The first thing I saw of this season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was the little teaser trailer of Titus performing an homage to Lemonade…
…I was on board anyway, but that got me excited.
Though this episode title of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is still Kimmy-centric, as usual, Titus is the real star here. He’s going through a heartbreak, having seen his boyfriend Mikey with another man in episode one, and the only sensible solution is to work through it with some Beyonce-inspired performance art. Haven’t we all been there?
Admittedly, I was a little concerned with how this would be handled in the episode – not because I don’t trust Kimmy‘s writers, but engaging with something as culturally significant as Lemonade can be difficult territory to tread; Amy Schumer was accused of cultural appropriation and minimizing the significance of the serious themes in “Formation” after recreating that video last year.
It seems that Titus’ take has been received much more positively – Vanity Fair called it “TV’s best Lemonade homage yet” in a great article that details the production of the snippets. As a viewer, I found the tributes to “Hold Up,” “Sorry,” and “All Night” delightful and perfectly Titus-centric. An example of his lyrical adaptation: “I tried to change. To be sweeter. Prettier. Less…gassy.” Yep – that’s Titus.
Though Titus is in pain, it’s super fun to see him go after various things on the NYC streets with a baseball bat – including Mikey’s truck (that Tilda Swinton tailgate is truly a masterpiece).
Turns out, Mikey’s friend is named Jeff (a name Titus takes offense to – who’s named Jeff?!), and Mikey is sure that he isn’t interested like that. After the three go to the batting cages together, Mikey realizes that he was wrong, and Titus was right.
Mikey’s desperation to get back in Titus’ good graces reminds Titus of how he felt with his first boyfriend. Titus ends their relationship because it’s too much pressure to be Mikey’s first and only gay relationship – one of the many ways, he says, in which he is stronger than Beyonce.
The “All Night” snippet here that marks the end of their relationship is funny and poignant all at once. Again, we get one of those “emotional growth” moments that this show is really good at giving us.
In other news, Kimmy is searching for a college to attend – she considers “Famous Ray’s Original College” and “SUNY The Sewer,” but gets a tour of Robert Moses College for Everyone (no longer just for whites!) from Perry, played by Hamilton‘s Daveed Diggs.
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An aptitude test suggests Kimmy should be a crossing guard, and she’s a bit disappointed to hear that RMC doesn’t offer that program. Perry opens her mind to other avenues, like philosophy, and gets her excited about the possibilities. Admittedly, philosophy feels oddly perfect for Kimmy – her weird way of seeing the world might translate well there.
Kimmy decides to apply to RMC but learns that Perry is heading to Columbia (“Columbia House? Like the tapes?” – This reference is one of my favorite running gags). Kimmy has to ask, “Is Columbia better than here?” Learning it is, she decides to reassess.
Lillian and Jacqueline’s storylines converge in this episode, too, as Jacqueline wants to clean up East Dogmouth’s waterfront and bring the neighborhood clean water. Lillian, on the other hand, recognizes this as the gateway to gentrification.
Lillian’s path to opposition requires that she get elected, but of course, most of the citizens of East Dogmouth are felons and can’t vote. Who can vote? Kimmy, of course. Lillian gets 100% of the vote, but her goal of blocking Jacqueline’s initiative is easily defeated. She quickly finds out she’s just one cog in the machinery of City Council.
Next: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 3, Episode 1 Recap: “Kimmy Gets Divorced?!”
In the end, Titus was clearly the star of this episode, and as he closes the door on Mikey, he seems ready to open up to new opportunities. Kimmy, too, is on the brink of making a big life change. Their storylines aren’t converging much at the moment, so it’ll be interesting to see how the writers bring Kimmy and Titus back together in coming episodes.