Portlandia
Season 8
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes10
Release
Original networkIFC
Original releaseJanuary 18 (2018-01-18) –
March 22, 2018 (2018-03-22)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 7
List of episodes

The eighth and final season of the sketch comedy series Portlandia premiered on IFC in the United States on January 18 and ended on March 22, 2018 with a total of 10 episodes. The series stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.

Cast

Main cast

Special guest

Guest stars

Production

The series was originally renewed through 2017 with season 7 intended to be the last, but Armisen and Brownstein hinted at the possibility of doing season 8.[1] On January 5, 2017, IFC renewed Portlandia for a 10-episode final season, ahead of the season 7 premiere.[2] In addition to introducing new guests stars, Natasha Lyonne, Jeff Goldblum, Kumail Nanjiani and Kyle MacLachlan were announced to return as guests for the final season.[3] Armisen admitted that writing the season was "tricky" due to the change in administrations and said that the rise of Donald Trump "changed the way [Armisen] looks at some of the characters."[4] Production concluded on September 9, 2017.[5]

Episodes

Main article: List of Portlandia episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
681"Riot Spray"Carrie BrownsteinFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerJanuary 18, 2018 (2018-01-18)0.152[6]
Brendan and Michelle consider buying a van. Spyke gets his old band back together. Podcasters investigate a police station. Candace brings Toni to her childhood summer home.
692"Shared Workspace"Graham WagnerFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerJanuary 25, 2018 (2018-01-25)0.104[7]
Toni and Candace get involved in healthcare. Kathleen becomes the first female partner at her firm. Peter and Nance deal with a sushi situation. a single guy interrupts a couples' dinner.
703"No Thank You"Carrie BrownsteinFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerFebruary 1, 2018 (2018-02-01)0.100[8]
Fred and Carrie help Rachel navigate dating apps. Kathleen and Dave take on an escape room. Andy and Drew swear off women. Joey tries therapy. Doug gives his friends benefit fatigue.
714"Abracadabra"Lance BangsFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerFebruary 8, 2018 (2018-02-08)0.130[9]
A couple uses distraction cancelling glasses. Nina and Lance tell how they met. Peter and Nance look forward to breakfast. Malcolm and Kris get involved at a community meeting.
725"Open Relationship"Bill BenzFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerFebruary 15, 2018 (2018-02-15)0.124[10]
Doug and Claire try an open relationship. Shannon gets help parallel parking. A company uses VR for a meeting. The Mayor waits for a helicopter. Fred steps on a snail.
736"You Do You"Bill Benz & Ali GreerFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerFebruary 22, 2018 (2018-02-22)0.100[11]
Sandra discovers she can have it all. Fred and Carrie prepare for a natural disaster. Jamie's co-workers help her get over a cold. Kathleen and Dave learn how to take photo booth pictures.
747"Most Pro City"Bill BenzFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerMarch 1, 2018 (2018-03-01)0.100[12]
Text message drama unfolds during a business meeting. The Mayor sets out to prove Portland's diversity. Activists on a hunger strike take a cheat day. Drivers communicate via hand signals.
758"Peter Follows P!nk"Bill BenzFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerMarch 8, 2018 (2018-03-08)0.108[13]
Peter and Nance interact with celebrities on social media. Fred gives Carrie a rock n' roll remodel. James rides his bike to work. Gil and George say hello to Toni and Candace.
769"Long Way Back"Lance BangsFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerMarch 15, 2018 (2018-03-15)0.084[14]
Fred and Carrie just give up. The Weirdos lose their favorite trash can, which takes a multi-year journey throughout the city. Malcolm and Kris visit their pediatrician. Peter and Nance wonder why they’ve never been hacked.
7710"Rose Route"Bill BenzFred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham WagnerMarch 22, 2018 (2018-03-22)0.136[15]
The mayor cuts deals all over town to secure the perfect route for the Portland Marathon. Candace's house guest Dolly quickly becomes her new best friend. Fred and Carrie decide to run to break their addiction to news alerts.

Reception

The eighth and final season received generally favorable reviews. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a score of 83%, based on 6 reviews.[16] In his review for The A.V. Club, John Hugar praised the series finale for ending "on a high note, with a delightfully ridiculous episode that features the show’s off-beat humor at its finest."[17] Melanie McFarland, writing for Salon, said that the finale "remains true to the core of the series and its devotion to the timelessness of its weirdness."[18]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Portlandia
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)
1 "Riot Spray" January 18, 2018 0.05[6] 0.152
2 "Shared Workspace" January 25, 2018 0.03[7] 0.104
3 "No Thank You" February 1, 2018 0.02[8] 0.100
4 "Abracadabra" February 8, 2018 0.05[9] 0.130
5 "Open Relationship" February 15, 2018 0.03[10] 0.124
6 "You Do You" February 22, 2018 0.04[11] 0.100
7 "Most Pro City" March 1, 2018 0.03[12] 0.100
8 "Peter Follows P!nk" March 8, 2018 0.03[13] 0.108
9 "Long Way Back" March 15, 2018 0.03[14] 0.084
10 "Rose Route" March 22, 2018 0.03[15] 0.136

References

  1. ^ Fitzpatrick, Kevin (September 21, 2015). "'Portlandia' Officially Coming to an End … A Few Seasons From Now". Screen Crush. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  2. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 14, 2017). "'Portlandia' Renewed For Eighth & Final Season By IFC, Will There Be Spinoffs:TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  3. ^ Wright, Megh (September 7, 2017). "The Eighth and Final Season of 'Portlandia' Premieres in January". Splitsider. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  4. ^ Wakeman, Gregory (September 14, 2017). "'Portlandia' final season was 'really tricky' due to Trump, admits Fred Armisen". Metro. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  5. ^ Turnquist (September 7, 2017). "'Portlandia' star Carrie Brownstein on the final season: 'It's the end of the dream'". Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (January 22, 2018). "Broadcast Update: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.18.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (January 29, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.25.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 2, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.1.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 9, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 16, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.15.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018.
  11. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 23, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.22.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 3, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.1.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 2, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 9, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.8.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018.
  14. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 16, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.15.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 23, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.22.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 24, 2018.
  16. ^ "PORTLANDIA: SEASON 8 (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  17. ^ Hugar, John (March 23, 2018). "Portlandia embraces its weirdness one last time in a fitting finale". The A.V. Club.
  18. ^ McFarland, Melanie (March 22, 2018). ""Portlandia": The end of the Rose Route". Salon.

External links

Portlandia
Category