Portlandia’ s sketch-comedy celebration of America’s weird and wonderful wraps its second season Friday night with an all-star episode featuring Tim Robbins, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, and more. Maybe now it’s safe to reassure Portlandia co-star and guitar goddess Carrie Brownstein that she doesn’t have to feel like a fraud anymore.
When we last chatted with Brownstein, the current Wild Flag frontwoman and ex-Sleater-Kinney shredder said she felt she snuck in comedy television’s side door. But after 10 more episodes of brilliant and bizarre programming with co-star (and man-of-a-million-faces) Fred Armisen — and cameos from Edward James Olmos, Eddie Vedder, Johnny Marr, Kristen Wiig and more — it’s clear that Portlandia‘ s increasingly confident chemistry has a comfortable home outside of formulaic television.
Friday’s finale “Brunch Village” is proof of that convergence. When the latest trendy hotspot Fisherman’s Porch opens, Portlandia’ s myriad characters and caricatures inhabited by Armisen and Brownstein cram and jam to be its first cooler-than-thou customers. They’re joined by guest stars Robbins and Jones, along with Ed Begley, Jr. and progressive Portland mayor Kyle MacLachlan, known to last century’s cult-television fans as Twin Peaks’ Special Agent Dale Cooper.
Another sign that Portlandia beat pop-cultural expectations? Portlandia’ s debut one-hour special, coming this summer. Check out Robbins’ demented cameo as the Brunch Village Warlord in the clip above and let us know if Armisen and Brownstein’s hijinks stick to your funny bone.
Portlandia airs Fridays at 10 p.m. on IFC.
