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Marcy Learns Something New

The Short of the Week this week stars Rachel Dratch as a history teacher struggling to find a spark in her life as a widow. Fitness classes aren’t working, so Dratch’s character tries something new: a introductory class on female domination.

From the premise alone, most might think that Kennelly is using BDSM as the butt of the joke, a cheap way to trigger laughs. Yet, she subverts those expectations but steering clear of a farcical approach. Instead, she plays with different levels of sensitivity and empowerment while remaining very respectful towards every single one of her characters, sourcing the comedy elements from a more genuine place, the awkwardness and practicality of the situations Marcy finds herself in.

Dratch is great in this โ€” yet another comedic performer who excels at more serious roles โ€” and I found the whole thing surprisingly tender and poignant, at its core a simple story of people looking for meaning and connection in their lives.

I’d say this is NSFW, but with many of you currently working from home, perhaps that’s not really a thing right now? (via @christopherjobs)