The Act

Had you seen the Gypsy Blanchard documentary or followed the case in the news, OP? I like the show, but am not sure how I’d feel if I weren’t already familiar with the story. A lot the lines and scenes are interesting because of the real life background context. I’m not sure I’d find the show interesting without knowing from the beginning that Gypsy’s illnesses were being faked.

I really like the performances - both Rosanna Arquette and Joey King are excellent, although I don’t get much sense of connection from them yet. I’m also impressed by AnnaSophia Robb, who doesn’t overplay her character’s scenes with Gypsy. Chloe Sevigny wasn’t the best choice for her character - she doesn’t seem at all maternal, as if, as the mother of three or four kids, she’s never met a child before. She looks good, though.

The documentary is a must for us bitches at DL. I think it is getting bette. Joey King is the stand out but her character be so sympathetic ? Nearly impossible for Patricia to top that Ecape mini series but I am warming up to her. The always good Chloe Sevingy is a great foil but it appears on the first episode Dee Dee’s con has worked on her.

Walking lanesh to pick a daishy--

That could drive a pershon crazhy!

Homemade bread laysh here like lead--

And Polly's peach preshervesh!

Oh pleashe! My nervesh!

Chloe was the weak link in Russian Doll, too. To me, she’s still a fashion and posing-obsessed twit who lucked into an acting career. The gays were on to her bullshit years ago.

[quote]I’m not sure I’d find the show interesting without knowing from the beginning that Gypsy’s illnesses were being faked.

Spoiler alert, asshole.

There are 6 episodes and it was revealed early in e1. You are the asshole , cupcake.

Search “dee gyp blancharde” on Facebook and you will find the original page DeeDee and Gypsy shared. The post is still up even. It’s surreal.

I heard they were going to call it "Shine it On", but this is better.

It's horrible. The documentary was so much better. I think Arquette is miscast. It needed to be Melissa McCarthy.

They needed Liza

Patricia is turning into the Shelley Winters of our generation.

Is Coke a sponsor? Two episodes in and it’s been a major plot point each time.

patricia alwys seemd like a dumb fat sow

how do she git awards????

she married Nicolas cage for gods sake....and she has very yellow ciggy teef

Thin story line and it was stretched to 8 episodes of Gypsy getting tortured. I don't want to sit through that, just too much.

Probably could have gone via BBC route and get it over with in 3 episodes.

I’m loving it! It’s all Grey Gardens and Mommy Dearest.

Liza would have been fabulous as the mother. She would have made Gypsy wear a sequinned boyfriend jacket.

Arquette is giving a truly wretched performance in this. Thankfully, Joey King is killing it!

A lot of it is underwhelming, but the camp element is off the charts. Patricia Arquette seems to be doing a (bad) imitation of Piper Laurie in Carrie, so a lot of her loud, stilted line readings are hilarious. I think it will be looked back on fondly on DL as a howler.

Shtiesh and shtablesh sure are shmelly,

Let me shniff some Kosher deli,

Brightly lit by pretty Shitty Lights!

Did my Marty direct thish too? I hope Patrisha winsh the Oshcar! She deshervesh it. I wish I wash there everyday onshet to cheer her on! Shine it on, girlfriend!

I think it would be getting a lot more fanfare on Netflix.

Chrissy Metz was robbed from this role, the real Dee Dee was her size. Obese actresses do not get any juicy roles !!!

Chrissy you have enough rolls already!

Yeah, I feel like Arquette is miscast in this and she's going overboard to compensate for it.

It's not working.

She gave the performance of her career in that Showtime miniseries. The Act may not be her fault the writing and direction isn’t that great.

R10 THANK YOU! The only reason I came to this thread is I thought it was about the LIZA Musical!!!

Mary, I got so excited. I love that cast album. Money Tree being my favorite.

I think it's fantastic.

It's a shame her brother/sister died, because I would love to see a drag queen parody version starring Alexis Arquette that uses songs from the Liza show.

Margo Martindale and Kim from Better Call Saul in the latest (last?) episode.

What is Patrica Arquette doing with that accent? I guess it's supposed to be Louisianian but she sounds like pigeons cooing. By episode two I began to wonder if there was an actual pigeon's nest on the boom mic.

The documentary was gripping and hilarious. I have no desire to see this shitty series. In this case. nothing can touch the documentary.

The writing is so bad, the acting is barely saving it.

Latest episode was okay. Juliette Lewis was good and all background characters. DeDe and Gypsy requires good writing and this show ain’t cutting it.

I am on the episode where Margo Martindale is introduced, and she and Patricia Arquette are chewing up the scenery without giving much depth to the characters. It’s campy, but there’s no edge. Also, while some of the earlier episodes were consistently effective, the length of the show forces longer scenes that drag down the narrative. Joey King is doing good work, and the kid who plays Nick Godejon is also convincing, but this whole thing could be edited way down without losing quality.

The writing and acting are extremely shallow. Scratch the surface, and there's just more surface. What a missed opportunity.

There's too many episodes for the source material.

Ok, got to admit that last scene was perfect.

I keep finding myself saying, "Oooohhhhh, Gyp-seh! Gyp-seh Roooooooooooooooose" in Patrica Arquette's long, drawn-out accent. It's so catchy, it's like an ear-worm!

Me too, R38

I liked the ending also. Despite everything Gypsy probably mosses her mother. Creepy killer not so much.

The ending was jusht shensational!

Mishta Tearsh show me your shoe leatha!

How did y'all interpret the ending?? I interpreted it as saying she was in prison whilst with her mother, and now she's in prison for reals.

They way I saw it even though her mother did terrible things to her she was alone and needed comfort. My father was hatful to me beat me when I was young and maybe molested me but when he died I remembered the good and missed him.

Gypsy has let her hair grow out. She looks good. In ten years hero men beware !

Who cares what she looks like if she still speaks in that cloying baby voice and has no teeth.

Dear, most of us sooner or later have no teeth.

Surprised at the amount of negative reviews in this thread. I started watching this not knowing what it was about or even the case its based on and was hooked until the end. I thought it was really well directed and written, and the acting not only by patricia arquette but by the entire cast really great. I'll have to watch the documentary though because I haven't seen that.