‘In the Know’ Recap: ‘Portrait of a Safety Rep On Fire’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

IN THE KNOW -- Episode 101 -- Pictured: J. Smith-Cameron as voice of Barb -- (Photo by: PEACOCK)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘In the Know’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Over the course of the past couple of weeks, we’ve talked at length about how the Peacock series, In the Know, has been a wonderful blend of satire of the radio world, comedic moments and commentary on the human condition, as great comedy is wont to do. Since comedy helps the medicine go down smoother for certain, and that’s made for three simply delightful episodes that give us so much. But what’s fascinating about smart comedies in this vein, is that they really don’t achieve iconic or beloved status until they go through a particular rite of passage. Wherein they simply let loose comedically and show the audience what the story and its actors are capable of from a laughter standpoint, and well… that’s top of mind today because this show opted to do just that in its next episode.

A feat that ‘Portrait of a Safety Rep On Fire’ accomplished by offering up one wild day at the NPR office, via three uniquely funny storylines. One of which involved Lauren of course, who was deeply unsettled by the fact that his sperm counts were super low, and that his sperm were ineffective. Shutting down his ability to donate semen and this bothered him so badly, that it spilled into his interview structure. Which made his interview with Roxane Gay about as awkward as it gets, and the same went for his time on air with Mike Tyson. Because all he could do was lament his sperm and bemoan what he perceived to be a flaw in who he was and this… was just damn hilarious. Because you just don’t see these kind of wild interview moments take place often and it really did lead to some wonderful reactions from the stars and some solid jokes through and through. 

However, while that could have carried this episode from beginning to end, no problem, with its off the wall nature, there was mention of more storylines to be found here. One of which, involved Barb. Because in the midst of his airtime, Lauren believed that his chair and its massaging feature made his sperm lazy, so she needed to exchange it post haste. Which led… to an outlandish and trippy storyline. One where Barb came face to face with the most mysterious and enigmatic chair salesperson ever. Who truly believed in the power of a chair, and that the right one could do wonders for people and really relax them like never before. Which did indeed enthrall Barb and bring her close to a luxury purchase, until she saw the price tag. All of which brought forth an incredibly quirky sequence akin to the work of The Kids in the Hall, with its adventurous nature.

But of course, there are still more wonders to discuss regarding this tale. Since we cannot forget about the third and final storyline present here. One that saw chaos and lawlessness take hold of the office. Because it was also safety inspection time, and Fabian of course… wanted to fight the system and stick it to Barb, who was the office safety manager. And with her out and Carl in charge… Fabian made her move. One that saw her use crazy internet style propaganda to win over Chase and Sandy to enact her own safety rules and well… that was ugly. Because Fabian really didn’t care about safety, she wanted the power, the chance to just do things her way and that brought the office into its own special hell. Where Chase couldn’t snack and where Sandy was forced to take an alcohol bath and of course… hell became real when the very candle that started the fight between Fabian and Barb, set Sandy on fire.

Thankfully though, Barb returned and saved the day and saved lives, and Lauren hopefully got the right chair. But what matters most, is that we got one amazing comedic tale. One that accomplished the mission we outlined earlier. Because it demonstrated that this show can indeed just let loose and have fun and really lean into the comedy with minimal fuss. Thanks to its talented cast. Because everyone really showed off how funny they are and how hard the comedy in this show can go, and that really made for one brilliant episode. One that leaves the viewer eager to continue the journey. So, we can be utterly surprised by what lies ahead, as our voyage through the world of talk radio continues along. Until next time.

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