Courtesy of CBS
This week things get awkward and tense as Simon (Robin Williams), Zach (James Wolk) and Sidney (Sarah Michelle Gellar) fight for the attention of a client – and this ain’t about the account. Also, Andrew (Hamish Linklater) runs his own show with the help of Lauren (Amanda Setton). That’s right, Lauren is finally doing something.
Let’s bitch…
One of the great things about the pilot was the chemistry between Simon and Zach. Unfortunately since that episode they haven’t really had any time together to riff off each other. That situation is remedied this week when they team up again and, once again, it’s very funny. I always love a good southern accent. I do declare!
This camaraderie is short lived as their client, Helena (Saffron Burrows), takes both of them on as lovers. Damn girl! It’s a scenario ripe for comedy and The Crazy Ones executes it quite well. The best part is the scene when Simon finds out that he’s not Helena’s only lover. It’s no surprise to me that the sex with Zach would be transcendent, but for Simon it’s a bit of shock, especially considering he’s just happy his new knee didn’t give out. I have spent a lot of time discussing the other actors in past reviews but I do have to single out Williams in this episode. While I wasn’t crazy about him at first, mostly because his outburst seemed ill timed and not always that funny, Williams has really found his groove as Simon. That’s clearly on display this week as he is utterly delightful and funny.
Along for this ride is Sidney, but once again she’s the weak link in this storyline. In this case, it’s not necessarily the end of the world – she gets a few amusing moments but a lot of the laughs revolve around her being grossed out by her knowledge of the sexual escapades between Helena, her father and Zach (not all together obviously). The schtick is amusing, but too often it’s being played for broad laughs and it just doesn’t work. The whole scene with the mayonnaise jar is too obvious. I do enjoy Sidney’s need to be chic and cool around her idol, but unfortunately this isn’t exploited comedically as well as it could be.
Courtesy of CBS
Meanwhile Andrew has to run his own show – a prospect that terrifies him. Luckily he has Lauren there to lend a helping hand and offer emotional support – ’cause he needs it. I would need it too if I had to contend with “the voice,” Fred Melamed (playing himself). While the pay-off of this storyline is obvious and somewhat cliche, the execution is still very funny. Linklater does awkward nervousness so well that you can’t help but laugh at his feeble attempts to control Melamed. Even when he confronts him face to face and the anticipated reaction is exactly what we expect, Andrew’s goofy/proud smile is such a winner that I couldn’t help smiling just watching him. Big balls indeed.
The real revelation this week is Lauren, who finally gets in on the action, which Setton parlays into some really big laughs. I have been hard on this character because she always seems to be on the periphery of everything going on. ‘She’s So European’ makes Lauren a part of a storyline, and even though she is still only there as support another character, she is given some great lines. What clinches it for me is her impression of Zach’s ‘O’ face. I laughed pretty hard initially and then, during the blooper reel at the end, we get to enjoy all of her variations and they;re brilliant. I do hope the writers now understand how they can use this character in more substantial ways moving forward.
Other observations:
- The blooper reel is really funny this week. A personal favourite is seeing Linklater get punched in the nuts with a bag. Hilarious. I’m a sucker for a punch in the nuts.
- Nice to see that Pringles is a sponsor, but I am not sure I would associate them with boobs and butts. Isn’t that a little off brand?
What did everyone else think? Did you enjoy the rivalry between Simon and Zach? Are you happy to see Lauren get more action, comedy-wise? Are you loving the blooper reel at the end? Sound off below.
The Crazy Ones airs Thursday nights at 9pm EST on CBS
“Does anybody have a cyanide capsule that I could borrow?” This line by Andrew sums up what I felt about this episode. The blatant and crude sexual comedy is not only truly unfunny, but uncomfortable, and it shows in the actors and their far sub par acting this week. (I love each of the actors, and they are brilliant, but you can tell that they are struggling to stay afloat in a script that reads as if it was written by a college student with a minor in screenwriting and a major in alcohol.) The brilliant performances given by Andrew and Fred Malamed contrast the grating, -please lets get this line over- performances of the rest of the cast. The chemistry between the two and the line delivery by Malamed makes this a subplot worth watching, while you simply have to endure the hyper charged, exaggerated, and downright gross and overdone remainder of the episode. The script given to these brilliant actors brings them down to the level of peddling in trash, while what they should be doing is focusing on each of the extremely funny characters and their relationships. Instead, Lauren is perpetually pushed aside for some guest star, Williams is degraded from a truly funny man to a threat to society, Sydney’s character is eternally pushed aside in favor of “awkward situations” which get old after the first time, and the boys simply become managers to Williams when he goes off on an insane escapade, which really isn’t that funny in the first place. My overall diagnosis is this- sexual comedy can be amusing, but when it is thrown constantly in your face, it becomes gross, uncomfortable, and, overall, crude.