John Wilson never ceases to surprise and, at least in this episode, also to move.
By this point when we sit to watch another "How To" episode, we already know that the title is only a rough starting point and that it's going to be about something completely different and yet implicitly relevant. A formula so broad and associative that perhaps never gets old. And yet here Wilson somehow gets more personal and, in a sense, brings us closer to the creative process and his own dealing with it. After all, he has single-handedly created his own style that looks like nothing else on TV. Apparently, it has won him some recognition - his very own show on HBO - but only limited, in a way that reflects back to his own insecurities and predicament in life. It's a very humane perspective that is hard to appreciate until you see and hear him talking about it. But as always, this is where the story meets other people. Real people. Complete strangers, usually, whom he meets in serendipitous ways, and usually give something of themselves, share a moment of their lives, often with humility, and hopefully enjoy being treated with the same humaneness that shines through this entire series - a unique creation that goes much beyond the humble goals it sets for itself with these "how to" questions.
By this point when we sit to watch another "How To" episode, we already know that the title is only a rough starting point and that it's going to be about something completely different and yet implicitly relevant. A formula so broad and associative that perhaps never gets old. And yet here Wilson somehow gets more personal and, in a sense, brings us closer to the creative process and his own dealing with it. After all, he has single-handedly created his own style that looks like nothing else on TV. Apparently, it has won him some recognition - his very own show on HBO - but only limited, in a way that reflects back to his own insecurities and predicament in life. It's a very humane perspective that is hard to appreciate until you see and hear him talking about it. But as always, this is where the story meets other people. Real people. Complete strangers, usually, whom he meets in serendipitous ways, and usually give something of themselves, share a moment of their lives, often with humility, and hopefully enjoy being treated with the same humaneness that shines through this entire series - a unique creation that goes much beyond the humble goals it sets for itself with these "how to" questions.
