:
Summary: I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I have been waiting for this to come out for a while
and bought it. I didn't watch all of the episodes at
once like I usually do since I was busy, but they are
all pretty good. I like the last one with Winona Rider
doing a parody of "Heathers". I wonder why it took
so long to cover that "after-school issue" of the cool
kid thing. I wish there were more episodes in between
the 1st and last. I heard that Amy Sedaris may take over
for Craig Kilborn on the Late Late Show. That would be great.

The out-takes are also great. Why didn't they have them
on the other DVD's?

Rating:
Summary: it's about time
Review: It's about time they put close-captioning on Strangers With Candy! Down with WEA Corp, Go Paramount! If only they could release the entire series on a box-set with captions.

Rating:
Summary: amy sedaris is my wannabe girlfriend
Review: once again the crew of strangers, colbert, sedaris, dinello have made my life more complete. season three is a special season, the cast is uncomparable to any other. damn G- if you think you've seen it all, and you haven't seen this dvd, you are sorely mistaken.

Rating:
Summary: GOOD TIMES!!!!
Review: probably the funniest show I've ever seen.

can't wait for the movie.