If you haven’t already, I suggest you check in to Room 104. It is an anthology style series on HBO brought to us by the Duplass brothers. It just wrapped it’s first 12 episode season and has been renewed for more episodes.

Each episode focuses on the same hotel room, but that’s the only thing that remains the same. Every episode features different actors and takes place in a different era using a different genre of story telling. They are all short 30 minute or less episodes and feature mostly unknown actors. Not every episode is a perfect hit, but I’d say they hit their mark more than they miss. The stories range from a horror style babysitter tale featuring Melonie Diaz (Be Kind Rewind), to a pizza delivery boy (Clark Duke of Hot Tub Time Machine) being invited in by James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek). We see Orlando Jones (American Gods) as a mystical priest, and Philip Baker Hall (Magnolia) attempting to recreate his first night together with his wife of many years.

There are comedic episodes dealing with teaching your parents technology in the late 90’s, or Mormon missionaries testing their faith. There’s a female MMA battle, an episode with no dialogue told through interpretive dance, and a man possibly planning a political assassination.

I personally feel like the anthology format here with only the setting tying the episodes together is brilliant. You get comedy, horror, suspense, sci-fi, drama, and action all in one room! Go check out Room 104, 12 short 30 minute episodes can be caught up on quickly and they are all standalone stories. Let me know if you enjoy.

–Tony