No Skips
No I'm not talking about [insert your favorite album here] but let's have that conversation later.
TV Intros are having a MOMENT. Yes this is exclusively about The Perfect Couple on Netflix and thank you for asking, this is not breaking news as the series arrived on service1 three weeks ago.
Adapted from the novel of the same name but books aren’t important information because this series is about everything except words/dialogue, this limited series stars the prettiest and whitest people doing the breeziest things because money. Familiar. But after a cliffhanger first episode in which (spoiler, but you’re not going to watch this show if you haven’t by now) Emmy nominee-but-should-be-winner Meghann Fahy’s character is found dead, the opening of episode two is a doozy.
After a mere one minute and eleven seconds of turmoil, from the Netflix logo to flashbacks to the main character fighting on a beach with her now-dead best friend and, panting through a flop sweat repeating “It’s all my fault”, we MIRACULOUSLY CUT TO:
Tonal blunt force trauma!!!
More minor spoiler alerts for The Perfect Couple (seriously, imagine watching this a month late, Mama you missed you chance): in this dance sequence to TJ Maxx soundtrackista Meghan Trainor’s latest single “Criminals”, every actor and extra from the show are… in character? In a scene from a wedding rehearsal dinner that goes awry because… the main of honor gets murdered. What in the alternate reality?! Marvel should take notes on how to execute a “multiverse” that keeps me engaged. I also wonder how to do a slide dance move on sand in formalwear.
Despite all of these confusing attributes, this is the most engaging show intro I have seen all year(s). I did some mental gymnastics to try to figure out why, and maybe it’s because no TV show actually involves their cast in shooting new footage, no matter how silly? Not to disparage artful intros because graphic design is also fun (see below) but when you’ve got Ray Donovan on a beach, you must make him dance. It harkens back to the era where the show cast would actually participate in filming something new for the show intro (think, 90s), but it doesn’t go quite back as far as the sitcom days where the intro would explain the entire premise of the show (think 60s/70s); The Perfect Couple cast dancing explains nothing. The Brady Bunch inspired so much but it did not inspire this. Sad.
The SKIP INTRO button on all modern streaming services usually is a good thing2. We’ve moved past the days of catching up on Friends via DVD box sets and hearing the same song being there for us 236 times. But in a world where no series ever ever ever will be 236 episodes ever again, is it unhinged to selectively not click the SKIP INTRO button on certain shows? When made with care and FUN, the show intro (fka “theme song”) is ART, a signal that brings me into the full comfort of the show I’m watching, and/or the buzzer that means I’m probably finished with the meal I made to “sit down and watch TV with”.
Across only 6 episodes, I never skipped the intro to The Perfect Couple, and each time my eyes darted to different characters. I did further research after each episode, finding funny screenshots, learning that the cast didn’t want to do it, learning that the director asked them to learn it over Christmas (lol), not learning why Nicole Kidman never has a higher wig budget.
Because I would never send a bad television recommendation your way, here are some recent TV shows that had me throwing the remote across the room as to not accidentally press something that would skip their intro:
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) [catchy]
This earworm has only embedded in me more over the now-four-seasons of this cozy comedy. With art that subtly changes across the series depending on the plot, I can “sing along” (no lyrics but that doesn’t stop me) regardless of my talent (OF WHICH I HAVE LOTS!). This sucks me into a murder-mystery comedy extremely successfully. And of course, the setting and color palette scream:
Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix) [funny]
Happy almost Halloween. A recent YA show that I greatly enjoyed, this show intro begins with creepy shit (for example: skeletons)— but wait! The skeletons start to dance and be generally Silly Billies and I just had a giggle each time. PS this show was just sadly canceled but watching this intro again on YouTube made me sad for it and wondered why the marketing team thought April would be a good time to debut a spooky show.
Girls5Eva (Netflix) [catchy, funny]
The not-quite-canceled-but-probably-not-renewed show of an early-2000s girl group reuniting in their 40s produced so many catchy songs but none as good as the title song used for the intro. And especially the 30-second version which played before each episode (there’s a longer one on the soundtrack). The jokes are stupid, catchy, and make complete logical sense when you think about it— 5-ever is one more than 4-ever.
John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA (Netflix) [neato]
I became so obsessed with the cliché talk-show aesthetic of the show and it’s intro that I started taking screenshots of the title cards with no purpose in mind but now I just have a folder of those on my computer. This aired during an era (still in that era?) where I felt like I was re-falling in love with Los Angeles, and these scenes of regular life around the city made me smile. This was billed as a limited event so I don’t think we’ll ever get more than these six episodes and these screenshots. In my time at Netflix, I consistently check the company store to find one of their talk show mugs, to no avail. Bonus, the videographer also made tons of cool bumpers as the show tossed to breaks.
Show intros are not a waste of time, despite what the button may make you think. The only place where this is a conundrum is AppleTV+, because while The Morning Show’s intro is beautiful, it’s about 90 seconds long and I have places to be (like staring at the ceiling thinking about The Perfect Couple a little more). And if you’re concerned about the side effects of enjoying a show intro, unfortunately they involve adding a Meghan Trainor song to your library and running playlist against your better judgement.
This is internal Netflix speak for… premiered, aired, became available.
Another fun Netflix fact: if a show intro is shorter than 6 seconds, you won’t get the option to skip the intro; more shows should study at the school of Vine.
Love OMitB intro. Can’t skip won’t skip. Another one I loved was Mysterious Benedict Society (not recent but totally overlooked imo). Also intros are the perfect time to grab a little snack or last minute condiment for my now cold dinner.
Obsessed. I rewatched this so many times to see what everyone’s “character” did. Was also tickled to learn Liev was so into it and sad they didn’t use more footage of him.