Courtesy of ABC
This week Max (Adam Pally) and Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.) team up to hype up some bar mitzvahs while Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) and Dave (Zachary Knighton) try to save their relationship by adding some romance to their dull lives. Meanwhile both Penny (Casey Wilson) and Jane (Eliza Coupe) are all but forgotten. Let’s bitch.
In his pursuit to find purpose, Brad joins Max on the bar mitzvah entertainment circuit as “Boys II Menorah.” Now Max and Brad have always been a dynamic duo, but Max’s jealousy takes over after Brad, unsurprisingly, surpasses him in the ancient art of entertaining Jews. I love Max’s Madonna tribute band, Mandonna, so seeing him back on stage as an entertainer should have be a slam dunk, but unfortunately this time it doesn’t fully work for me. Don’t get me wrong, there are moments that are funny, but it’s like the writers decided to turn the zaniness factor up a few notches too high. Any show this wacky walks a fine line between hilarious and overkill and this one spills into the latter. Brad’s involvement should be a continuation of his quest to find a new job, but strangely this is completely ignored. Is Brad becoming an entertainer? Or, God forbid, is he joining Max in his revolving door career choices? I for one hope not.
Courtesy of ABC
Meanwhile, after rekindling their romance and hastily moving in together, Dave and Alex seem to be getting very comfortable with each other. Perhaps a little too comfortable. Fearing the end of their romance, they both try unsuccessfully to kick-start the passion. Both attempts are hilarious, and give Knighton an opportunity to show off his physical comedy skills. This storyline works best for me because it does “zany” in a good way, and doesn’t go over the top. At the same time, it continues a storyline that we have become invested in, which also serves to raise the stakes (which, if you recall, I recommended all the way back in season two).
Easily the funniest part of the episode is the runaway airport scene, thanks in large part to both Knighton and Coupe, who kill it in their mad dash to find Alex. I especially love when Jane gets tasered twice. Alex might not have moments of physical comedy but she still manages to bring it in her scenes. I love her attempt to be sexy by reminding Dave that the insane amount of condoms in the bag are for his penis. No glove, no love honey!
That leaves both Penny and Jane as afterthoughts as both cling to the two main storylines with little or nothing to do. Penny draws a few chuckles as she gets hit on by young jewish boys, but the whole thing feels forced and uninspired. It’s like an afterthought by the writers (Oh right! Better give Penny something to do!) and that totally makes me sad, cause I love Penny! Jane is given even less to do as she helps Alex and Dave with their romance issues. On a positive note though, bonus points for that awesome stewardess outfit in the airport scene. (Side Note: I seriously love the relationship between Jane and Brad, they are so kinky.)
But it’s sad when these two hilarious ladies are not used to their full capabilities. This reinforces the fact that, three episodes in, the show is coasting so far this season. The episodes aren’t terrible, but they aren’t great either. It’s certainly still one of the funniest shows on television, but if we go back to the last episode of season two, the past few episodes pale in comparison to the hilarity of the wedding episode. The show needs to tighten things up, and dare I say, raise the stakes. They have this great storyline with Brad and yet they are wasting an episode having him tag along with Max. Give this man – along with Jane and Penny – more to do! I love this show and I know how great and funny it can be, so it’s hard to see it give such a subpar performance.
Best lines of the night:
Jane: “I’m gonna have to see your license, registration and proof of penis.”
Brad: “This is outrageous! I’m writing down your vag number.”
Jane: “It’s number one.”
Brad: “Yeah it is.”
- Penny: “You will be the hottest mixed-race dance crew since Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat…he was Persian.”
- Max: “And relax, white people love black people. Why do you think we’ve been wholesale ripping off your culture for decades? It’s out of love…and greed. But mostly love…of money.”
What did everyone else think? Am I wrong in demanding more for Brad, Jane and Penny? Are you enjoying the romance between Alex and Dave? After only three episodes am I being too harsh on the show? Sound off in the comments below.
Happy Endings airs Tuesdays at 9pm EST on ABC