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Madison Square Garden was sold-out and packed with screaming fans on Friday night, but it wasn’t for a Grammy-winning artist or New York sports team: It was a group of “intrepid heroes” who have taken over the world of Dungeons and Dragons.

Dimension 20, a group of D&d players who specialize in monster slaying and absurd improv on the streaming service Dropout, took Msg by storm for their first major live show, “Gauntlet at the Garden.” Led by their dungeon master Brennan Lee Mulligan, the Dimension 20 crew, made up of Zac Oyama, Emily Axford, Lou Wilson, Brian Murphy, Ally Beardsley and Siobhan Thompson, revisited their popular NYC-inspired Unsleeping City campaign. However, D20 fans were in for a treat as surprise crossover characters from other games popped into the show after being influenced by random dice rolls from the audience. Once considered a niche, nerdy hobby, Dungeons and Dragons has rocketed to mainstream popularity,...

The Unsleeping City will awaken Friday night with a live version of Dropout’s “Dimension 20” at Madison Square Garden. The Dungeons-and-Dragons-actual-play-esque show will feature game master Brennan Lee Mulligan and his cast of “intrepid heroes”: Ally Beardsley, Brian “Murph” Murphy, Emily Axford, Lou Wilson, Siobhan Thompson and Zac Oyama.

As the team preps for the sold-out event, dubbed “Gauntlet at the Garden,” Mulligan breaks down his game plan for their first live show of this scale and how he’s constructed a new storyline within the New York City-set “Unsleeping City” season of “Dimension 20” that will involve the audience.

What’s your prep plan for the show?

Be with my wife and kiddo. I’m going to open up my laptop, go over notes, get my little D&d Beyond campaign open, go over my encounters, make sure all my stat blocks are good.

There’s a running joke on multiple seasons of “Dimension 20,” the genre-mashup actual play series streaming on Dropout, where the cast references shooting in a freezing warehouse somewhere in Los Angeles during fraught or tired moments. But game master Brennan Lee Mulligan and the “Dimension 20” production team are now excitedly spending some time in a warehouse in New Jersey to prepare for “Gauntlet at the Garden,” a live show entry into their “The Unsleeping City” campaign at Madison Square Garden, which sold out in under an hour.

The proposition, and great pleasure, that actual plays offer is a dual immersion in storytelling where audiences thrill at the tale created by the cast and the tale-spinning improv dynamics of them as players at a table, working through dice-rolling rituals and reacting to failures and successes in real-time. But the number of people helping to make this new entry into...

We're still not over the end of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," and to be quite honest, we might never be. Every "Star Trek" fan loves "Lower Decks." Well, at least all of us here at /Film do -- I can't speak for any of the contrarian weirdos out there who hate fun or are somehow allergic to animation. Fans have become extremely attached to the cast, and their voices now rattle around in the dark recesses of our brains. Whenever I do a rewatch of "Craig of the Creek" (another show coming to an end too soon), I feel my heart break a little whenever Noël Wells' voice as Kelsey creeps into sounding like her "Lower Decks" character, Ensign D'Vana Tendi. I'm just not ready to admit that it's really over.

Fortunately, it's not like all of these beloved performers are being launched out of an airlock and forced to...

Back in my college days, I was a theatre performance major and became the first woman to serve as captain in the history of my underfunded state school's improv team (no one who reads /Film regularly is shocked), which meant I spent an excessive amount of time on YouTube consuming sketch clips and illegally uploaded episodes of "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" This fixation led me to the CollegeHumor channel and I became obsessed with a show called "Hello My Name Is." Each episode had Josh Ruben being transformed into a new character with prosthetics, wigs, and costumes, after which he would have to sit down for an improvised, in-character interview upon seeing the result. Nearly 15 years later, my college friends and I still quote a few of the episodes.

"Hello My Name Is." ended long ago, but "Very Important People" hosted by Vic Michaelis has continued to carry that...

Amanda Seyfried has found the ultimate work-life balance.

While the actress traded in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood years ago for New York City, even that proved to be too much still, leading her to eventually put down roots on a farm in Upstate New York. And now with a husband and two children, she wouldn’t change a thing.

