It's a Good Day (The Curse)

Last updated
"It's a Good Day"
The Curse episode
Episode no.Episode 5
Directed by Nathan Fielder
Written by
Cinematography byMaceo Bishop
Editing byAdam Locke-Norton
Original release dateDecember 10, 2023 (2023-12-10)
Running time53 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Under the Big Tree"		Next →
"The Fire Burns On"

"It's a Good Day" is the fifth episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse . The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by Fielder. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on December 8, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on December 10, 2023. The episode was screened at the Film at Lincoln Center. [1]

Contents

The series follows Whitney and Asher Siegel, a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show, Fliplanthropy. Also joining them on their show is Dougie Schecter, a producer who is trying to make the best possible version of the show in order to reach a wider audience. In the episode, Whitney and Asher face problems as they try to find a new buyer for a house, recurring to many schemes.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.015 million household viewers and gained a 0.00 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received very positive reviews from critics, who praised Emma Stone's performance and Whitney's character development.

Plot

Whitney (Emma Stone) and Asher (Nathan Fielder) meet with a couple interested in one of Whitney's "passive" homes, and Whitney requires them to sign a document supporting the San Pedro Pueblo tribe's right to compensation for their land. However, the husband is not convinced by the house's cooling system and the wife refuses to sign the document, annoying Whitney and causing a heated argument. This causes the couple to pull out of the intended offer.

Still requiring buyers for Fliplanthropy, Dougie (Benny Safdie) suggests using actors for the season. Whitney brings in Cara (Nizhonniya Luxi Austin) as a fake buyer, but she treats the show as a joke and takes the opportunity to humiliate Whitney. Whitney then resorts to asking strangers in the street to help, and identifies a man and a woman to play a couple even though they are not married. The man insists on bringing his actual girlfriend, resulting in an awkward filming session. Finally, Asher decides to get one of Whitney's previous prospective buyers, Mark (Dean Cain), to purchase the home for the show. Whitney has reservations about Mark having a Blue Lives Matter sticker on his car, but he turns out to be enthusiastic about the house and deeply passionate about the passive home concept, while also espousing support for the Pueblo and a total willingness to sign their petition, as his great-grandmother was Apache.

While Whitney is unhappy over Mark's ideologies, she begrudgingly agrees to sell to him. Asher and Whitney return home, and while Asher is delighted over the news, Whitney is very distant in her answers. As they prepare for bed, Whitney dismisses Asher's advances.

Production

Development

The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by Fielder. This was Fielder's fifth writing credit, Safdie's fifth writing credit, and Fielder's second directing credit. [2]

Reception

Viewers

In its original American broadcast, "It's a Good Day" was seen by an estimated 0.015 million household viewers and gained a 0.00 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. This means that 0.00 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. [3]

Critical reviews

"It's a Good Day" received very positive reviews from critics. Manuel Betancourt of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "There's a white guilt and white savior performance here but also a bit of an emptiness to such gestures. The Curse wants us to straddle the line between laughing at her and with her, the way the crew guy does, making us feel uncomfortable in knowing the tide can turn at any minute. And Stone really excels at embodying Whitney's righteousness with a twinge of self-importance that's wrapped in self-effacement." [4]

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote, "She returns her husband's 'I love you,' but in the robotic tone of a woman who has put her life on autopilot, because the more she tries to think about situations, the worse she seems to make it. The focus group complained that Asher seemed to have no personality, but at least for a moment, those roles are reversed." [5]

Amanda Whiting of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The Flipanthropy cameras are finally rolling again in Española. As bad as Asher is on TV — and he is excruciatingly clumsy and awkward — it's Whitney who wins the prize for insufferable character of the week. (The prize, to be clear, is my ire.)" [6] Caemeron Crain of TV Obsessive wrote, "Benny Safdie is knocking it out of the park with this character, and by “knocking it out of the park” I mean making me feel deeply uncomfortable in a way I can’t quite put my finger on. We're halfway through this season of The Curse, and I can’t wait to see how things come together in the back half." [7]

Esther Zuckerman of The New York Times wrote, "People are ultimately more complicated than Whitney would like to admit. Whitney is more complicated than she would like to admit." [8] Fletcher Peters of The Daily Beast wrote, "“You’re my angel,” he coos to Whitney in bed. “You know that, right?” Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting!" [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Medeski</span> American jazz keyboardist and composer

Anthony John Medeski is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano and an eclectic array of keyboards, including the Hammond B3 organ, melodica, mellotron, clavinet, ARP String Ensemble, Wurlitzer electric piano, Moog Voyager Synthesizer, Wurlitzer 7300 Combo Organ, Vox Continental Baroque organ, and Yamaha CS-1 Synthesizer, among others. When playing acoustic piano, Medeski usually plays the Steinway piano and is listed as a Steinway Artist.

