Ding Dong Missionaries

The Weekly Binge: 3 Web Series to Watch

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Ding Dongs is about two Mormon youth missionaries, one closeted, in Los Angeles. It’s based on the creator’s experiences dating a closeted youth missionary and clearly benefits by drawing from those real-life stories. One especially great scene depicts a face-off between Mormon and Scientologist street preachers as they compete for new converts. Try to top “do you want to have a salad with Kirstie Alley?” as a religious pick-up line. Another fantastically-lurid segment combines night-time self-pleasure, repressed sexuality, and Jesus on the cross. There’s only one episode for now but given the strong start for this unique coming-of-age tale, it’s easy to be excited for what’s next.

A self-obsessed, wannabe actress is fixated on making it, even though she has no real plan of attack. Her artist best friend wants to comfort her, but mainly thinks she should lower her expectations (philosophy might also help). Instead of actually working, they spend their time practicing obscure acting skills (facial tics? gestating a baby?), getting new modeling photos, voodoo doll-ing their more successful friends, and self-medicating with food and backrubs. If only they knew what they were doing wrong, maybe one day they could achieve their dreams and live in an apartment with air-conditioning.

You Ruined the Party, from the creators of Just Between Us, is a Rashomon-style retelling of a ruined engagement party. Each episode is a quick clip (the series was originally on Instagram) and alternates between the boyfriend and girlfriend’s perspectives, as they rehash ways the other person ruined the evening. Was it the botched guest greetings? The coldly indifferent drink pours? The casual grope of the other’s best friend? The potentially flirty conversation with the stranger? The unnecessary invite of the girl no one likes? The delayed toast? It’s fun to watch couples fight.