“I moved upstate long before I had a family. Staying here was the best decision for privacy, peace and nature. It offers a more balanced life than the city does,” Seyfried recently told Forbes, adding that it is “essential for my mental health.”

While the Mama Mia star still loves her career and acting, she said having this “peaceful place to call home” allows her to better “acclimate to the faster lifestyle of the city, the high-energy of press events and life on-set.”

When she’s not working, Seyfried,...

Dropout is home to much more than Dimension 20 and other DnD actual play, and now the critically acclaimed series Very Important People returns for season 2, giving host Vic Michaelis (known for playing Mildred in Upload) a whole new roster of idiosyncratic creations to interview. Structured as a long-form interview show, Very Important People sees Vic (playing an exaggerated version of themself) discuss the life, origins, and goals of bizarre characters created through a mixture of improv comedians and stunning make-up work. Season 1 was a strange and surprisingly sweet collection of characters (who were never too far away from revealing a horrible secret).

Season 2 ups the ante, with some returning faces from across Dropout appearing as new characters. A number of new guests like John Early, Danielle Pinnock, Bobby Moynihan (Lego Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy), Nicole Byer, Chris Redd, and more are also poised to join the festivities. Ahead...

Dropout’s “Very Important People” has a very important list of guest stars for Season 2. That starts off with Anna Garcia (“Superstore”), who plays “Zeke Aaron McKinley,” fourth grader who was turned into a rock formation after making a wish. Also set to appear this season: Comedians including Nicole Byer, Chris Redd, Bobby Moynihan, John Early, Kate Berlant, Paul F. Tompkins, Echo Kellum, Lisa Gilroy and Danielle Pinnock.

The premise of the comedic talk show, which comes from the team formerly known as CollegeHumor and host Vic Michaelis, is simple. It starts out as a chat between Michaelis and their guest — who has to come up with the character they’re going to play during the interview in five minutes, following a blind makeover.

Garcia is one of several “VIP” Season 1 guests and fellow Dropout stars who have returned this time, along with the well-known stars like Byer, Moynihan and Tompkins.

Amanda Seyfried fully supports fans who suggest Sabrina Carpenter play her onscreen daughter in Mamma Mia 3.

The Emmy-winning actress spoke with ABC News’ Will Ganss, during which he asked her about a possible third film in the franchise. While she noted that “everybody says it’s gonna happen,” she hasn’t seen a script yet.

The reporter then brought up that Carpenter has been singing “Mamma Mia” at some of the stops on her Short ‘N Sweet tour, including at Madison Square Garden over the weekend, during the surprise cover part of her setlist.

“Because we know age is sort of a forgettable construct in the Mmcu, the Mamma Mia Cinematic Universe. So people are saying, could Sabrina play Sophie’s daughter?” Ganss told Seyfriend, to which she replied seemingly uncertainly, “It’s…eh…. It’s…. Technically she could.”

When he pointed out that Cher’s character and Meryl Streep...

Adam Conover returns to his CollegeHumor roots this week with new standup comedy special, “Adam Conover: Unmedicated,” which delves into the comedian’s history with Add and his subsequent Adderall addiction.

The show, which launched Wednesday, is streaming on Dropout (the indie platform owned by the rebranded CollegeHumor company) as part of its new “Dropout Presents” series of standup specials, which debuted earlier this year with Hank Green’s special in June.

Conover told Variety he’s been wanting to do this project for the past 15 years. After all that time, what made the “Adam Ruins Everything” star pick the niche streamer as the place to house his first standup special over a Netflix, Hulu, Max or Amazon — apart from the ties that bind him to Dropout CEO Sam Reich and the old CollegeHumor crew whom he began his career with?

First, the subject matter.

“A lot of people know me as an informational comedian,...

Stan Lee is arguably the most influential figure in the world of comics and related media. He began his long and storied career at Marvel Comics in 1939, when the company was still known as Timely Publications. Over the decades, Lee played a pivotal role in shaping the company, serving as a writer, editor, and publisher.

Lee’s involvement with Marvel continued until he officially stepped down from his executive position in the early 1990s. Even after leaving his day-to-day roles, he remained a cherished ambassador for Marvel until his passing in 2018. His remarkable association with Marvel spanned nearly 80 years.

