“'Somebody Somewhere' Season 3 Review: Bridget Everett Outperforms”

In Season 1 of HBO's Peabody Award-winning dramedy Somebody Somewhere, Sam Miller (Bridget Everett) deals with her grief and anger in the months following the death of her older sister Holly. In the second season, she struggled to find her place in her hometown again while dealing with her first major conflict with her best friend Joel (Jeff Hiller) and dealing with a secret Holly had kept from her. Now, in the third season of this outstanding series, Sam is finally settling into her small community and trying to cope with change without falling into old habits of isolation and self-loathing. The final season of Somebody Somewhere is as magical as ever and a breathtakingly honest portrayal of friendship, grace and courage.

Set in Manhattan, Kansas, “Somebody Somewhere” captures the peace, charm and monotony of small town life. Instead of being condescending, creators Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen offer a hilarious and wonderfully compassionate look at this special place and the people who call it home. Potlucks, Bible studies, and gossip are important parts of the show, but the love and connection among the residents is the crowning glory of the series.

At the beginning of the third season, Sam has her new job. In addition to helping her sister Tricia (a fantastic Mary Catherine Garrison) with event planning and her Etsy business, Sam also works at the local pub Cock n' Bull. Although she would never claim to be a people person, Sam is thriving works as a bartender, chats with regular customers, keeps the glasses full and gets a laugh with her crass humor. Still, her new job isn't the only change she's struggling with. While their mother lives in an assisted living facility and their father (the late Mike Hagerty) is retired in Michigan, Sam and Tricia have rented the family farm to the stoic and towering Island (Darri Ólafsson), who seems content with it , living among the relics from the Miller family's past. Sam seems to take these developments in stride, but when Joel announces that he's selling his house and ending the rental partnership to move in with his friend Brad (Tim Bagley), Sam realizes that their friendship and financial situation will change forever.

Since Joel and Sam's boyfriend Fred (Murray Hill) are officially married, Sam and Tricia, a newly divorced, empty nester, find themselves in similar stages of life. The relationship between Sam and Joel is the heart of the series, but watching the sisterhood between Sam and Tricia expand and strengthen is deeply fascinating. Episode 4, “What If It Spreads?”, follows the two to the Great Plains Expo in Wichita. After a day of networking and shopping at the stalls, Tricia's angry revelation about her sex life both haunts and amuses Sam and proves to be a turning point for the couple. Sam tends to view her sister with a certain disdain, but she also admires Tricia's sheer courage in leaving an unhappy marriage and pursuing a professional career with her events and her “cunt” pillow business. (Tricia does a lot by designing handmade pillows with vulgar sayings embroidered on them.)

While the sisters have their pillow bubble filled with Pinot Grigio, Joel and Sam's friendship has never been better. Everett and Hiller are individually fascinating; together they are magnetic. For two seasons, viewers watched Sam lean on Joel. The duo's bond was like a balm that covered gaps in other areas of Sam's life. However, this season she finally allows herself to realize how important she is to Joel. In Episode 5, “Num Nums,” Sam, drunk Tricia, and their friends gather at Joel and Brad's house for Thanksgiving. When Brad reveals details from his past, Sam discovers that there are no rules to real love. She begins to realize that in order to achieve this goal, she must be willing to take terrible risks – namely, to expose a vulnerability that she has long hidden deep within herself.

Throughout the series, Sam struggles with precarious finances, health problems, Fred's meddling wife Susie (Jennifer Mudge), and a surprising new love interest. Sometimes she resorts to her coping strategies, shutting down and turning to negative self-talk. But with Joel and Tricia as anchors, she surprises herself with her willingness to try new things.

Sam has gotten better at dealing with the unexpected, but Joel's shocking crisis of faith unnerves the audience and Sam. As Joel witnesses multiple aspects of his dream board become reality while grieving the loss of others—and confronting a complicated figure from his childhood—Sam sees it as proof that even the most optimistic among us can stumble and fail. Taking on the role of “strong friend” shows her that it’s completely okay to be exactly where she is.

Of course, “Somebody Somewhere” wouldn’t be possible without Everett’s signature vocals. The actress is a trained cabaret singer, but Sam's fear of public appearances runs like a common thread through the show. This season also features emotional outbursts, raunchy sex jokes – and a few tears. These elements give the series a homecoming feel and set it apart from almost everything else on television today. Through pleasant surprises and devastating setbacks, Sam learns that it's okay to move on and ask for what she wants, even if she's not sure she deserves it. After all, life is not always about big changes. Sometimes you just long for more and take small steps to move forward.

The third season of “Somebody Somewhere” premieres on October 27th on HBO, with new episodes released weekly on Sundays.