Bupkis review: Pete Davidson’s semi-autobiographical comedy takes too long to find its footing
Davidson's Peacock series isn't quite bupkis but it's not great, either
TV Reviews Davidson
Ariana Grande. Kate Beckinsale. Margaret Qualley. Kim Kardashian. These are just some of the women to whom Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson has been attached. Best known for his recurring role as Chad, the irresistible, dead-eyed hunk, the real Davidson is not quite this character … but he isn’t not him either. So, why, with all the options and choices available to them, do these ladies choose Davidson?
It’s a question that can only be answered with another question: Why not? He seems nice enough (hot), with his share of demons (hotter), and some healthy self-awareness to boot (jackpot). “Being mentally ill is not an excuse to act like a jackass,” Davidson proclaimed on a 2022 “Weekend Update” segment, speaking, of course, about Kanye West. It’s not profound, but we take our wisdom where we can get it. Still, the way the internet has tied itself in knots over Davidson’s fame and fortune—a cycle of outrage that, in the process, cemented both—opens his new comedy series Bupkis. Davidson stars as a “heightened, fictionalized” version of himself in the show, which premieres May 4 on Peacock.
In Bupkis’ first episode, Davidson googles himself while wearing a VR headset in his mother’s basement. He follows links with headlines like “Pete Davidson and the Rise of Scumbro,” “The Stupid Life of Pete Davidson,” and “Is it Because He’s Funny?” When he’s done with this masochistic exercise, Davidson switches over to pornography. It is tempting to mark this moment as a metaphor for the show’s masturbatory, navel-gazing impulse—the comparison is right there. But that wouldn’t be a fair assessment of the show’s strengths, which are limited but striking, and its various weaknesses.
All eight episodes of Bupkis begin with a disclaimer voiced by rugged character actor Stacy Keach. After some familiar, legalistic verbiage about this being a work of fiction (albeit one “inspired by real people and events”), he concludes, in his signature growl, “It’s Bupkis.” Bupkis is Yiddish for “nothing,” and for the first five episodes, this is on-point for the show: it’s a whole lot of sound and fury, signifying bupkis. Each installment feels like the pilot for a different—and, frankly, inferior—show. The first episode chases shock value, while the second plays like a melancholy flashback on an FX dramedy. Then there’s the one with Charlie Day, which is the most sitcom-y of the gang, and then there’s the one that’s supposed to be like The Fast And The Furious but is more like Doofus Entourage, which even Simon Rex’s memorable cameo as a Florida dirtbag named Crispy can’t redeem.
A few years after Larry David wrapped on Seinfeld (NBC, 1989-1998), the original show about bupkis—er, nothing—he created Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 2001-), a show that teases glimpses of the “real” Larry David but does more to lay out a comprehensive philosophy of comedy and life. Bupkis has been described by numerous outlets as being in the vein of Curb, but David (whose daughter dated Davidson, it might be noted) has honed his persona for a pretty, pretty, pretty long time. By contrast, Davidson the comedian, much like Davidson the character, looks lost.
Until the sixth episode, that is. It is sad but true that once the show separates Davidson from its top-tier supporting cast—a grumpy but game Joe Pesci, an under-used Edie Falco, an unsurprisingly great Bobby Cannavale—Bupkis becomes a pitch-black show-business satire. In “ISO,” Davidson is hired to play opposite Brad Pitt in a J.J. Abrams movie. He wasn’t originally cast as the young soldier in this Pitt-led platoon and is being brought in for reshoots—in Canada, over Christmas no less. What promises to be a career high point turns out to be anything but, as Davidson faces one humiliation and disappointment after another. “The truth is, I asked my kids, you know, who do they wanna see die in a movie, and they said you,” Abrams admits.
Davidson proceeds to unravel and act out in ways that maybe, probably, resonate with tabloid coverage of the real guy. “Merry Christmas, Pete Davidson,” pronounces the set’s long-suffering production assistant with great warmth, adding, “I give him six months.”
“ISO” is kind of … great? What a twist.
The mishmash of cultural references, from It’s A Wonderful Life to Everybody Loves Raymond, finally generates what the show has been missing: an original and specific perspective, more dark than funny, but, hey, still funny. When he is unable to surround himself with a posse of goofball yes-men, when he can no longer spend his days draining the life out of the women around him (who exclusively think about, talk about, and unconditionally love him to the point of two-dimensionality), Davidson the character falls apart and Davidson as comic point-of-view comes together. In one of what will be many hallucinations, Davidson talks to Ray Romano (playing himself), complaining that his loved ones might be better off without him. “Maybe they are,” Romano answers, “but you shouldn’t focus on that.”