Unfortunately, toward the end of his life, Stan Lee’s closest relatives and business associates reportedly exploited him, seeking to profit from his fame and legacy.

In April 2018, a troubling video emerged of the 95-year-old Lee struggling to sign autographs at the Silicon Valley Comic Con. Despite his evident struggle, he...

Dropout’s “Dimension 20” is known for its genre mash-ups. Its “Fantasy High” and “The Unsleeping City” seasons transpose the concerns and archetypes of high fantasy into a John Hughes-esque high school movie and the urban legend that is New York City. “Mentopolis” takes the tropes of a film noir and crams it inside a single mind, a la “Inside Out,” while “A Crown of Candy” forces a “Game of Thrones” world of magical realpolitik to wield the weapons of “Candyland” in order to slake its sugar/bloodlust.

So there’s something comforting — and deceptively simple — about the series’ latest season, “Never Stop Blowing Up.” In the main, it is an ode to the absurdity of action movies, from renegade cops and powerful mobsters to master assassins and omnipotent hackers to James Bond-esque agents and racing drivers who solve worldwide conspiracies with the power of… cars. The mash-up comes...

Two months ago, in May, rumors that the “Vultures” artist Kanye West would be hitting Russia for a gig in the autumn made rounds and was received with mixed feelings.

At first, it was rumored that the “College Dropout” artist’s visit would be in the summer so that he could attend Russian producer Yana Rudkovskaya’s birthday but, Yana shut down the rumor by announcing that Kanye’s visit will be in the autumn. “He will indeed come to Russia, but in the autumn, not in the summer. I am involved in this,” said Yana.

Well, it turns out that the rumors were true. Even though Kanye didn’t attend Yana’s birthday, he touched on Russian soil on Sunday, June 30. The moment Kanye arrived in Moscow, he took to “Vk” a Russian social media platform, and announced his arrival by writing “Hello Moscow” in Russian.

According to “The U.

The Bear is an ongoing dramedy series that focuses on a struggling restaurant and its crew of ragtag cooks.

Carmy Berzatto, a big-time fancy chef who returned to Chicago to take over his deceased brother's business, heads up The Bear, formerly The Beef.

The Bear appeared on FX and Hulu in 2022, with The Bear Season 3 available for streaming on Hulu as of June 27, 2024.

If you think some of the faces seem familiar, you're probably right.

Related: Why X-Men 97 is the Greatest Reboot of All Time

The Bear has a diverse cast of actors, some series regulars and others who only appear as surprise guests, showing up for a few short scenes.

Here are the cast of The Bear and where they've been in their careers before joining the award-winning FX family dramedy.

Family of The Bear

The Bear isn't just the name of the series and the newly revamped Chicago restaurant.

“Dungeons and Drag Queens” star Monét X Change has landed her own variety talk series at “Dimension 20” streamer Dropout.

Titled “Monét’s Slumber Party,” the show is described as an “edgy, playful and queer variety show” where “Monét X Change will welcome friends, comedians and other celebrities to an adult sleepover.”

“Combining honest conversation with a little mischief, ‘Monét’s Slumber Party’ will tackle taboo subjects like sex, dating and relationships with openness and humor,” per Dropout.

Think “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” because that’s the show entertainment company formerly known as CollegeHumor invoked in the variety series’ concept details: “The set comes to life with in-universe characters who transition us to new segments, do interstitial bits, commentate on what’s happening, and serve as general helpers and friends in Monét’s world.” The recurring characters part of this season include Priscilla Davies, Jonathan Kidder and Kevin McDonald.

Alongside the “Playhouse” element,...

Spoiler Alert for “Ratfish (Part 1)”: Coming out in 2019 after the success of unscripted content for Dropout, Game Changer was an instant hit on the platform. Now, six seasons later, host Sam Reich is still working to bring “consistently original” ideas to the show with no signs of stopping. “Every season, I feel like I fly a little closer to the sun,” says Reich. “And every season, the response I get from the audience is like, ‘This was the best yet,’ which is a very dangerous thing to tell me as I push it more and more, further and further.”

Hosted by Reich, Dropout’s Game Changer is a game show where the premise changes every episode and the contestants must learn the rules as they play. Among the assortment of games, season 6 has seen contestants search for buzzers in a simple trivia game-turned-scavenger hunt for “Beat the Buzzer”, trapped...

