Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
In 2011, IFC embraced the dream of the ‘90s and made television substantially quirkier with the premiere of Portlandia. Created by SNL veteran Fred Armisen and critically praised musician Carrie Brownstein, this bizarre comedy about the oddities of Portland has exemplified, perhaps more than any other series, the evolution of television and pop culture from mainstream to niche. However, like all good things, the dream of the ‘90s must eventually come to an end.
During the 2017 Television Critics Association tour, IFC announced that Portlandia would be coming to an end after its eighth season. Throughout its time on the air, the confidently weird sketch show has delivered some of the funniest bits of comedy in recent years, from the benefits of decorating things with birds and living in microhouses to the two least successful feminist bookstore owners in history. Decider had the chance to sit down with one of the creators and stars of the Emmy and Peabody-winning series, Carrie Brownstein.
Shortly before sitting down for this interview, Brownstein was on stage before a panel of critics. It was there that she announced with her co-creator and the series’ director Jonathan Krisel (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Baskets, Man Seeking Woman) that Portlandia would be ending after Season 8. “I think it’s best with anything to get out when you still have something to say and leave people wanting,” Brownstein explained to Decider. “I think I’ve always been admiring of people who kind of know restraint. That’s not the worst trait, you know?”
According to the creator and star, though she’s not exactly sure what the last season will be, Season 7 will see a return to older Portlandia episodes instead of the longer arcs Season 6 played with. “So Season 7 I think was a return in some ways to Seasons 1, 2, and 4 where we have a wrap around — or a through line — that’s three parts, and in between that through line is our individual sketches,” she said. “I think that’s where we wanted to go in terms of the satire.”
This season also marks Brownstein’s directorial debut for the series. Brownstein directed two episodes, one of which focuses on a fictional version of Fred and Carrie learning how to tell a good story. “I really loved it,” she said. “I directed a short film, and early into the process it seemed like a natural extension of how I think as a writer and producer. In some ways it was a nice confluence of my skill set, in the way that I’m sort of able to see the big and small picture simultaneously.”
The experience also allowed Brownstein to direct her co-star. ”It was certainly a privilege to get to direct Fred, who I am usually inside of a scene with, and even though I am aware of his brilliance, his kinetic nature, and how wonderful he is with the tangent, I don’t have much objectivity,” she said. “I was actually able to direct him but also just kind of marvel at how brilliant he is.”
“The Storytellers” is an episode that showcases the perspective but offbeat brand of comedy Portlandia has perfected over the years. “Even with storytelling, there are people who are really good at it, and they sort of elevate the room. Everyone sort of feels warmed by this spotlight of really in-depth storytelling. The opposite of that is what Fred and Carrie end of pulling out, which is sort of garish, where every spotlight feels like it’s just an intrusion, you know you want to shut your eyes. We took it, obviously, to a really big level, and I think that happens sometimes when people are inept at reading a room or knowing social cues or context,” she explained. “I think in terms of what I’m interested in writing, it is in the minutiae, it is in the things people talk about and in the way of awkward pauses are uncomfortable.”
There is a prophetic air to Portlandia. On several occasions, the series has made fun of the hipsterfication of the world and ridiculous fads long before these topics were mainstream news. But the series was also one of the first to capture the all-consuming nature of binge-watching in the sketch “Battlestar Galactica.” When asked, Brownstein said she believed most viewers have found her series through streaming services like Netflix. “Everyone is grateful for the networks that put on their shows but very aware that streaming is how many people consume TV based on their schedules or just tastes, or even just being late to the game discovering something,” she said.
“What I love about Netflix or streaming is that shows have this longer shelf life,” Brownstein said. “People discover the best shows, the best art, the best music, the best books enter someone’s life when they need them. It suddenly helps bring something to light or explain a phenomena or get you through a hard time. So, what I love is that there’s people now that are just watching the first or second season [of Portlandia], and they’re watching it because they need to laugh or someone forwarded them a video off YouTube because they had heard they had went through a similar situation … it’s sort of like a gift you can keep giving. Netflix for sure is how people see our show.”
It shouldn’t be surprising that the creator of a series as culturally in-the-know as Portlandia is up to date on her television. When asked what she’s been watching lately, Brownstein said she recently finished watching the original Gilmore Girls and that she’s been watching The Night Of, Stranger Things, and Atlanta. When asked about Atlanta, she pointed to “B.A.N.” as a personal favorite. “It has a realism in it, but still operates in a world of aspiration and fantasy. It kind of combines all the great things about television. Great storytelling, great characters and music,” she said. “The last thing I binge-watched was The Man in the High Castle. Everyone kept telling me it was a very timely show, but it actually made me stressed. I can’t watch a show about Nazis and not feel terrible.”
Brownstein, who is perhaps best known for her revolutionary work with the feminist rock group Sleater-Kinney, also praised Crazy Ex-Girlfriend for its use of music. “[Crazy Ex-Girlfriend] incorporates music into every single episode. That to me is kind of my favorite version of music and television right now,” she said. “I just think Rachel Bloom is such a genius, and I just drive great pleasure from that show. I think it’s funny, I think it has sincerity. I don’t always love sincerity as a tool or medium but there’s just enough in there. So yeah, that’s kind of my favorite music moment because I just want people to see that show.”
When asked if Portlandia would ever do a full musical episode for Season 8, Brownstein said she wasn’t certain, but she was excited for the possibilities the series’ conclusion would give her. “What I think is exciting about putting in punctuation on the end of this long story is that I feel like you can be experimental. Even though Portlandia, I think, has infused itself with experimentation the whole time, it makes me excited about the potential of really taking chances in the last season,” she said.
However, the creator, writer, director, and actress does have one idea for Season 8. “Now it feels like too apropos, but last year I kept thinking about the dream of the ’90s and how, when we started that there was this notion of this sort of utopia, and the final season would just be after the fall,” she said, laughing. “Obviously now it just feel like the nightly news, but I don’t know if we could do that.”
