Imagine a superhero movie with a team that is about to fail and an unseen — Jackhammer that no one can figure out how to make look cool. It’s time to enter the crazy world of The Franchise‘s second episode, which is called “Scene 36: The Invisible Jackhammer.” The show, which makes fun of the ridiculousness of superhero movies and TV shows keeps getting better and better with a mix of slapstick humor, sharp satire and a look behind the scenes at a production that is going crazy. In Episode 2, the team deals with stupid stunts—inflated egos—and the constant fear that the whole project could fail at any time.
The Franchise Season 1 Episode 2 Recap
The show starts with Daniel (Himesh Patel)—the assistant director who is stressed out, listening to a meditation app in his car on the way to the set of Tecto: Eye of the Storm. The irony is that Daniel’s attempts to stay cool are ruined by the fact that he vapes all the time and the day is about to get out of hand. His short moment of peace is broken when Jaz (Ruaridh Mollica) calls to tell him that the new producer Anita (Aya Cash), has called an emergency crew meeting. As Daniel makes his way to the studio lot, he is confronted with yet another unexpected turn of events: the meeting is called off before it has even begun. This causes him to experience a state of panic.
As soon as Daniel gets to the set, the ridiculousness of the day’s shoot starts to show. What’s the matter? They are filming a scene in which Adam (Billy Magnussen), who plays the character Tecto, saves the day with an invisible jackhammer. What’s wrong? The jackhammer is not only invisible to the viewer but also impossible for the actors to understand. “Can Tecto even see the invisible jackhammer?” Adam asks —showing how confused he is. Peter (Richard E. Grant), his co-star, isn’t making things easy. Peter constantly feels pushed to the side and undervalued, so he spends a lot of the show making rude comments and doubting Adam’s acting skills. “It’s like he’s allergic to acting,” he says after Adam sneezes during a take. This is one of many sharp, funny jabs in the show.
The new director Anita (Aya Cash) tries to show that she is in charge but it’s clear that she’s struggling with her own insecurities. She seems confident at first. but sometimes her mask slips showing that she’s worried about the future of the production. For one thing, Tecto’s progress is in danger, and her job might be at stake. There are times when Aya Cash’s acting is especially funny and touching, like when she tries to persuade Daniel that the invisible jackhammer was always a bad idea. She even thinks about cutting the scene out completely, but she feels bad about herself when she can’t get Shane, the head of the company, to give her permission over the phone.
In the middle of all this, the team is having a terrible time with logistics. Director Eric (Daniel Brühl) is angry that budget cuts have made it harder for him to make the scene look the way he wants it to. There are now only five Moss People actors instead of the army that was supposed to be there. Eric is worried that this will take away from the epic feel of the scene. Even worse, one of the extras, Rufus, needs a diaper because he has to go to the bathroom a lot, which makes the crew laugh.
To do the trick, Tecto’s invisible jackhammer is used to lift Adam and Peter into the air at “warp speed.” This is a disaster waiting to happen. There are three chances to get it right before Peter’s back gives out. That’s how his contract is written. It’s hard not to laugh in this scene, especially when the jackhammer prop turns out to be a bright green pogo stick, which makes the whole thing seem even sillier.
As the day goes on, Adam worries more and more about how he’s doing. In a private chat with Daniel, he says he’s not sure if he can really play a superhero who can use an invisible tool to cause earthquakes. Daniel tries to calm him down by telling him that the jackhammer will look cool on screen, even though he knows the scene is a mess. Their conversation is both funny and sad, and it shows how flimsy egos are in the movie business.
But Adam isn’t the only one under fire. Daniel can also feel the heat. When Dag (Lolly Adefope), the third assistant director who is always positive, raises doubts about the scene’s potential, Daniel loses it and calls her a “question chicken” who is always getting on his nerves. Daniel usually stays calm so this is a rare instance of him getting angry. However, it shows how stressed everyone on set is becoming.
The feeling of impending doom grows stronger as the episode comes to a close. Anita learns that another one of the studio’s low-budget movies has been canceled. This makes things more dangerous for Tecto. The same thing could happen to this superhero movie if it doesn’t do well. The show’s finale leaves us on the edge of our seats, wondering if this crazy production will make it to the end or if it will fall apart from its own ridiculousness.