The actor who plays Jayme Hargreeves on the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy is recognizable not just for her other movie and TV roles but also for some aspects of her personal life. The series depicts the titular team of superheroes, who were all adopted as children by Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore). Jayme Hargreeves is a new character introduced in The Umbrella Academy season 3 as a member of a different incarnation of the Hargreeves family of superheroes from a different timeline.

Based on the Dark Horse comics of the same name, The Umbrella Academy made its debut on Netflix in February 2019. As the series has progressed, time-jumping antics have increased the scope of the show, and with this expansion have come more characters added to the story. New heroes, villains, and allies to the members of the Umbrella Academy are introduced across various instances in time, and season 3 saw...

Fox is continuing its run in animated comedy.

Variety has learned that the broadcaster is developing an animated series titled “Saloon” that hails from Elliott Kalan and Jenny Jaffe. it is set in the frontier outpost of Timmy’s Town. Kevin (a woman) runs the local saloon, McClanahan’s, where she functions as the townspeople’s unofficial leader/therapist/protector. At the other side of Timmy’s Town is do-gooder Sheriff Stacey Leslie (a man) whose only mission is to close Kevin’s “sinful” bar and run her out of town for good.

Kalan and Jaffe will both write and executive produce, with Gail Berman also executive producing via SideCar. Fox Entertainment and SideCar will produce.

Should the project go to series, it would be one of several animated shows currently on Fox. The network currently has cornerstones “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” and “Bob’s Burgers.” Freshman animated show “Bless the Harts...

Amazon has given out a pilot order to the comedy “Half-Empty.”

The series was co-written by Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani, with David also set to star in the series. it follows a sardonic college student whose overactive imagination leads to catastrophic thinking and an endless chain of social disasters.

David and Kalani will also executive produce. Sarah Heyward will executive produce and serve as showrunner. Augustine Frizzell will direct and executive produce the pilot. Frizzell most recently directed the pilot for “Euphoria” at HBO. She is also attached to direct the feature “Stoned Alone” at Fox with Ryan Reynolds producing. Annapurna TV’s Sue Naegle and Ali Krug will produce “Half-Empty.” Annapurna and Endeavor Content will produce.

“It’s been a delightful collaboration,” said David. “Although I have nothing to base that on, having never collaborated.”

This marks the first formal TV project for both David, the daughter of Larry David,...

Hey, Bold And The Beautiful fans. We are right back at you again on this lovely Saturday afternoon to give you guys another super hot scoop! It turns out that we're about to get some new, fresh female action joining the show in the not-too-distant future! According to the folks over at TV Line, we're about to see a very beautiful veteran actress Katrina Bowden join the current Bold And The Beautiful cast as a long term, series regular character named Flo. Flo's character is described as someone who has a past connection with Wayne Brady's Dr. Reese Buckingham character. So, it certainly sounds like it could serve up a pretty intriguing plotline. Katrina Bowden's new Flo character is scheduled to make her first onscreen appearance in the Monday January 14, 2019 episode. So, be sure to be on the lookout for her in that episode. The people over at soaphub.

Marvel Television seems intent on giving us more shows based on their characters by companies not named Netflix. While in my view this is obviously a terrible idea, I'm just a guy living paycheck-to-paycheck who gets really excited for twice-a-month trips to Chipotle. The head honchos over at Marvel TV, though, have a New Warriors show to cast.

If you're unfamiliar with the New Warriors, keep your chin up. They debuted in the pages of Thor in 1989, had their own book for parts of the 90s, and then were subsequently completely killed off in 2006 in the opening chapter of Civil War. Of course, this being a comic book company, a new New Warriors later formed, but the show seems to be based off the original team. Sadly, we won't get to see them offed in Civil War since, you know, that movie already happened (and Kevin Feige's having nothing...

The biggest reveal at the Star Wars Celebration panel for The Last Jedi was, naturally, the new trailer. But director Rian Johnson also introduced a character who has what he said was the “the biggest new part in the movie.” Her name is Rose and she’s played by Kelly Marie Tran, who took the stage. Rose, the two explained, is a maintenance worker in the Resistance. According to Johnson, her storyline will align with that of Finn (John Boyega). “She’s not a soldier, she‘s not looking to be a hero,” he said. “And she gets pulled in a very big way into an adventure in this movie with Finn.“

Tran has a background in comedy, having appeared in CollegeHumor Originals and even an episode of Comedy Bang! Bang! During the event today, she explained that she told her family she was making an indie movie in Canada...

