Happy Endings recap – 02×07: ‘The Code War’

What a way to rebound! After a week’s hiatus Happy Endings came back full force. In my previous post I complained about the show’s story problems, and although this week still felt a little weak, the episode was saved by the acting and some of the funniest jokes of the season. The jokes came one after the other, and I had to watch twice just to catch some of them.The episode started out a little weak and formulaic in its setup. The first scene set up one of the storylines: Max’s (Adam Pally) high school girlfriend, Angie (Riki Lindhome), just moved to Chicago and everyone got to meet her. Her arrival sparked jealous feelings in Penny (Casey Wilson), who dated Max in college, but she downplayed it by being overly friendly. Unfortunately Penny subplot didn’t really go anywhere.

Meanwhile, after learning that Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.) had a work wife (is that really a thing?), Jane (Eliza Coupe) got jealous and decided to get her own work husband (seriously is this a thing people have?). Her attempt to flirt with the mail guy was seriously one of the funniest scenes in the episode. I do love me some good double entendres. This led Brad to get jealous and they decided to invite their respective work wife and husband over for drinks and ultimately discover, after a very awkward evening, that they should just flirt with each other.

I have to single out Damon Wayans Jr. and Eliza Coupe here because they were hilarious in this episode. Both played to their strengths and delivered some of the funniest lines of the episode and this season. Brad is always amusing and is seriously in the running for my ideal man (what a dreamboat!). Who doesn’t love a man that doesn’t take himself too seriously, and has a tight, sweet smelling body. Eat your heart out Old Spice guy! Sorry what was I saying?…

Oh right, Coupe’s Jane, meanwhile, was the perfect amount of neurotic. Jane can lean too much towards the Monica Gellar school of neurotic ticks and it can be annoying, but Coupe did a great job of finding the funny in the neurosis without going too over the top (and destroying the jokes). Special props to Casey Wilson for her spot on impression of Jane – hilarious!!

When Dave (Zachary Knighton) started seeing Angie, Max forbid it and invoked “the code” (a shout out to the code of conduct between bros popularized by Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother). To show Dave why it was wrong, Max made out with Alex (Elisha Cuthbert). Alex then started to have feelings for Max which made for some pretty amusing exchanges between both of them. After finding out that Dave continued to see Angie behind his back, Max invoked a code war – hence the title of the episode!

The episode culminated in the war between Dave and Max, which is where the episode really nailed it for me. The super deep v t-shirts, the revelation that Dave cooked his meat in his underwear (hmmm that sounds much dirtier than what it actually is), Dave trying to take down the cylinder support beam and, of course…the perm. Possibly the funniest thing this show has done this entire season. Not to mention all the great references they pulled out on just one sight gag. (Side note, my favorites were definitely Temple Grandin and It’s Pat)

This is what I love about this show! They have some of the funniest writers working on this show. They may not have great storylines, but you forget about it because you’re too busy laughing your ass off. Of course it also helps that the delivery is pitch perfect.

Other observations:

• Loved the 80s hair band exchange. I too love to sing out stuff as if I am in an 80s hair band
• The Mike Meyers and Kanye West reference = brilliant!
• Happy to see Riki Lindhome – wish they could’ve utilized her more! She was so great in the Pushing Daisies episode ‘Dummy’ (s01-e02). She needs to have her own show, like now!
• I am still seriously laughing out loud at the Temple Grandin and It’s Pat reference. Classic!!