The Fire Burns On
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- Nathan Fielder
- Benny Safdie
| "The Fire Burns On" | |
|---|---|
| The Curse episode | |
| Episode no. | Episode 6 |
| Directed by | Nathan Fielder |
| Written by |
|
| Cinematography by | Maceo Bishop |
| Editing by | Adam Locke-Norton |
| Original release date | December 17, 2023 |
| Running time | 38 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Fire Burns On" is the sixth episode of the American television satire black comedy The Curse. The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by Fielder. It originally aired on streaming and on-demand for all Showtime and Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers on December 15, 2023, before making its on-air debut on Showtime on December 17, 2023. The episode was screened at the Film at Lincoln Center.[1]
The series follows Whitney and Asher Siegel, a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show, Fliplanthropy. Also joining them on their show is Dougie Schecter, a producer who is trying to make the best possible version of the show in order to reach a wider audience. In the episode, Dougie decides to make some adjustments to the show after having a poor impression of a rough cut. Meanwhile, Asher once again questions if the curse is real.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.027 million household viewers and gained a 0.00 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, although some questioned the series' pacing and aimlessness.
Dougie (Benny Safdie) and Whitney (Emma Stone) watch a rough cut of an episode for Fliplanthropy. Whitney dislikes the episode, deeming it "lifeless". Dougie agrees with her, explaining that there is no conflict nor drama at the center of the show. He suggests adding some voice-overs to build up conflict among Whitney and Asher (Nathan Fielder), improving the show's prospects. Whitney likes the idea, and even suggests changing the show's name to Green Queen, which Dougie approves.
Asher and Whitney prepare to film a segment at the local firehouse. During this, Dougie gets a firefighter to flirt with Whitney, which is caught on camera. While using the firehouse's bathroom, Asher finds raw chicken in the sink. He confronts Dougie over the event, but he states that he is not responsible for that, as he would have had cameras rolling if he was playing a prank on Asher. Unconvinced, Asher consults with a security guard to check footage in the firehouse. However, the video only proves Dougie's innocence as he never entered the bathroom. As a brief blackout happens due to the Siegels' new installed system, Asher once again questions if the curse is real.
As Abshir (Barkhad Abdi) leaves for a chiropractic adjustment, Asher visits Nala (Hikmah Warsame) to give her a tetherball set. As she plays, Asher decides to test the curse by picking screws and asking her to guess how many he has in a bucket. Nala correctly guesses every time, alarming Asher. He decides to go bolder and picks a lot of screws in his hand and asks her to guess. However, she is unable to answer, scared because Asher's hand is bleeding from gripping the screws too tightly.
Production
Development
The episode was written by series creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and directed by Fielder. This was Fielder's sixth writing credit, Safdie's sixth writing credit, and Fielder's third directing credit.[2]