Title: The Louise Log: How To Get What You Want (Season 3, Episode 2)

Starring: Morgan Hallett, Everett Quinton, Danusia Trevino and Wayne Maugans

The most influential and lasting impressions can be left from the most spontaneous and unexpected actions people take towards those who know them best. That was most certainly proven with the unpredictable outbursts from one of the more flamboyant characters from the comedy web series, ‘The Louise Log.’ The show, which recently premiered its second webisode, ‘How To Get What You Want,’ from its current third season on YouTube, both grippingly and humorously explored the extreme lengths people will do to get what they want, and stop the injustices being committed against them.

‘How To Get What You Want’ follows the series’ title character, Louise (Morgan Hallett), as she jogs along one of New York City’s waterfronts with her father-in-law, Ethelred (Everett Quinton). She convinces him to start working an an acting coach (Wayne Maugans) she has hired, in an effort to make him happy and in turn, allow her and her family to stay longer in his apartment. Ethelred finally, but reluctantly, agrees to meet with the coach.

When the coach arrives at their apartment, Louise becomes mortified when her father-in-law’s new girlfriend, who refers to herself as Queen Elizabeth (Danusia Trevino), unabashedly becomes physically attracted to the teacher. Ethelred then meets and awkwardly begins practicing with the coach, much to his daughter-in-law’s dismay. The two can’t come to agree on the usefulness of the coach’s repetitive word exercises, and Ethelred angrily storms out of the room. The coach convinces Louise to allow him to work with Queen Elizabeth, and Louise and her friend Ava (Jennifer Sklias-Gahan) watch the scene in stunned shock. When Ethelred walks into the session between the coach and his girlfriend, he powerfully states his claim on her before storming out of the room. Louise is left working how she could muster the courage to go after what she truly wants in life.

While Flournoy has set out to focus the current second season on the recasting of the title character, with Hallett replacing the series’ original star, Christine Cook, Quinton clearly and enthralling drew the most attention with his captivating and intense transformation in ‘How To Get What You Want.’ Despite initially portraying Louise’s father-in-law as a neurotic, controlling perfectionist in the season’s first episode, ‘How To Fire Things Up With Your In-Laws,’ the actor enticingly evolved the character to become strong-willed and courageous in going after what he wants. Ethelred isn’t afraid to question the antics he doesn’t like or agree with, particularly by the acting coach. Whether he’s debating the coach’s warm-up verbal technique, which he believes to be patronizing, or becoming upset over how closely the coach is working with Queen Elizabeth, Ethelred comfortably becomes abrasive in defying the other man, particularly since they’re working in his apartment.

Ethelred’s increasingly rude and ill-mannered temperament towards the coach is impeccably emphasized by the close-knit quarters of the living room the majority of the webisode takes place in. The art design team smartly limited the amount of furniture that was featured in the room, and pushed the limited furniture that was included to the sides, which effectively allowed the characters to communicate. From Ethelred yelling at the coach for giving him an ineffective warm-up exercise, to Queen Elizabeth and the coach closely touching and freely moving around, to Louise’s father-in-law rushing back into the room to defend his romantic relationship, the subtly but sophisticatedly decorated space truly captured their courage in going after what they want.

‘How To Get What You Want’ is an intriguing and powerful follow-up to ‘How To Fire Things Up With Your In-Laws,’ as it further explores Louise’s pondering of how she’s failed her children, and what she could do to improve her courage, so that she could after what she truly wants. While the second webisode of the series’ current third season was meant to truly embrace the title character’s outlook on her life, and how she could honestly fix what she has done wrong, the plot truly offered gripping, scene-stealing scenes for Quinton. Aided by a smart use of the space and furniture of the living room where most of the webisode takes place, the actor truly proved how intensely persuasive people can be when they put their minds and courage to work.

Watch ‘How To Get What You Want’ below.

Technical: B+

Written by: Karen Benardello