Bupkis – Season 1 Episode 1 “Magic Moment” Recap & Review

Magic Moment

Pete Davidson gets vexed Googling himself and finding nothing positive, as episode 1 of Bupkis begins. Such is his public image, the press only reports kitschy pot-boiler content. He wears his VR headgear and puts on some porn. Pete is in a basement and has no idea what is going on elsewhere. Pete extends his hands to reach out for lubricant, but it is on the other side of the room. He scrambles toward it, finally getting his hands “wet.”

His unsuspecting mother starts making her way downstairs as he is about to “finish.” And in the most extraordinary moment, he finishes right on her. He is grossed out when he takes the headset off but his mother is surprisingly blase about it. She goes on with her day as if nothing happened!

Pete is weirded out by his mother wearing the same t-shirt with the “stains” on in the evening, and he calls his ex-girlfriend to talk it out. Pete is also ignoring calls from his Grandpa Joe (Pesci) when she stipulates that Pete always runs away from emotional confrontations.

He is emotionally unavailable and cites their breakup as Pete’s evidence of cowardice to commit. Pete is getting his tats removed to change his image. He is genuinely worried that people see him only as a joke. He meets Grandpa Joe at a diner, where Joe tells him that he is dying. Joe has some ailment (which isn’t revealed yet) and they plan a “boys’ night out.” Pete sits with his entourage in the basement, and he asks Evans, one of his employees, to contact an escort to please Joe.

Donna’s services are hired for the night and Pete books them the Sinatra Suite. Pete and Joe have a close bond. It seems he isn’t as close to his father as he is to Joe. The old man also represents his affinity toward Pete, who wonders what he will be like after Joe is gone. Well, bucking the melancholic turn, we go right into the night. Joe invites his friend Roy along for the ride. Pete is uncomfortable but pretends to be alright with him.

Donna shows up at the bar and Joe sees right through Pete’s plan. The four actually have a fun night in the suite, choosing not to go ahead with the original plan. It is Roy who gets in bed with Donna, while Joe and Pete are about to leave. They stop when they hear Roy’s screams. His hip dysplasia has kicked in and he cannot move. Pete wants to leave but Joe encourages him to give “Roy a thrust.” Pete reluctantly agrees as Joe tells him he has the chance to “do something for someone else.”

It turns out to be the perfect move as Roy is able to manoeuvre himself; Donna is taken aback by Pete’s “sweetness,” and he has fun doing something wild.

Back at home, Amy, Pete’s mother, suspects Joe and Pete did something naughty. Joe senses tension between Amy and Pete. In an explosive moment after the fraught buildup, Pete tells Joe about the “coming” incident, and Amy about Roy getting in bed with a hooker.

The Episode Review

You take real-life drama and bash it with the extremes of reel-life drama, and you’re likely to get Bupkis. The show is inspired by Pete Davidson’s life and in fact, features Davidson as himself. Given his actual personality, you wouldn’t guess the “fictionalized” version is too far off.

Episode 1 follows him around like a documentary but without the conventional schematics. There are shades of drama, absurdist humour, and a whole lot of “bupkis” to go along for the ride.

If you have any enchantment with the Pete Davidson brand of lifestyle, Bupkis is quite a revealing insight. Episode 1 perfectly sets up the carefree tone for the storytelling, while Joe Pesci is set to make a shocking turn as a protagonist with Pete. This is an unlikely place for the legendary actor but episode 1 sees him fit right into the function of things.

Episode 1 had some WTF moments that can be quite jarring. But they are also really funny and we cannot wait to dive into the rest of the series. It also has the weirdest threesome you’re going to ever see.