There’s nothing particularly interesting about the building blocks of The Bitter End. It’s an online sitcom that follows the lives of a few urban twentysomethings as they deal with the identity crises, professional stagnation, awkward cohabitation, and sexual frustration endemic to life as an urban twentysomething. But The Bitter End is a perfect example of execution trumping concept. It’s a really funny show.
The series begins as Bernard (Daniel Beirne), a nebbishy aspiring novelist, welcomes his fresh-from-rehab older brother, Les (Brent Skagford) into his apartment for what we sense will be an extended stay. Bernard takes a liking to Eden (Vanessa Matsui), a coffee shop employee and working actress whose greatest achievement is a tampon ad in which she proclaims “Because it’s my life!” Bernard wants to be part of that life and it becomes clear in the first episode that his brother is going to make a habit of unintentionally hindering that quest.
The Bitter End is reminiscent of pre-DeVito Always Sunny, featuring an accidental ecstasy trip and a misguided effort to flirt with the gay teacher in an attempt to pass night school. Seinfeld-grade intersecting plot lines result in hilarious, if sometimes painful to watch, moments that separate The Bitter End from the slew of one-dimensional comedy series on the web.
It’s not all chuckles and cringes, though. The Bitter End generates just as many audible ‘aww’s as it does ‘haha’s. Bernard is nothing if not earnest and his courtship of Eden is sweet. And each time he takes a leap and falls on his face, we root him on until he gets up and does it all over again.
Written and produced by Beirne, Skagford, and Etan Muskat (who also directs), The Bitter End got its start as a weekly improv show at Montreal’s Theatre Ste. Catherine. The improv backgrounds of the series’ writers and lead actors is apparent. Even at its zaniest, the show maintains a natural vibe. Due to their tight shooting schedule, though, the dialogue is mostly scripted, one exception being a poem Bernard recites in episode two. The supporting characters are all well cast and expertly played, particularly Eden’s ex, Victor (Graham Cuthbertson) and Les’ barely-legal love interest, Ashley (Erin Agostino), whose chemistry with Skagford is hilarious magic.
