Podlandia: A-O Rewatch with Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein

Fred and Carrie are getting closer to locking in their podcast uniforms, just in time for a rewatch of “Cops Redesign”! The Portlandia creators reminisce about Lorne Michaels’ positive influence, appreciate filming in Portland, and reflect on the incredible access they had. They kick things off with the inspiration behind “Dream of the 1890s.” The Mayor (Kyle MacLachlan) returns in the main sketch, and St. Vincent pops up in the cop-uniform fashion show. They also revisit the show’s first animated sketch, featuring three rats, and discuss how “Michelle and Brendan” is a send-up of their own music snobbery, complete with a cameo from Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock. “Do You Know?” and “Bad Art, Good Walls” offer more classic Portlandia absurdity. The episode wraps with Fred and Carrie cruising around in an actual cop car, leaving us with one big question: how on earth did they get away with that?
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Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen look back at the Season 2's “Grover.” They begin by reflecting on character inspiration drawn not only from the caverns of their souls but also from friends and people they know. Grover’s “aspirational” parents were modeled after real people in their lives, whose picture was even hanging on the writers’ room wall as they crafted the sketches. They revisit 'Everyone's a DJ', a timeless one since it seems like everyone today really is a DJ. Breaking down Kath and Dave, Carrie explains that her “pone” added to Kath’s rage. Speaking of best friends, Carrie’s dogs, Toby and Cricket, also make an appearance. Fred remembers how they were always around in the writers’ room, on set, and in the Airstream dressing room. Music has always been a huge part of Portlandia, and the DMV hold music bit provided the perfect excuse to make some more. They round out the pod, with Fred sharing the secret to Voodoo Doughnut's success, stories about the Gutterpunks sketch and reflecting on scavenger hunts and the “I’m just a little guy” character, a modern day “short king”.
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Season 2 of Portlandia is when everyone was in the pocket, and “Cool Wedding” is a perfect example. Carrie and Fred explore Iris and Spike’s quest for a nonconformist wedding and rejection of tradition. Meanwhile, in real life, Carrie and Fred were building a tradition of their own by checking in with each other before the writers’ room (AKA Blue Sky). Along the way, they discuss how goats made it into the episode, stop sign etiquette, forgotten cars that became the butt of jokes, grocery bag guilt, why hippies could never be punk rock, and the Netflix DVD sketch.
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Fred and Carrie agree this is one of their favorite episodes and a great place to start if you’ve never watched Portlandia. They revisit the Allergy Pride Parade, introduce Doug and Claire and discuss the art (and agony) of binge watching Battlestar Galactica. They also reminisce about the Artisan Knot Shop, Jeff Goldblum’s genius, gentrification, the S&M bonfire, and how some truly bad tattoos got Eddie Vedder on the show.
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It's the beginning of season two and the source of the podcast's title! Fred and Carrie discuss "A-O, River!", Danger Aaron, restaurant frustrations, and more. A-O Rewatch!
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