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesAziz Ansari, “Master of None” Twitter: @azizansari Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina Representation: William Morris EndeavorHe’s been rocking standup stages for years, but no one knew what to expect of Ansari’s solo dive into television. We knew he could act funny thanks to his work on “Parks and Recreation,” and we knew he could write funny considering his comedy specials, his book “Modern Romance,” and his numerous New York Times op-eds. But if you boil it all down, does it work for a series? Apparently it does, and we have 10 episodes of the whip-smart “Master of None” to prove it. Ansari is nominated three times—for lead actor in a comedy, writing, and directing—making him a first-time nominee three times over! Thomas Middleditch, “Silicon Valley” Twitter: @middleditch Hometown: Nelson, british columbia Representation: William Morris EndeavorWhile he already had a voiceover career going,...

Ben Schwartz is prolific. Best known for his work as an actor, in projects such as House Of Lies, BoJack Horseman, Parks And Recreation, and Turbo, he is also a writer (Robot Chicken, The Oscars), a producer (Funny Or Die Presents…, Bronx World Travellers), and director (CollegeHumor Originals). He is also the proud owner of a Primetime Emmy Award for writing music and lyrics for the 81st Annual Academy Awards. But now, he has really hit the big time, because he’s about to star in Blue Iguana with Sam Rockwell.

Soon to be written, directed and produced by Hadi Hajaig (Cleanskin), Blue Iguana is characterized as a dark comedy thriller that’s also a love story. Plot details remain scarce, but the synopsis, as outlined on IMDb, gives some indication of what to expect.

“He’s a low level criminal with no future and just out of prison. She’s a low level lawyer never noticed by others – a lost soul without a life. Their anger and hostility makes them serious criminals. Love happens in the strangest of places.”

Blue Iguana happens in London shortly, and has Sam Rockwell locked in for the lead role – the “low level criminal with no future.” The nature of the role now associated with Ben Schwartz is not currently known, but it is probably a safe bet that he will be playing something akin to “Best Friend No 1.”

If his friendship is with Sam Rockwell, this promises some excellent comedy, as the respective style of the two actors certainly would seem to complement each other – Rockwell with his laid back, mildly irritated delivery, and Ben Schwartz with his trademark self-assured swagger.

The big question is, who will play the “low level lawyer never noticed by others?” This is the key role at this point, as the actress concerned will need to go toe-to-toe with the comedic skill of both Rockwell and Schwartz. My first choice would be Kathryn Hahn – simply because she would be able to play anger and hostility opposite Sam Rockwell with hilarious conviction. Alternatively, I think it’s about time Charlyne Yi got a shot at a lead role. Her measured delivery and deadpan comedy style would serve this role, and this cast, well. Whichever actress lands the part, we should hear the announcement soon, as cameras are set to roll on Blue Iguana in July.

Jermaine Fowler is set to star and co-executive produce the Superior Donuts TV series pilot at CBS. Written and executive produced by The Odd Couple's Bob Daily and the cancelled Community's Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan, the comedy is based on the Tracy Letts play of the same name. James Burrows will direct the multi-cam project.

Fowler has been cast as Franco, a donut shop employee. You may recognize this actor, producer, and writer from Friends of the People and CollegeHumor Originals.

Read More…...

John Gemberling (Broad City), Jessy Hodges (Hindsight), Milana Vayntrub (CollegeHumor Originals) and Justin Chon (Sin City Saints) are set to co-star opposite Echo Kellum in Comedy Central pilot Overanalyzers. Bryan Poyser has been tapped to direct. Created by Brian Schacter, Overanalyzers follows the misadventures of a diverse group of friends (Gemberling, Kellum, Hodges, Vayntrub and Chon) in their mid-twenties as they navigate the fast-moving technological and cultural…...

TruTV seems to like pulling TV show ideas from popular web series. The cable channel has just ordered a pilot for Adam Ruins Everything (working title) from production studio Big Breakfast.