In this media-saturated, emotionally disturbed cultural moment, is Pete Davidson our generation’s James Stewart? Oh god, maybe he is, but we shouldn’t focus on that.
The remaining episodes don’t quite live up to “ISO,” but they work considerably better, as the show turns away from distraction and turns toward what lies beneath. Bupkis is trying to heal itself, as the show finally allows itself to explore the darkest corners of addiction, isolation, and mental illness. “My grandpa is dying, very sad,” Davidson sings as he cooks a stew in his mother’s kitchen. “My mother and sister don’t like who I am.” Finally, the show becomes something interesting, if challenging, to watch, but there’s a lot of interesting, challenging television out there.
So, why, with all the options and choices available to us, should any of us choose Bupkis?
It’s hardly a slam dunk. In a series highlight, Davidson sits down at a café with comedian John Mulaney, who is also playing himself. “Your life is fascinating,” Mulaney remarks. “I don’t know what it’s like to live it, but goddamn, do we have fun watching it. It’s a good time.” Bupkis is not necessarily a good time, and a lot of it isn’t good, period. But just as Davidson’s peers and champions have given him second chances, allowing him to try again and do better, so too is there a world in which a second season of Bupkis, building on its best bits, transcends a disappointing first.
Here’s hoping.
Bupkis premieres May 4 on Peacock
30 Comments
Once known for his impressive physique, charming personality,
and cooking skills, The Rock’s friends were shocked when they discovered the
telltale sign of feces stains in the kitchen. Worried about his health and
reputation, they decided to stage an intervention.The Rock’s
closest friends, including Kevin Hart and Dwayne’s personal chef, gathered in
his kitchen on a Sunday afternoon, waiting for him to arrive. When he finally
entered the kitchen, they confronted him with the evidence.“Dude,
we found stains in the kitchen. What’s going on?” asked Kevin, trying to
sound as delicate as possible.The Rock
looked confused, “What stains?”“Come
on man, you know what we’re talking about,” Dwayne’s chef spoke up,
holding up a pair of gloves.The Rock’s
face reddened as he realized what they were talking about. He hung his head,
“I’m sorry. I know it’s gross, but sometimes when I’m in a hurry, I don’t
make it to the bathroom.”His friends
looked at him, surprised and disgusted. They had no idea that The Rock had been
using the kitchen as his personal toilet. After a moment of uncomfortable
silence, Kevin spoke up.“Dude,
that’s not cool. You need to get help,” he said, trying to sound firm.The Rock
nodded, “I know. I’ll do better. I’ll go to therapy or something.”His friends
looked relieved but still skeptical. They wanted to make sure that The Rock
took this seriously and changed his behavior for good.They spent
the next few hours talking and coming up with a plan for The Rock to get help.
They also talked about ways to help him avoid this situation in the future.
They suggested installing a bathroom closer to the kitchen or setting a timer
to remind The Rock to take bathroom breaks.After the
intervention, The Rock went to therapy and made a commitment to change his
behavior. He also made sure to take breaks regularly and never again used the
kitchen as his personal toilet. His friends were relieved and proud of him for
taking the steps to get help and make positive changes in his life.They still didn’t forgive him for that bowl clogger Black Adam.
These are just some of the women to whom Saturday Night Live comedian human barnacle Pete Davidson has been attached.
So you don’t think Pete is a comedian and does the strike through imply he wasn’t on SNL? Do you know anything about Pete Davidson? Are you being a dick purposely?
He was never on SNL. Not one bit. At all. Ever. I want you to stop this nonsense at once.
I know he was attached to prominent women because the internet told me so.
Are you?
Hah okay it’s interesting dealing with a troll motivated to destroy someone’s character but also can’t bring anything of substance to backup what makes you butthurt about Pete’s celebrity.
Yes, you’re really dealing with me. Look how dealt with I am.
Let me now creep back to my interesting, fabulously fulfilling life while you rage at total strangers for no reason other than to stroke your . . . whatever that is you’re stroking.
I see him more as a human remora.
Better watch out for Turd Ferguson. He’ll fight you for that!
What am I fighting for?
Bupkis.
