Dylan O'Brien's 'The Other Two' Season 3 Shower Cameo is Perfect

Oct 03, 2023

The Other Two Season 3, Episode 3 is one of the show's greatest installments yet, thanks in part to a hilarious, steamy appearance from The Maze Runner star Dylan O’Brien.

The eventful episode, titled "Cary Becomes Somewhat Of A Name," shows Pat (Molly Shannon) evading her security team, Brooke (Heléne Yorke) leaving the industry, Chase (Case Walker) debuting his "shitty little rat" look, and Cary (Drew Tarver) struggling with auditions. The Dubek family's resident actor is losing roles left and right to bigger names like O’Brien, but when he lands a Zoom call with Wes Anderson he thinks he has a shot at a small part in his next film. That short-lived sense of hope swiftly vanishes when Dylan O’Brien himself joins Cary in the virtual waiting room and instantly shows his star power.

As Cary is waiting for Wes Anderson "perfectly centered in the frame" as instructed, O’Brien's guest appearance is revealed in a delightful fashion. Someone named "DO" joins the call camera-off, and after a few seconds of suspense, the 31-year-old actor appears on Cary's laptop screen in a muscle shirt and beanie. "Yo, am I on? Can you hear me?" O’Brien, who's casually munching on snacks, says to Cary. "What's up? Nice to meet you man."

After realizing they’re going out for the same role, O’Brien drops a one-liner that made me snort: "I can't even fucking believe I still gotta audition. I’m the fuckin’ Maze Runner, bro!" As Cary tells O’Brien what a big fan he is, the unthinkable happens. By that, I mean O’Brien sniffs his armpit, says "Hey! You reek," and starts speaking in a baby voice to let Cary know he's hopping in the shower while they wait for Mr. Anderson.

"I don't smell great, and daddy don't do good on a stinky audishy. You know what I’m saying?" O’Brien says in his man-baby voice while carrying his laptop into the bathroom. "I’m just gonna leave this right here, will you let me know if they come in? I’m just gonna turn my camera off."

Cary agrees, so O’Brien says "CAMERA OFF" and pushes a button on his laptop. In a twist, the camera doesn't shut off. Instead, Cary watches in awe as O’Brien whips off his beanie, tank, and pants; hops in the shower; and screams "WOO!"

Later we see Dylan O’Brien's laptop chaotically perched on a bathroom sink with the Zoom call open. The shirtless actor is lathering his upper half in the shower (perfectly centered in the frame), while Cary and now CURTIS (Brandon Scott Jones) look on with jaws dropped. "Truly thank you for this," Curtis, who clearly joined the Zoom after a frantic PSA from Cary, says. "You would think seeing him naked would be a letdown, but it is BETTER," Cary replies. "And remember, when he gets out you have to log off fast OK? Promise?"

The screenshot sound repeatedly blares from Curtis’ laptop as O’Brien turns off the water and towels off. Cary screams at Curtis to log off and after a frantic search for the "Leave Call" button he escapes with seconds to spare. O’Brien returns to his laptop, says "CAMERA ON!" (as if his laptop is voice activated?!) and asks Cary if he missed anything. Before they have a chance to catch up, Wes Anderson's assistant returns and says the filmmaker went with George Clooney because he wanted a huge name.

"WOW. Fuckin Clooney. Every time," O’Brien complains before wishing Cary good luck and announcing he's off to take "a long hard piss." As Cary closes his laptop he hears the actor yell "CAMERA OFF!" again and decides to stay for the show. The final words O’Brien utters on The Other Two? "Nakey pee pee." What a guy.

O’Brien's straight, bro-y spin on himself perfectly set the tone for the scenes. And during a Q&A panel for The Other Two in New York on May 9, Drew Tarver took a moment to reflect on O’Brien's time filming, sharing that the actor's lines (including the baby voice) were largely improvised. Hell yeah, O’Brien. Tarver also stressed how seeing real actors on the show helps legitimize Cary and Brooke's world and proximity to fame, so more well-known guest stars — including Kiernan Shipka and Lukas Gage — are still to come this season. In seasons past, everyone from Michael Che and Andy Cohen to Justin Bartha and Alessia Cara has appeared on the show as themselves, and the cameos are always a delight.

Season 3's early inclusion of Dylan O’Brien shower scenes — coupled with the unique Zoom execution — reminds fans that when it comes to celebrity guest stars, most shows are Cary Dubeks, but The Other Two is George Clooney.

New episodes of The Other Two Season 3 premiere on HBO Max on Thursdays.