The new show stars comedian Adam Conover, who takes an honest yet comical look at topics most people take for granted. Backing his reporting with science and historical facts, the host will seek to reveal the truth about common misconceptions while he also entertains and informs audiences. A release for the show calls Conover “like that friend who knows a little bit too much about everything and is going to tell you about it whether you like it or not.”

TruTV’s Adam Ruins Everything was inspired by the titular web series initially created by Big Breakfast for CollegeHumor Originals. The first episode, “Why Engagement Rings Are a Scam,” has garnered over 5.6 million views on YouTube. Overall, the entire...

Is it even possible to get crazier than CollegeHumor’s YouTube channel? Apparently, the company thinks so, as it just announced the launch of its weirder new channel, CH2. Aimed at creating experimental sketches, CH2 will do everything CollegeHumor’s main channel does but with a more alternative flair. According to a release, part of CollegeHumor’s reason for launching CH2 is to encourage the development of and give a home to “quirky passion projects” from both familiar and new names in comedy. This angle is already reflected in some of the first videos to be uploaded, like Elaine Carroll’s “Big Boned Cheerleaders” about the intimate connection between those sturdier cheerleaders who always end up as the base of the pyramid formations. "Some of the most popular series and characters throughout CollegeHumor's history have originated from taking risks and trying new things," says Sam Reich, founder of CollegeHumor and President of Big Breakfast,...

Jere Burns (Justified) in in final negotiations and Andrée Vermeulen (CollegeHumor Originals) is set to co-star opposite Rashida Jones in TBS‘ single-camera comedy pilot Tribeca, directed by Steve Carell. Co-written by Carell and his wife, Nancy Carell, Tribeca is a satirical look at a police procedural anchored by Angie Tribeca (Jones), an outspoken 10-year veteran of the Lapd’s elite Rhcu (Really Heinous Crimes Unit). The project explores an eccentric but brilliant group of people who investigate crime, reveal way too much personal information, and refuse to rest until justice has been served…sort of.Burns plays Chet Atkins, a no-nonsense Police Lieutenant and Tribeca’s boss. Vermeulen, repped by ICM Partners, Seven Summits and Ginsburg Daniels, plays Dr. Monica Scholls, the bespectacled, brainy and quirky medical examiner. Burns, repped by Innovative Artists and Trademark Talent, will continue his regular role as Wynn Duffy on Justified for the FX’s drama upcoming final season.

Multimedia studio Electus is teaming with fellow Iac property CollegeHumor Media to form Electus Digital. Drew Buckley, Electus’ COO, will oversee the new division, which will encompass website properties CollegeHumor.com, Dorkly.com and WatchLOUD.com; YouTube channels WatchLOUD, Nuevon and Hungry; and production companies dumbdumb and Big Breakfast. The latter is a newly formed full-service production company from CollegeHumor Originals. It will focus on the development of feature-length films, TV programming and new-media projects for Electus Digital and CollegeHumor.com, and it will create original content including via a development deal with TBS that is bringing the CollegeHumor series Jake And Amir to TV. It will be run by CollegeHumor president of original content Sam Reich. “This configuration represents a combination of the best of creative execution and distribution on the digital landscape,” Buckley said today in a release announcing Electus Digital’s formation. “As one team, we are...

Josephson Entertainment, Madrose Productions, and Straight Up Films announced today that digital entertainment curator FilmBuff will release the hilarious and irreverent romantic comedy Someone Marry Barry in theaters and on VOD on February 13, 2014.

Written, directed and produced by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rob Pearlstein (“Our Time Is Up”) the film stars Tyler Labine (Tucker and Dale vs Evil), Damon Wayans Jr. (The Other Guys, “Happy Endings”), Lucy Punch (Bad Teacher), Hayes MacArthur (Bachelorette, She’s Out of My League), Thomas Middleditch (The Campaign, “CollegeHumor Originals”), Lauren Miller (For a Good Time, Call…) and Joe LoTruglio (Superbad).

Someone Marry Barry is a raucous comedy following three childhood friends who plot to get rid of their socially inappropriate friend Barry (Labine) by finding him a wife. But when Barry finally meets a woman, she turns out to be even worse than he is, and now the guys have to deal with not one but two “Barrys.