A Look Back at Joe Schmo 3

Chase Rogan - Season 3's "Schmo"

Last night Joe Schmo Show's third season wrapped up.  I thought it was very good television but I felt it could have been even better.  Here are my gripes:

-The Joe Schmo Show is a mean spirited show.  There is no way around it.  That's a large part of why I watch it.  They are making one of these fame seekers go through the ringer of a fake reality show trying to make them look as ridiculous as possible.  I don't know if we've gotten more sensitive as a society in the 8+ years between Seasons 2 and 3 but it almost got nauseating how over the top in their praise of Chase got just to make what they were doing seem less cruel.  To be honest, this was by far the cruelest season of the three.  The first season was a contest for money.  The second season was a fake dating show.  This season they took a guy looking to get out of his current job for an exciting life as a bounty hunter. This show just wasn't going to change his life monetarily, he thought it was a chance to change his day to day life even after the show was over.  That's messed up if you think about it.  I just wished they called a spade a spade here and comment on how ridiculous Chase looked and how incredible it was that he bought all that stuff they threw at him.  Instead we were peppered episode after episode how smart he was and how great of a competitor he was.  Sure, casting probably did underestimate Chase's athleticism but the guy thought winning a two week reality competition was getting him a job as a bounty hunter. 

-"Allen - The Buddy": This role should have been the most important one on the show.  If you've seen the first season you know that the job Brian Keith Etheridge did committing to being Matthew Kennedy Gould's friend and confidant is what made the final reveal of that season both heartbreaking, funny and awesome.  "Allen" was supposed to be this guy but their relationship never amounted to more than the two more level headed members of their alliance.

- "Karlee - The Deaf Girl": I know they were spoofing on Marlee Matlin's turn on Celebrity Apprentice but personally thought the whole character was in bad taste.  Don't get me wrong, there was some good comedy mined from her character (more so from her interpreter) but Jo Newman was easily the least impressive cast member.  She had the hardest job on the show but she was a constant threat to blow the whole thing up.

Some of the things I did like:

-Lorenzo Lamas: I was surprisingly upset when he was "voted" off first and happy he was added back to the game later.  He really sold everything the writers set up for him and was the biggest source of comedy from the actors in the house.

-Spirit Animals: No part of the show made Chase look as ridiculous as he did as when he was looking deep into his llama's soul. 

I'd probably place it as the second best of the three.  Season 1 was a masterpiece and more than any of the Schmos who followed, Matthew Kennedy Gould will always the first person you think about when it comes to this series.  Time has already forgotten the Schmos from Season 2 and think in a few years time will forget Chase Rogan as well.