Okay, so from what I can pick up in context, Alex and Helen (Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn) work at a ... fancy office together? And they represent...people? Companies? They must be agents of some kind right? I kind of assumed it'd be like sports stars, actors, that kind of thing. But apparently this episode they're fighting for an account belonging to some company that our stereotypical-middle-aged-recently-divorced guest star represents.
They are apparently exes, or have some kind of sexual history, because we learn, through the time tested walk-n-talk, that they have decided to remain friends, and very specifically, not hook up again. They are doing a piss-poor job of it, because even where they hang out is complicated. As Helen explains (while tying his tie in full view of half the office), it's apparently okay to hang out with each other to watch movies every night at Alex's place, but watching movies at HER fully-furnished apartment would not be "like going on a date at a yard sale" and is just asking for trouble.
Alex is tasked with taking out fellow-recent-divorce Company Guest Star Guy and showing him a good time, after Helen's flirty, cleavagey negotitation strategy proves too ... depressing? I'm still not sure I understand the logic behind Company Guy's decision here. He's recently divorced, looking for a good time, so he DOESN'T want to take out the buxom, gorgeous woman who's always flirting with him? Maybe he actually realizes it's fake flirting, and we just avoided another common sitcom trope? Or maybe Alex was just trying to find Company Man the wrong kind of good time.
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| "Well...? Didya roofie her??" |
Apparently we've got Sleazy and Nerdy. Sleazy can apparently get chicks. Of course, since his name is Sleazy (his name's not really Sleazy), the chicks he brings are borderline underage. At least, I hope it's only borderline. To the show's credit, no one but Sleazy thinks this is remotely a good thing. Even Company Man, while up for shots, has this awkward embarassed look on his face. At least he does for the space of one commercial break, because by the time we come back, he's trying to regale the young'uns with dashing tales of corporate mergers and restructurings.
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| "We know what a Justin Beiber is!" |
To make things more soul crushingly depressing for Alex, some guy from an Evil Competing Office, is trying to steal Company Man over to his team by swinging by and being all "hey party with the cool kids, Company Man". Luckily at the last minute, two very intriguing and age-appropriate hotties (hotties? is that the term? is that what the kids are using?) start chatting Alex up and he manages to save the day.
At least until it turns out they're hookers.
Isn't that always the case?
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| Let me tell you girls the worst kept secret: you don't actually have to be good at flirting. That constipated look she's got there on her face? That'll work. |
To drown their sorrows, Helen takes Emma to the same bar Alex and Company Man are at. Emma starts berating Company Man for even thinking about leaving their company, and apparently this turns him on. So happy ending for Company Man. And not the one he would've gotten if Alex hadn't been so damn stingy earlier.
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I definitely liked this a lot better than UAN. It gelled better, felt more mature, had a clearer sense of purpose and what kind of show it wanted to be. If I have one major complaint it's a ...weird one. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it feels like there's a disconnect between the director and the rest of the show. Something about the way the episode was shot in the office (the camera angles, the background track, the tracking shots) felt like cinematography usually reserved for a more serious, grounded show. I can't break it down anymore than that, even though I've been thinking about it all week, but it just FEELS wrong. Like there are a dozen unconscious cues coming out of the screen that leave me surprised when the jokes and the tone of the show is so unrelentingly upbeat. I definitely prefer the show the actors and writers are putting on, and I adore single-camera setups, so I don't think anyone's doing a BAD job or anything...I just think the two sides need to synchronize a little more. It reminds me of the first episodes of Better Off Ted. The editing and timing was just a little bit off, and the jokes suffered, but in the span of a few episodes, it gelled to become one of the absolute best sitcoms I've ever seen.
In more tangible comments, there weren't very many memorable jokes or exceptional moments. Admittedly, I'm writing these posts a little less than a week after seeing the episodes, but usually soemthing stands out, even if it's bad. The episode was entertaining, amusing, dragged a bit in places (the scenes at the bar before the hookers showed up just took forrevverrr), but overall satisfactory. The actors/characters were what really stole the show thought.
Hank Azaria, knocks it out of the park, as always. The role, as written, is admittedly kind of generic, and really could have been filled by any interchangeable male lead. But Azaria just makes it his own, and very few could actually compare. I hope that as the show moves forward they start writing more towards his strengths, really let him shine. Let's also hope that history DOESN'T repeat itself for the one trillionth time, and Hank can take lead in a show that will last for more than 37 seconds.
How in the hell has Kathryn Hahn not been on a major show since Crossing Jordan? She's gorgeous, has great timing, and actually can stand up to Hank Azaria's usually great performance. I loved her short stint in Traffic Light, so I'm really excited to see her actually headlining a show.
The highlights of the show were definitely the leads more quieter, intimate moments. The whole "nothing's ever going to happen in your apartment" speech at the beginning, or the popcorn debate at the end. Considering the show's apparently being marketed AS a romcom, it's really nice to see such effortless chemistry between the leads, and writing that doesn't feel the need to bludgeon you with sappyness (cough, looking at you Mad Love)
It was great to see
Emma (Natasha Leggero) I'm torn on. The flat affect used to show her seeming lack of empathy and social/flirting skills just seemed entirely off putting and unlikable. I usually like characters like that, so I'm hoping that it either grows on me, or she grows into it a little more. One way or the other, there'll be some growing by somebody. That was not meant to be dirty.
The two guys going to the book club/bar-- I got nothing. I barely remember them. Smarmy womanizer and bookish nerd are two such standard tropes, that you really, really need to bring something new or unique to the performance to make them shine. Especially the womizer role. I can't help but compare Jamie Kaler in My Boys or NPH on HIMYM (then again, was Kaler's character really a womanizer? Ah, my head hurts). And Al Madrigal still does nothing for me. After his awkward stints on The Daily Show, I thought he was just stuck in the wrong performance medium, that something more akin to traditional comedy would work. I could still be right, but I didn't see it this time around.
Overall though, I liked it, and I'll be back next week. This week. Whatever.
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