Okay this is confusing. I'm about THIS close to completely giving up on this show. Seven episodes in, and the show still hasn't sloughed off it's face-palmy brand of horrible jokes and lazy racism. I stayed with the show because I always kind of assumed the said horribleness would eventually naturally erode away. I thought there could not possibly be sitcom writers in this generation that would allow such ineptitude to stand week after week. Then I found out that Whitmey co-created this show. Yes
THAT Whitney.
THAT FUCKING WHITNEY. How did I not put that together before? I'm an idiot. Suddenly, it all makes sense. Suddenly, it seems very much likely that everything horrible will become the norm and not the exception. The prospect of this show actually becoming decent has become so much more unlikely, and quite frankly, there are so many more ...adequate things on television. So I was ready to throw in the towel.
And then this episode airs. Now this is not a
great episode by any objective means. It's not even a
good episode when compared to the whole of television this season. But it is the
least offensive this show has gotten, and, were it not for the whole
Whitney factor, I would almost assume this show is moving in an upward trajectory. So I'm going to give it another week or two. Whitney has to be busy with her own "show" over on the other network. Maybe better writers will trickle in. Let's pray.
Caroline decides that she needs a second job like Max, and starts searching Craiglist. Despite everyone pointing out that the only kinds of jobs a lithe disgraced debutante hard up for cash would get are best left for a Showtime series, Caroline does manage to find a listing for an "organizer" that she feels she's perfect for. Turns out she's organizing an honest to God hoarder. One so surrounded by his detritus, that we never even even see him (or his mother, in another illegitimately funny surprise moment). Caroline's freaked the fuck out, but Max LOVES this. She's positively giddy experiencing "Hoarders, in 3D!". Because of course, human suffering and the silent dying souls are like the laughter of innocent children to her. Still, it's nice to have her actually be excited about something.
Unlike her situation with Johnny/JPEG (ugh). Johnny's swinging by the diner more often for flirting (or at least it seems that way) and even showing up at their apartment in the middle of the night to "pee". Everyone notices the supposed "sparks" between these two, and keeps urging Max to make a move, but she maintains nothing is going on, and his repeated
stalking visits are exactly what he claims they are. When he asks her to be his "lookout" on his
public defacement of private property art project, the audience-meter gets set so far into "wooooo" that even the cast starts pitching in. Oleg and Han even offer semi-sweet pre-date advice for the nicest dressed 3am vandalism lookout in Williamsburg. It's really just "don't forget to use a condom", but it's the thought that counts. Especially since Oleg's wasn't used. All this finally Max finally gets the butterflies in her stomach under control enough to make a move on Johnny at the top of a billboard, only to have him so very awkwardly deflect and reject. Ouch.
Despite what was very obviously a straight-up rejection, somehow, Caroline convinces Max to try again and just smooch him the next time she sees him. Of course, the next time she sees him, he's with his Hot British Girlfriend. To her (and the show's) credit, she actually manages to play this off rather smoothly by smooching the HBG too, acting like that's her normal greeting. Hurt and apalled that Johnny has a girlfriend he never mentioned, she tells him off next time he comes in the diner. He tries to be all "well I do like you, and that's why I didn't kiss you before." Which would probably have a lot more pull if you'd mentioned the girlfriend in the first place, dude. Whatever. At the end of the episode, Max feels like shit, Caroline is still trying to ship them, and the smooch has somehow been captured in black and white spraypaint on the aforementioned billboard.
Upshots: Mostly non horrible jokes (Earl's slide into sex-machine puns notwithstanding), surprisingly sweet sides of Han and Oleg (though he does offer he rebound sex, he does also offer to beat the shit out of Johnny), and even a few legitimately funny moments ("Oh My God, he's hoarding
people!"). As much as I hate Johnny's very face, that storyline was actually handled with few sitcom cliches, and felt somewhat realistic. Or as realistic as a handsome white goateed hipster-wannabe bartender moonlighting as a poor vigilante street artist is. And it was nice to hear a mention of how Caroline really is having a hard time dealing with everything that's happened to her ("I organize that into a file in my head called 'Do Not Open Again Until You Are Stronger").
Downsides: Everything else.
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