When the 2 Dope Queens podcast’s interview with Michelle Obama went live last November, co-hosts Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams also posted a “Farewell” note to their fans.
“In the words of Boyz II Men, it’s the ‘end of the road,'” read the note at the show’s WNYC website. “We want to thank you, listeners, for being with us from the very beginning. We are so honored to have gotten the chance to go on this ride with you. Our show started in a hot basement in Brooklyn and now we’re selling out theaters across the country. We could not have done it without you.”
Nearly three months later, the podcast’s HBO series is about to air its next (and final) batch of specials. Ahead of Friday night’s premiere of “Fashion,” which features special guest Lupita Nyong’o, Robinson spoke to Metro about the end of an era and what it means to her and Williams.
Phoebe Robinson talks the end of 2 Dope Queens
“I think we’re really in a place where, individually, our careers are just bananas,” she says. “This all happened in a way that we obviously couldn’t have predicted. We had no idea what was going to happen when we started 2 Dope Queens back in 2014. We just wanted to try something and see what stuck.”
Stick it did, because Robinson and Williams’ 2 Dope Queens was optioned by HBO for a series of comedy-centric specials that aired four episodes in February of last year. One year later, the next four episodes are about to drop. Like the first four, these new episodes all center on a particular theme that drives the discussions between the co-hosts and their guests.
“The first batch of episodes really turned out so well, so I think Jess and I just thought, ‘How about we have a little more fun this time?'” Robinson explains. “As much fun as we ended up having with the guests and everything, however, we were still aware of now wanting to blow this opportunity. When HBO came back and wanted us to do more episodes, that gave us an extra vote of confidence. We figured we had this. We knew what we were dealing with. So we decided to really be in the moment and have some more fun this time around. I think that really shows, especially in the first two episodes of the new season.”
Will 2 Dope Queens return?
She’s not wrong. From quite literally digging into the ins and outs of fashion with Nyong’o in Friday’s episode to casting spells with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe in next week’s “Nostalgia,” the second and final season of 2 Dope Queens is down for a good time.
“Everyone was such good sports. They’re really supportive,” says Robinson. “They all knew what 2 Dope Queens was because they’d watched it or listened to it, so I think they knew we were just going to have a good time. Me and Jess really had a ball this time. I was definitely down to be more physical with my comedy, too, just because it’s hard for me to do all that while wearing heels. I’m like, ‘What’s funnier than me trying to move around in heels gracefully?’ I can’t.”
As for these four new HBO specials spelling the absolute end of 2 Dope Queens, the comedian and author is quick to note that nothing is set in stone.
“It’s more like, we’re keeping the door open,” she explains. “But for now, we’ve just got to bring all the comedy and drama and elegance that we can to these final episodes. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
When does 2 Dope Queens premiere?
2 Dope Queens returns to HBO with “Fashion” on Friday, Feb. 8 at 11 p.m. ET.
