This Pride Month, Netflix gave a thrilling gift to fans of Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamo, offering up an I Like to Watch unlike any that have come before. Not only would the dynamic drag queen duo be tearing into another Netflix release with raunchy commentary and signature "bird sounds," but the wild web series hostesses would be doing it before a live audience.
Two days ahead of Black Mirror Season 6's premiere on Netflix, a long line of fans — many dressed glam or sporting Trixie and Katya merch — stretched down West 58th Street in Manhattan, outside The Paris Theater, which Netflix owns and operates. Most days, you'd come here to see a Netflix original movie, like Extraction 2 or Nimona on a glorious big screen. But today, we were ready to watch the TV episode "Joan Is Awful," which stars Annie Murphy as an average woman who is gagged to learn that her life has become a streaming TV show — starring Salma Hayek.
An excited crowd filled the 571-seat auditorium, which boasts a high stage before its screen. We knew what to expect, but not really: Drag icons, Black Mirror, a live taping but...how?
"Joan Is Awful" director Ally Pankiw took to the stage to welcome us to the world premiere of Black Mirror Season 6. She spoke of her glee in being here with us, her appreciation for her incredible actresses, and for series creator and "Joan Is Awful" screenwriter Charlie Brooker, whom she insisted is a "real human man" and not AI spitting out content. She then directly voiced support for the WGA strike, and the show began.
"Joan Is Awful" plays fabulously with a crowd.
Full disclosure: I'd already seen "Joan is Awful" before attending this event. I wasn't sure how this taping would work; plus, some of us had reviews and deep dives to write in time for the show's Netflix debut. This admittedly gave me a bit of an edge. I not only watched the screen — where Murphy and Hayek give stupendously funny performances as a nightmarish tale of technological horror unfolds — but also the other audience members, who had no idea what was to come.
A predominantly LGBTQ+ crowd, the audience thrilled over Joan's sidekick (Jared Goldstein), who laments about being portrayed on the Streamberry show as "the gayest man on earth." We cheered at the over-the-top diva energy Salma's Joan brought, whether she was snarking over her underwhelming coffee or saluting as a salty goodbye. Then, of course, we whooped over the fierce fashion as Hayek — playing herself — struts into the Streamberry offices in a vivid yellow jumpsuit that screams "Fuck Cate Blanchett."
But the biggest reaction of the night came when the episode ended. As we waited for Trixie Mattel and Katya to come sit on the pink and red sectional on stage, we got a pair of surprise guests. Annie Murphy and Salma Hayek in person. And they looked good.
Annie Murphy and Salma Hayek join Trixie and Katya on stage.
The lights in the theater were down as these stunning actresses came out a side door and made their way to the stage. I couldn't make out their faces in the dark, but realized it wasn't the UNHhhh co-hosts, as the hair wasn't big enough and a black wig wasn't their vibe. I muttered "oh my god" under my breath, and then the screams of the crowd enveloped me as the two stepped into the light. The crowd leapt to our feet, pulling out our black mirrors — I mean phones — to record in rapturous awe.
Murphy and Hayak greeted us, accepting our vocal adoration. "You earned your flowers," cried someone behind me. And then they sat on the couch, just the two of them, to record the opening and closing of this very special I Like to Watch. Murphy introduced herself as Trixie, Salma as Katya. But there was a bit of an issue with the cue cards. "I'm dyslexic in real life!" Hayek exclaimed, referencing one of "Joan Is Awful"s sharpest zingers. We cheered her on, then on came the queens. They bantered a bit, with Hayak pointing to Trixie's chest and noting, impressed, that it's rare someone has bigger breasts than her. Trixie laughed; we screamed.
After some photos of the foursome, Murphy and Hayak exited to applause. Then Trixie and Katya faced their fans.
Trixie and Katya are gooped and gagged by "Joan Is Awful."
Bit of behind-the-scenes tea, Katya had seen the episode before, but Trixie would be reacting to selected clips she was seeing for the first time. A small TV sat below the stage for their viewing, while the rest of us rewatched these scenes projected high above our queens. A producer fed the pair context as needed, then trusted them to riff and quip.
Now, everyone in the theater was experiencing "Joan Is Awful" as I just had: watching someone else watch this wild ride. With her Barbie-gone-Lady-Bunny attire and mile-long eyelashes, Trixie was a perfect caricature of our shock and awe. She'd crack a joke about why you need a gay friend at the office to say "Bye, bitch" when you get canned, and then Jaboukie Young-White — as the gay work bestie — yells out as if on cue, "Sayonara, queen!" The audience roared with laughter and applause. We roared again when Trixie and Katya saw Young-White in the live audience and squealed with excitement.
You can see some of this for yourself in the I Like to Watch episode. While it was a fangirl moment to see two of my favorite queens live and laughing in person, my big takeaway came from those around me.
Netflix should release Black Mirror in theaters.
In "Joan Is Awful," the characters watch streaming prestige TV the way many of us do: on the couch after a long day, cuddled up with our partner, or maybe with a glass of wine. Maybe, if the day's been really brutal, we even watch it at a bar. But what if we could watch it in a theater?
As a film critic, watching a movie in a packed house on opening night is one of the absolute best parts of my job. The energy and excitement is transformative. We are no longer an individual; we are a community, seated and ready to surrender ourselves to whatever is about to play on the screen before us. Like Nicole Kidman said in the masterful AMC ad, "Heartbreak feels good in a place like this." And, of course, cackling does too.
Community is also a core element of Pride Month. What brought this audience together was our shared love for Trixie and Katya. Most of us didn't know what to expect of "Joan Is Awful." And while the ep isn't explicitly queer content, its sharp sense of humor is deliciously queer, probing into the transgressive, the gloriously outrageous, and the camp. This was an expertly chosen episode for this LIVE concept in this moment. But I don't think it needed to be perfect to be a sublime experience. Even without the star power, glitter, drag, and free popcorn, this would have an excellent night at the movies.
Usually, the show is one I watched curled up on my couch, nestling a sense of dread for whatever twist is going to come. Even if I'm watching it with friends, it's a wildly different experience than watching it with a CROWD.
In The Paris, I felt that familiar rush of opening night that never gets old. Whether I'm packed into a sweaty multiplex with eager fans who bought tickets as soon as they went on sale, or in a sprawling old-school cinema with a mezzanine, chandelier, and an audience stuffed with press, film fest attendees, and stars, the feeling is the same. We are here giving ourselves over to this collective experience, where we offer our hearts, minds, and nerves up to the spirit of this sacred space of cinema. We are one and we are surging, crying, howling, and laughing together.
Sure, Black Mirror is a TV show. But Netflix has one theater to test run this concept, then could likely sell more on a specialty event.
Imagine how much fun it'd be to sit in a crowd, cackling and gasping along as Brooker trips us out with his techno terrors? Maybe it's the first time, and you get to experience those twists with strangers, enjoying the roller coaster of it all together. Or maybe you go to revisit an episode you loved, joining in with a chorus of voices anticipating Bryce Dallas Howard's breakdown or Jesse Plemons' comeuppance or Mackenzie Davis' (very rare for this franchise) happy ending?
Streaming TV has become a part of our routine. But what if it could be an event? Speaking from some experience, it's an exhilaration that can do a tired soul a lot of good.
How to watch: Black Mirror Season 6 is now on Netflix.
How to watch: I Like to Watch is on Youtube.
