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Broad City, Ep. 2.10, “St. Mark’s” ends the season strong

Broad City, Ep. 2.10, “St. Mark’s” ends the season strong

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Broad City, Season 2, Episode 10, “St. Mark’s”
Written by Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer
Directed by Nicholas Jasenovec
Airs Wednesdays at 10:30pm ET on Comedy Central 

This has been an extremely strong season of Broad City, and though this episode is a somewhat strange one to use as a finale, it ultimately feels like an inspired choice. We have no sense of closure with Ilana and Lincoln’s relationship, which was anticipated. No arc is particularly remarked upon or addressed. It is essentially just an episode of Abbi and Ilana walking down the street in New York City as they decide what to do for Ilana’s 23rd birthday. It feels as defiant as the beautiful moment before the title card when a man walks by and tells them to smile, so they turn around and force a fake smile with their middle fingers.

The opening sequence is a brilliant display of direction and production, as a tracking shot (or rather, several of them) follow the pair as they pass various people, including a girl publicly urinating as she scrolls through her phone. Even watching it twice may not be enough to catch all the jokes in the background. Broad City’s direction is consistently excellent and not typically included in conversations about the best television direction, but it is at its best here with director Nicholas Jasenovec. A chase sequence later on after Leo Fitzpatrick (Telly in Kids) steals Abbi’s bag, and the duo take off after him, seems to exist mostly to show off how well-directed this show is.

In a season full of fantastic guest stars, perhaps chief among them Kelly Ripa last week, Patricia Clarkson remarkably takes the top spot, with a brief but committed performance as Fitzpatrick’s wealthy but exhausted mother. She is on fire, disappointed and angry in her deadbeat son and spitting with rage. She delivers, “Loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser,” in such an incredible way that one is unable to accurately describe it, except to say that it approaches some form of transcendence.

The show leaves us with Abbi and Ilana sitting outside a pizza place, eating and talking about what they’re proud of from the last year (Ilana: “I finally felt a prostate.” Abbi: “When I figured out my eyebrows, they’re sisters, not twins, they need to be treated as such.”) and what they hope to do in the next year (Ilana: “I want to finish a book…reading, not writing.” Abbi: “I’m gonna do one legit pull-up, for real this time.”). It’s such a small way to end things, but it warms the heart.

Bed, Bath & Beyonds

  • It has been lots of fun covering this show this season, and thank you for reading!
  • Ilana mentions that she hopes to decrease her anti-depressant dosage in the next year, which is slightly jarring and completely refreshing in how no big deal is made out of it.
  • Ilana plans her funeral: “I also just want everyone I’ve hooked up with to jerk off together. That could bring me back to life, seriously!”
  • She also really cares about the serious issues. “You know, child sex trafficking is all around us…WIGS!!!”
  • We are Lil Wayne.”