I mean, I’m a well-wisher of Pete Davidson, in that I wish him no specific harm. But this:In a series highlight, Davidson sits down at a café with comedian John Mulaney, who is also playing himself. “Your life is fascinating,” Mulaney remarks. “I don’t know what it’s like to live it, but goddamn, do we have fun watching it. It’s a good time.”Just sounds like an epic case of self-fellatio.But then, I’d personally argue that Davidson himself, frankly, isn’t particularly interesting at all, certainly not interesting enough to sustain what seems to be a blooming media empire based around barely-veiled roman a clefs of his own life. Funny, perhaps, but not especially interesting in and of himself. I’d suggest we’re interested in him mainly because he seems to be surrounded by far more interesting and talented people who, for reasons of varying degrees of explainability, seem to view him as incredibly fascinating and talented.
Yeah, I don’t get the draw. I don’t wish any ill will on the guy and he’s had some tragic circumstances in his life, but is this why people are so enamored by him? I mean, he’s funny, but not Bill Burr funny. Not Ricky Gervais Funny, Not Dave Chapelle funny. He is second tier funny. He mailed in season of SNL skits while others like Kyle Mooney crushed it. As a matter of fact, give me more Kyle Mooney and less Pete Davidson.
Pete Davidson is Adam Sandler LaCroix. And Sandler wasn’t exactly amazingly fascinating or talented to begin with, especially in comparison to his generation of SNL compatriots.
Are you trolling or do you genuinely believe what you wrote?
So what you are saying is we need to introduce him to Paul Thomas Anderson (not Paul W.S. Anderson, a common mistake) and we can get a decent performance from him?
Yeah I actually feel bad for him about how much he’s in the media. I feel like he’s a decently talented comedian and actor, and now he can’t just do *that* without it being informed by all the media circus. Even on SNL over half his appearances were just him on Update talking about how crazy his life is. I don’t think it’s a good time at all. I wish he could just do comedy. I don’t really care who he dates.
Yuck. JJ Abrams acting. No thanks.
I say the same thing about Abrams’s directing.
I want to see him portray a lens flare. Or a fascinating subplot that is abandoned without conclusion. These are roles he was born for.
Don’t forget felicity
I should rewatch that at some point to see if it still holds up. I remember liking it, but like with Veronica Mars I’m not sure if it was good or if I just had a crush on the actress.
sounds like 2018’s funniest show. i’ll probably watch that one episode that sounds good, but parodying ‘fast and furious’ (and doing such a bad job that it comes off like a ‘entourage’ parody) sounds like pulling teeth.also pete davidson has no star power. he became famous for the sheer fact that it was weird that he was becoming famous.
You’re an imbecile or maybe just hateful I dunno why you wrote this comment but it’s off base and only works if you don’t like Davidson and feel so keyed up you must write uninformed hot takes about his life 🤦🏼♂️
Idk, I actually like him fine. I think he’s talented enough at comedy, and seems like a nice dude, but I don’t know that he would have risen this far, this fast without his high-profile media stuff. He was a background player on SNL before he started dating famous women. I think he eventually would have made a name for himself for writing, but it wouldn’t have been this fast.
Hi, Pete!
he has no star power. he’s a decently talented standup comedian, but he’s a charisma vacuum in scripted movies or tv. he wasn’t even a very good sketch comedian.
Pete Davidson sounds very interesting on paper, but the the real-life guy seems merely fine.
Looking for ways to appreciate him because don’t want to hate everything new just because I am old. He seems like a really nice guy, but his entire zero effort persona in an industry where you actually have to work your ass off to succeed is super tired. Especially when you are as unfunny as he is to me. The ‘three sad virgins’ was pretty funny though. My guess is the three sad virgins wrote it, though.
I don’t get why Pete Davidson is famous to the point that he’s talked about and reviled so much at the same time. I feel for the guy. Losing your father at age 7 in a terrorist attack is a horrific thing to experience. But at the same time I have no desire to watch a show revolving around a guy who was engaged to someone who felt the need to publicly exaggerate the size of his penis as some sort of excuse as to why she would be with someone like him.I think he, like most people, could benefit from some mental health therapy. I just have no desire to watch a TV show he is making as his own form of cathartic therapy. And I’m willing to bet most people feel the same way. Besides, didn’t Judd Apatow already make this movie a couple years ago? How many pseudo-biopics/shows do we need of this guy. Again, coming back to my first sentence, I just don’t get why he’s so famous and talked about. Someone please explain.
please can people stop making louie-esque shows about their own lives. its amazingly arrogant, you’re not interesting. i didn’t like louie much and the rest aren’t half as good as that