DIFFICULT PEOPLE: 36 CANDLES (TV)
Summary
One in this dark comedy series about two self-centered best friends/would-be comedians living in New York City. In this episode, Billy and Julie attend Arthur's fairly embarrassing PBS-vs.-NPR basketball game, and Billy considers an actual face-to-face meeting with one of the many men with whom he has been chatting on dating apps. Julie, sure that Marilyn will ruin her upcoming 36th birthday with her self-centered neuroses, as she has done many others, has a surprisingly fun day getting tipsy on champagne with her mother at a spa. Billy meets up with "DeNeil Tindr" and then is horrified to learn – post-coitus – that he is Denise's brother. To his surprise, Denise invites Billy along to a family dinner, and Billy decides to "Sharon Stone it" – mimic the appropriate human emotions with facial expressions – to get through it. Arthur, pleased with his narrow athletic victory, suddenly turns into an aggressive "bro," and Denise tells an outraged Matthew that her two impossible-to-please aunts Frankie and Sam will "tear Billy to shreds," thereby destroying his relationship with DeNeil.
Julie and Marilyn continue their uncharacteristic bonding over some drunken karaoke and mean-spirited pranking, and Billy is touched when DeNeil's aunts actually take a liking to him, ruining Denise's scheme. Billy invites DeNeil along to Julie's hibachi birthday dinner, but DeNeil decides that Billy is far more "sappy" in real life than online and has become too attached to him too quickly. Arthur tries to prove his cooking skills and ends up seriously injured, and Julie has a fateful bathroom encounter with legendary B-52s singer Kate Pierson before emerging to find that she has been abandoned, yet again, on her birthday. Later, however, she enjoys a private "16 Candles"-style celebration with Billy, agreeing that it is better to keep one's expectations low in life and concluding that she must never again drink in her mother's presence.
Details
- NETWORK: Hulu
- DATE: November 30, 1999
- RUNNING TIME: 0:24:33
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 136477
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: LGBTQ+ Collection - Comedy; Comedy; Birthdays
- SERIES RUN: Hulu - Internet series, 2015-2017
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Amy Poehler … Executive Producer
- Brooke Posch … Executive Producer
- Dave Becky … Executive Producer
- Tony Hernandez … Executive Producer
- Jeffrey Walker … Executive Producer, Director
- Julie Klausner … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Scott King … Executive Producer, Writer
- Ryan McCormick … Producer
- John Skidmore … Producer
- Lilly Burns … Producer
- Steve Marcarelli … Associate Producer
- Jake Fogelnest … Consulting Producer
- Christine Zander … Consulting Producer
- Michael Amodio … Post Producer
- Julie Klausner … Cast, Julie Kessler
- Billy Eichner … Cast, Billy Epstein
- James Urbaniak … Cast, Arthur Tack
- Cole Escola … Cast, Matthew Ellis Ross
- Andrea Martin … Cast, Marilyn Kessler
- Gabourey Sidibe … Cast, Denise
- Derrick Baskin … Cast, Nate
- Shakina Nayfack … Cast, Lola
- Kate Pierson … Cast, Herself
- Ashley Campana … Cast, Karaoke Girl
- Alice Cannon … Cast, Willa Kaplan
- Jake Choi … Cast, Restaurant Host
- Wali Collins … Cast, Referee
- Tom Creel … Cast, Fred Harris
- Lynda Gravatt … Cast, Aunt Frankie
- Olli Haaskivi … Cast, Chester
- Ebony Jo-Ann … Cast, Aunt Sam
- Sandra Karas … Cast, Helen Harris
- Schecter Lee … Cast, Chef
- Michael Lorz … Cast, Kid
- Leslie Meisel … Cast, Spa Concierge
- Doug Moe … Cast, NPR Player
- Sean Phillips … Cast, DeNeil
- Helen Beyene … Cast
- Jenna Hellmuth … Cast
- James Collins Jr. … Cast