A curse is a spell or incantation intended to harm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Fielder</span> Canadian comedian (born 1983)

Nathan Joseph Fielder is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and producer. He is known for his awkward persona and involvement in works that blur reality and fiction. His accolades include an Independent Spirit Award and a WGA Award, as well as a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award. In 2023, he was featured on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safdie brothers</span> American film directors

Joshua Safdie and Benjamin Safdie are independent American filmmakers and actors based in New York City, who frequently collaborate on their films. They are best known for writing and directing the crime thriller films Good Time (2017), starring Robert Pattinson, and Uncut Gems (2019), starring Adam Sandler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randall Dunn</span> United States record engineer and rock musician

Randall Dunn is an American record producer, audio engineer, composer, and musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barkhad Abdi</span> Somali-American actor

Barkhad Abdi is a Somali Majeerteen actor. He made his acting debut as the pirate Abduwali Muse in the biographical drama film Captain Phillips (2013), which earned him a British Academy Film Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, along with Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

"The New Neverland" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time, and the show's 54th episode overall. The episode, which aired December 8, 2013, was written by Andrew Chambliss and directed by Ron Underwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elara Pictures</span> American film production company

Elara Pictures is an American independent film production and television production company founded by Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein and Sebastian Bear-McClard.

<i>The Curse</i> (American TV series) American black comedy television series

The Curse is an American satirical black comedy thriller television series created and written by Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and starring Emma Stone, Fielder, and Safdie. It was filmed from June to October 2022 and premiered on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on November 10, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on November 12. Its first three episodes premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 12, 2023. The first season concluded on January 12, 2024, receiving critical acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benny Safdie</span> American actor and director

Benjamin Safdie is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and film editor best known for working with his older brother Josh as a filmmaker. His directorial works include Heaven Knows What (2014), Good Time (2017), and Uncut Gems (2019). Transitioning towards acting, Safdie was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role in Good Time and has since taken on roles in films such as Licorice Pizza (2021), Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. and Oppenheimer. He co-created, co-wrote and starred in the television show The Curse (2023).

Fruit Tree is an American film and television production company, founded by Emma Stone and Dave McCary in 2020. The company has produced the films When You Finish Saving the World (2022), Problemista (2023), and I Saw the TV Glow (2024). The company's logo contains a stylized tree.

"Land of Enchantment" is the series premiere of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by Fielder. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on November 10, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on November 12, 2023. The episode was screened at the 2023 New York Film Festival.

"Pressure's Looking Good So Far" is the second episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by co-executive producer Carrie Kemper, from a story by Kemper and series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on November 17, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on November 19, 2023. The episode was screened at the 2023 New York Film Festival.

"Questa Lane" is the third episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on November 24, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on November 26, 2023. The episode was screened at the 2023 New York Film Festival.

"Under the Big Tree" is the fourth episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie and directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on December 1, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on December 3, 2023. The episode was screened at the Film at Lincoln Center.

"The Fire Burns On" is the sixth episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by Fielder. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on December 15, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on December 17, 2023. The episode was screened at the Film at Lincoln Center.

"Self-Exclusion" is the seventh episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by Fielder. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on December 22, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on December 24, 2023. The episode was screened at the Film at Lincoln Center.

"Down and Dirty" is the eighth episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, from a story by Fielder, Safdie and co-executive producer Carrie Kemper, and directed by Fielder. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on December 29, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on December 31, 2023. The episode was screened at the Film at Lincoln Center.

"Young Hearts" is the ninth episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie and directed by Fielder. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on January 5, 2024, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on January 7, 2024. The episode was screened at the Film at Lincoln Center.

"Green Queen" is the tenth episode and season finale of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie and directed by Fielder. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on January 12, 2024, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on January 14, 2024. The episode was screened at the Film at Lincoln Center.

References

  1. ↑ Bergeson, Samantha (September 26, 2023). "A24 Series 'The Curse' with Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, and Benny Safdie Sets Release Date". IndieWire . Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  2. ↑ "The Curse – WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West . Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ "The Curse: Season One Ratings". TV Series Finale. November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  4. ↑ Betancourt, Manuel (December 8, 2023). "The Curse recap: "You don't talk to my wife like that!"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (December 8, 2023). "'The Curse' Recap: Emma Stone's Whitney Shows Her True Colors". Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ Whiting, Amanda (December 8, 2023). "The Curse Recap: Fun House". Vulture . Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  7. ↑ Crain, Caemeron (December 8, 2023). "The Curse S1E5 Recap: If I Was Upset, You'd Know It". TV Obsessive. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  8. ↑ Zuckerman, Esther (December 8, 2023). "'The Curse' Season 1, Episode 5 Recap: Performance Arts". The New York Times . Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  9. ↑ Peters, Fletcher (December 8, 2023). "Is 'The Curse' Selling Passive Homes or Private Prisons?". The Daily Beast . Retrieved December 10, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.