Superhero fatigue is real. We get it. Another costumed crusader, another CGI-heavy smackdown, another origin story dredged up from the comic book primordial ooze. But what about the folks toiling away behind the scenes of these behemoths? The caterers wrangling diva demands? The grips battling existential dread amidst green screen purgatory? HBO’s The Franchise has carved out a surprisingly sharp comedic niche exploring this very unglamorous side of the cape-and-cowl industrial complex.
In “Scene 117: The Death of Eye,” the fictional The Franchise production (within the actual HBO series, keep up) seems to be imploding faster than a poorly rendered villain lair. Anita’s digging unearths some dirt on Tecto, the studio presumably footing the bill for all this mayhem. Dan, ever the pragmatist, scrambles for a solution, while Dag finds himself in a pickle with some particularly persistent Armenian authorities. Meanwhile, Peter’s last day of shooting, already likely fraught with a potent cocktail of nostalgia and relief, gets hijacked by an on-set incident. Knowing this show, it’s probably something involving a malfunctioning prop, a rogue craft services bagel, or maybe just the crushing weight of creative compromise.
The premise of The Franchise could have easily devolved into a one-joke pony, a simple parody of Hollywood excess. But the show’s strength lies in its surprisingly well-drawn characters and the quietly desperate humor it mines from the daily grind of filmmaking. These aren’t just broad caricatures; they’re recognizable, flawed individuals trying to navigate a system built on ego, insecurity, and the relentless pursuit of intellectual property exploitation.
The Franchise airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO.
