Imagine “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” but set during the Gilded Age in Newport, Rhode Island. This is the premise for “Another Period” on Comedy Central.
Meet socialites Lillian and Beatrice Bellacourt (played by comedians Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome), two spoiled and narcissistic aristocrats climbing up the Newport social ladder. From faking their husbands’ deaths to giving their dog a 15-course meal, these ladies have a way of keeping audience members enthralled and wondering what these elites will do next.
Filmed like a mock-u-mentary, character reveal feelings and motives to a fake camera crew. At the end of each scene, clips of servants working in the house to rap music are played as transitional pieces.
This show offers deep insight on both culture from the past and the present. Creators Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome are able to criticize current culture through ‘ravishing,’ an allusion to today’s rape culture, and racism, with cops offering only to arrest black citizens.
As the series progresses, viewers start to grow and love the characters — from Dodo, the matriarch of the Bellacourt family, to Garfield, the assistant butler. There are a variety of characters and each one is flushed out to be very deep and complex, with different drives pushing them to commit certain actions. Secret relationships are abound in this TV show, as one character has an abortion via vacuum and another is in love with her twin brother.
Characters offer insight to the type of social hierarchy that occurred during the Gilded Age, as servants are willing to serve their masters at less than minimum wage and the wealthy abuse their servants without a second thought. With guest appearances from Jack Black and Ben Stiller, the show is also able to incorporate various historical figures with a dash of humor.
At some times, “Another Period” resorts to crude sexual jokes, but makes it up for it with an interesting plot. Viewers are dubious of new character, Chair (played by Christina Hendricks), and her intentions for working for the Bellacourts.
The series ends on a mysterious note, as Lilian and Beatrice are kicked out of the house by their father, due to an article circling around Newport calling them human pigs. They wander the streets and are approached by fans, asking to have newspapers and fruits signed, as their older sister, Hortense, reveals that she was the one who wrote the article.
All in all, “Another Period” is a great watch that is able to keep audience members wishing for more.
As the great Lilian would say, “Its time to show Newport what I got. See this face? You’re gonna see it a lot!”
Don’t miss out on season two, airing on Comedy Central in 2016.
[star rating=”4″]
Jon • Aug 28, 2015 at 2:56 pm
Niki Rindhome? Do you perhaps mean Riki Lindhome?