Now Apocalypse - The Series "Conclusion"

Concluding the series, the fifth episode of “Now Apocalypse”, Stranger Than Paradise focuses on the trip to Barnabas’ party outside LA, Ford invited by him, with Uly, Carly, and Sev tagging along. Carly meets an artist at the pool, taken aback by her attraction to him. Later, the two walk around and talk, still both acknowledging their attraction, later kissing and making out in a car while the party rages on. Ford can’t seem to entertain an obviously bored (and cold) Severine, who ditches him when she receives “evidence” (that “splatter” Uly was privy to at the end of the previous episode) of significance to her “work”. Meanwhile, Uly decides against a threesome with male bodybuilders at Barnabas’ party, eventually, much to his own surprise, fucking a server in a bathroom…she tells Uly that gay guys do seem attracted to her. This server is very much blasé in how she speaks and her demeanor until she busts open doors within the resort, catching various party-goers engaged in coitus, all-smiles and excited to interrupt them. But despite Uly’s objections, her doing this does allow him to find Barnabas hovering over an unconscious Ford, seemingly interested in something quite potentially sexual. Whether or not Barnabas would have committed to anything, Uly interrupts and carries Ford off. Ford does appear to be drugged, later collapsing while Uly tries to locate Carly, finding her on top of artist Leif’s (RJ Mitte, of “Breaking Bad”) shoulders in the pool (with her top off, again). Ford’s heartache is once again evidenced by his frustrations as Sev leaves him, her work more important than his affection…Barnabas does seem interested in him, but to what extent is still up for conjecture. Ulysses choosing a woman over two guys surprised me, but he just seemed bored with the prospect of same ole/same ole. Carly all excited about this new guy—they do make a point about Leif’s cerebral palsy but I was glad this was brief and instead the topic of his work, capitalism, and being a whore becomes focus of conversation—sort of has her debating her true feelings for the boyfriend. Severine’s cold fish routine, despite how her being “French and hot” is always of mention in dialogue between Carly and Uly as to why she’s quite desirable, seems to be of no consequence to Ford, who continues to love her despite every reason to move on to someone else who could reciprocate his feelings. 2.5/5

She’s Lost Control has Carly losing her agent (not that she was much help in Carly’s career), trying to shoot some camera film with Uly (“Sluts”, with a couple friends, including the new roommate Carly forgets about) for a “web series”, taking out some bad career frustrations with a ruler on her beau during the “mommy is angry, take your punishment” sexual foreplay, and freaking out her new roommate with her loud vocal pleasure and eventual orgasm. Her new roommate’s tormented face, admittedly, cracked me up while she rocks back and forth just wanting it all to stop… The episode once again restates the running continuation of Ford’s plight: Severine puts her job before him while he goes to Uly for advice on whether or not she loves him as he loves her. I laughed out loud when Ford gets angry at Uly for being “naïve” when Uly warns him about Otto and Barnabas (Otto’s pics of Ford are clearly homoerotic, although Ford just can’t seem to accept that their reason for keeping him in their company is purely salacious). Ford appears clueless, trying to shoo away Uly’s points about them… thinks he’s just paranoid and that to get ahead in LA there are steps you have to take. At any rate, Ford just won’t listen to Uly, so he will need to learn the hard way, I guess. Uly is roped into returning to work security, and sure enough there is a homeless guy (Duvall, a frequent Araki stock player) who told him in a dream what the earth and W are about, an Apocalyptic Gabriel forewarning. In regards to Severine, she sees someone across the street in another building, the guy supposedly spying on her, fucking someone and, as fate would have it, masturbates to them…the guy knows she’s watching them, even pressing his lover against the window. So there’s that. 2.5/5

Anywhere Out of the World features Carly peeing in a cup and selling it to a client for $200, dealing with a new roommate who colors her arm pit hair while concealing an immigrant family in her bathroom, and trying to get her shit together. Uly awakens after falling to the asphalt over a fence while chasing the intruding homeless man to find a potential new lover, later having a congenial dinner and overlook of LA from a distance…it’s all so romantic. But Uly can’t seem to shake Gabriel…and his trumpet. Nonetheless, Uly and this social worker, who seems quite the catch for him since he seems by all appearances and dialogue to be a thoughtful understanding soul, an obvious attraction between the two further indicates there is chemistry to spare, eventually thwart hesistation, committing to more than kissy-face as the episode fades to black. Ford’s image in underwear, taken by Otto, becomes quite the ad campaign, as his bulge, particularly, leaves him mortified. Severine seems to like it a lot, considering his bulge quite “erotic”. They later go to an “illuminati sex party” so that Severine can get Ford to hopefully break down his restrictions, and, after a conversation with sexually liberated ladies about the difference in love and sex, he realizes their relationship doesn’t have to adhere to convention. So an orgy it is! This episode is worth it if just for Carly trying to pee in her room with her bathroom taking…the struggle is real. 2.5/5

