Chapter 1: An Actor Avoids
- Episode aired Nov 16, 2018
- TV-MA
- 34m
As Sandy gets to know a new student better, he puts off visiting an old friend who wants to see him. Norman copes with a difficult issue at home.As Sandy gets to know a new student better, he puts off visiting an old friend who wants to see him. Norman copes with a difficult issue at home.As Sandy gets to know a new student better, he puts off visiting an old friend who wants to see him. Norman copes with a difficult issue at home.
- Car GPS
- (voice)
- Sandy's Student
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen discussing sitcom work with Norman, Sandy says, "Those little pischers on the 'Big Bang' thing are making a million bucks a week." "Kominsky Method" creator Chuck Lorre is also a co-creator of "The Big Bang Theory."
- GoofsRight after Alex brings Komisky his drinks in the restaurant, the camera switches angles a few times and in each shot, Norman's martini glass switches back and forth between the table and his hand.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Sandy Kominsky: [in front of his class] Before we start, uh, tonight's scene work, I just want to take a moment to talk about our craft. "Acting." So what is acting? I mean, when an actor acts, what is he or she... or they actually doing? Well, on one level, the answer is simple. They're making believe. They are pretending. But on a on a much deeper level, we need to ask ourselves what is really happening? Well, you need to ask me. I think I'm the only one here who doesn't have a roommate.
[all chuckling]
Sandy Kominsky: What's really happening - and I want you to listen carefully - what's really happening is that the actor is playing God. Because, after all, what does God do? God creates. God says "Here is a world," and bam! That world exists. God says, "Here's life," and bam again! Life happens. God says, "Here's death," and boom! Darkness. The darkness returns.
Sandy Kominsky: So what does this mean to us? How do we take this information and bring it into our work? The answer, my dear colleagues, is that, like God, we must love our creations. We must imbue them with life, with character, with hope and dreams and fatal flaws, and then... then we must let them go. Because in the end, true love God's love, is letting go.
Sandy's student: Yeah, uh, Sandy? Uh, I have an audition tomorrow for a shampoo commercial. How do I love that?
Sandy Kominsky: Wash your hair before you go.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards (2019)
To get two of the best actors to have ever lived in a show about old friends in the business was a genius idea. And with both Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, it seems like the possibilities are endless. The writers are full of clever jokes to give them, and with their acting prowess, they add a huge amount of gravitas to those lines, even the ones that don't hit. And while the acting is a huge highlight of the first episode, the storyline seems to be going in an interesting direction too. It's not like the silly comedies that Chuck Lorre has been in charge of before, but has a more dramatic hook to pull the audience in. It feels like the show could easily have been a drama, but in order to dampen the heavy nature of the show, he decided to continue his comedy roots, which was a smart move. I don't know if any of this is true, but if it came out that it was, I'd believe it. It's not a perfect episode, but it doesn't have to be. There are some characteristics that seems like they've been pulled out of his other shows, and certain characters need a little more time to grow. That's almost the case with any TV show, and the fact that it doesn't pull down the weight of the episode more is a testament to the good writing. And, obviously, the amazing and magnetic performances from its entire cast, mostly Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin.
"Chapter 1. An Actor Avoids" is a solid opening for a show that seems like it has something very interesting on its mind. It sets up a show about friendship and how we handle the weight of growing old, which is something that I'm excited to see through the eyes of these two interesting characters.
- lassegalsgaard
- May 19, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- 6365 Selma Ave, Los Angeles, California, USA(The Sandy Kominsky Studio of Acting, exterior)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro