‘The Other Two’: Why Chase Dubek Is Not a ‘Little S—Head,’ According to Creators
The Other Two, which follows the siblings of a teenage singer, is kind in its portrayal of the young star. The HBO show presents a sweet, excited kid rather than taking the more expected route of portraying a teenager warped by fame. The show’s creators, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, explained this character choice.
In ‘The Other Two,’ Chase isn’t a demanding celebrity
After posting a music video for the song “Marry U At Recess,” Chase Dubek (Case Walker) experiences a meteoric rise to fame. He’s surrounded by adults attempting to further his career as well as their own.
In many programs, an easier character decision may be to present a stereotypical ungrateful child star. The show could have used Chase’s newfound entitlement for laughs, or to build sympathy for his struggling older siblings (Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver).
Instead, Chase is innocent and sweet. He’s the type of younger brother who will climb into bed with his older siblings after a long day. He released a single dedicated to his older brother, Cary (Tarver). After learning — falsely — that his father died of cancer, he surprises everyone by announcing that he would donate a portion of his album sales to the American Cancer Society.
The show’s creators had a specific reason for keeping his character grounded
Kelly and Schneider, former head writers of SNL, explained their reasoning for Chase’s characterization. “We wanted him not to be a little s—head. We thought that would have been the easier or more expected route, but we like that he was a sweet kid who still loves his older siblings,” Kelly told Vulture.
The show, which both celebrates and slams pop culture, uses Chase’s innocence to show the negative impacts of fame. Chase is dragged along by the whims of adults looking to use him for their own gain. This portrayal is more stinging when the star is sweet and naive.
“We liked more that he was an innocent and then the industry descends on him and all these older men and women kind of take him and mold him and change him and make decisions for him, and as the season goes on you kind of realize he’s a sweet little prisoner,” said Kelly.
“If the kid is unlikable, it’s easier to dismiss him and for them to be like, ‘F— that kid, we don’t have to interact with him. Bye forever.’ We like that it forces them to stay in his world,” Schneider added.
How to watch ‘The Other Two’
Though the first season aired on Comedy Central, The Other Two is returning for a second season on HBO. Audiences can continue to watch Chase and the rest of the Dubeks as they attempt to navigate or achieve fame.
The first two episodes of season 2 will air on Aug. 26 on HBO.