The sexual misadventures of Carly and Jethro and Ford and Severine continue. It does seem that Ulysses and Isaac are hitting it off well as the two of them fuck and talk, fuck and talk some more. Carly takes Jethro to one of those Sex Roleplay clubs where she orchestrates “sensual waterboarding” and “spanking baby in diapers” sexual bondage and costume games. Carly arranging Jethro—always the dead guy in crime shows zippered in body bags or autopsied on slabs—as a bound body on a slab with X-rays and “tools of the trade” while she gets him all worked up couldn’t have been more purposely ironic. Severine wants Ford to participate in a threesome with Tyce, a bodybuilder with “swole” arms he noticed when they were in Palm Springs at Barnabas’ party. Tyce tells Ford he loves his “work”, the advertisements all throughout LA. Ford just can’t seem to get in the mood, just “too straight” to become involved in Sev’s arranged threesome. Sev is frustrated with how threesomes are often devoted to the male ego while women are just objects to enjoy. Tyce takes offense to her continued criticism at the threesome’s failure, as he, being a black man, knows also what it feels like to be looked at a certain way. No matter how Severine tries to gain gratification and fulfillment in her sexual relationship with Ford, it never altogether seems to work the way she truly wants it. Ford making Uly breakfast, in tears at how he yelled at him, feeling truly sorry for their fight, is so sincere, which is really why Ulysses loves him. Sev might say that she loves Ford’s body and it could still be that sex is why she remains with him, but every reason to break from him has presented itself. Unknown Pleasures 2.5/5

While Severine satisfies her carnal lusts with the twins she works at her alien research company, Ford tries calling her to no avail. I think most who watched this just want him to move the fuck on. It isn’t like he couldn’t find someone practically immediately. In fact, while at a café trying to drum up something sexy for his dud of a screenplay, a cute, leggy poet named Cleopatra, demure and hesitant (but clearly interested) to approach, eventually does so. He tells her he has a girlfriend when she offers to read his script, giving him her number. Poor Cleo just seems to sink when he tells her about the girlfriend, sort of disappointedly leaving. Ford, so lost in his naïveté, can let go of a doomed relationship. I think by episode’s end, it does appear that Severine will have a far easier time moving on than him. The twist regarding Carly and her cam service and how Jethro inadvertently stumbles upon it…infantilism, quite the kink to be introduced to! Carly is dealing with the ole subconscious and how Leif seems to be so deeply engrained, he surfaces in her sex fantasies, replacing the studly Jethro. They meet in an exercise park, go eat yogurt, and talk about cheating. The chemistry is quite obvious, but Jethro remains in Carly’s life…but what about the cam service and its implications?! Uly and Isaac appear to be an item, even calling each other boyfriends, with Uly getting the key to Isaac’s house. Uly has gone dry on the weed for a bit, clearing his mind of all the Apocalyptic, alien, and Gabriel “delusions” occupying his time prior to Isaac. For the last few episodes, Uly and Isaac’s romance has been given quite a bit of significance. Ulysses even cries when he realizes that Isaac could be “the one”. The two talk about past relationship disasters and taking their time, with no rush if neither is truly ready…by all intents and purposes, they do seem to fit. 2.5/5.

It does appear, by how the final episode, Everything Is Gone Forever, ends that Gregg Araki was convinced the series would be picked up by Starz for a second season. Going by the ratings listed—if that is even an effective barometer any longer—I can see why Starz passed. The episode has Carly dumping Jethro not long after learning that he tells his mother everything and he disputes her cam work. Isaac ends his relationship with Uly after Gabriel sends a message to him and the two can’t seem to discuss why that is despite a reasonable discussion would seem to indicate there is nothing there. Just the same, the relationship is ended by Isaac, feeling that perhaps they were moving too fast. Poor Jethro gets anally raped by an Alien Reptile, but I wasn’t laughing although it seemed played for giggles! Ford can’t get over Severine despite her literally ending it and flying away on an airplane to Roswell. She was about to commit to a final sexual fling with the guy across the street but while crossing over he stops, waves hi, and is hit by a car! And despite Cleopatra meeting a weeping, pitiful Ford, in a club at a bar, listening to him carry on in grief, she still is willing to suck him off in his car and commit to him! Even after he kicks her out of his car, Ford later finds her in his bedroom. He screams his final words of the series, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Funniest moment has Carly arriving at Starz headquarters, meeting an executive who just so happens to be the pee-pee fetishist! Uly finally meets the bum that he kept seeing, listening to him talk about rape by the alien reptile, eventually electrocuted by a power line that breaks accidentally from the poll. 2/5