By Daniel Paiz

Season 3 has reached its end, and predicting what’s next is going to be harder this time around. That’s due to the fact that season 2 had some resolution and an ending of sorts; season 3 ended, but there’s no real resolution for Dave or core characters around him. It makes things intriguing because there aren’t the same expectations for season 4 (at least for me) like there were for season 3.

Dave’s success and inner growth were the two items to observe through all ten episodes. Interestingly enough, the inner growth seemed to be placed on the backburner. This led to the career improving, but the personal life somewhat imploding. I say somewhat because Dave seemingly has self-confidence now but is running away from openly communicating with love interests. As a certain guest star from Fight Club mentions in the finale, Dave has to love himself enough to open up to others he claims to love.

Growth is going to be a big driver in season 4. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Spoilers for season 3 and the season 3 finale are discussed below in case you plan to watch season 3 or are currently watching].

Growth for almost everyone…

There is a lot of growth for the entire supporting cast. GaTa is literally buying a house for his mom during the season finale. Emma has filmed a fantastic tour documentary that is opening film doors for her. Ellz, while still struggling financially, plans to start his own record label. Mike, despite planning to quit after season 2 and having to help his brother with his aging dad, has figured out the manager role and finds love as well. Ally is doing better. Even recent ex Robyn is getting real shots for her photo career.

Everyone has weathered the storm that is Dave’s ego. Even Dave has had a few moments of growth from season 2. That growth was largely professional, as more opportunities have arrived, and he’s taken advantage of them. Despite that, he has almost backtracked in emotional and romantic maturity.

There’s a fear to make himself emotionally available. This is odd, because he’s very open and vulnerable socially in terms of acknowledging how others feel. Yet, the inability to open up to women he has loved keeps him in this space of perpetually “looking for love”. GaTa has worked through a ton of trauma and mental health issues and is dealing with his addiction to sex in season three; and yet, Dave can’t open up to women he is interested in or friends with.

The tour shows how Dave won’t work through the pain of things ending with Ally. He then continues touring and to the surprise of no one, faces trauma he never dealt with that stems from his childhood best friend turned short term girlfriend. Dave also learns he paints an unrealistic picture of who he wants to love. Others work through their stuff, and Dave rolls along to bigger celebrity meetings; these encounters give some clarity on fame being different than Dave’s idealization of it. Yet, he continues to pursue his romanticized version. Luck and lust seem to be what keeps him growing in terms of success.

Fame is not glittery gold

The season finale reminds viewers that success isn’t what it’s reported to be. Dave literally comes face to face with a characterized version of himself with Bella. Viewers might recall encountering her at the start of the season, the fan who gives Dave a rock sculpture of himself on a tour stop in Texas.

She’s a PA now in LA, a seemingly coincidental development. Dave has gone from Rachel McAdams and Brad Pitt starring in a Lil Dicky music video, to a jam session where Brad and Dicky discuss if Bella is a stalker. Bella pulls a gun on both of them, and things deteriorate from there.

This is what Pitt is discussing throughout the season finale, posing that moral question: does one want to lose their anonymity and by extension, their shot at living a somewhat normal life? This might just be answered in season 4 by Dave as things are headed in a different direction now. If it’s not, then things might fall apart on a grander scale.

Season 4 predictions

Spoiler for the end of season 3 here, but it seems unlikely viewers see Drake again. It would be intriguing and refreshing to see Dave and Drake create together and maybe even become friends. However, there’s almost no likelihood he appears again and if he does, it’s another short cameo.

More importantly for Dave, despite the professional success he is reaching, it seems like he’s on a precipice. If he truly works on communicating better, he could have a personal life that matches his public one. If he does not, the professional one could begin to decline. Not to mention, there’s still the #RIPLilDicky issue that could emerge to ruin everything.

One would hope that there aren’t as many celebrity cameos in season 4 as there are in season 3. While definitely fun, the cameos take away time what could’ve been more screentime for Dave and his core circle working through stuff. That might’ve been done in season 3 to essentially say that his core group is over being that for him; instead, they are investing in themselves and following their own wants and needs like Dave has throughout this entire series.

Dave likely needs to navigate this again, accepting that he has to be there for others sometimes (basically like what he learned with GaTa in season 2, just for everyone else now). If he doesn’t do that and doesn’t truly open himself up emotionally to Robyn in his attempt to get back together, season 4 could be dark. Hopefully it’s satirical dark humor, and not layered with heartbreak and regret.