I rather enjoyed this week’s instalment of Happy Endings despite it’s plot feeling very familiar not only in the land of sitcom, but especially in this show. I recall in season one a small shout out already involving Penny changing herself to suit her boyfriend’s occupations and it’s more of the same here.
After seeing Penny go unsuccessfully cross-country skiing in an attempt to keep a guy, Jane informs her she needs to change the guy to fit her rather than alter herself because that is what she did with Brad. Enter Jeff (played by the delightful Ryan Hansen of Veronica Mars and Party Down fame) a hockey obsessed man child with ridiculous facial hair who likes to say ‘sick’ and ‘dog’ a lot. Her transformation of Jeff’s appearance and loft is so successful he gets engaged to his ex-girlfriend at a market on the spot. So much for the year of Penny. More amusing I thought was Brad reverting back to old Brad pre-Jane, later to discover that Brad also changed Jane back when she went through a slutty Gwen Stefani phase in college. I always have time for Brad and Jane they seem to make anything work, so it was great to have them paired up again here after a few weeks off in different pairings. 
Dave’s one funny on-going joke featuring his love of V-neck’s has been used at least two times already this season. This episode featured it more prominently, and while I still got a kick out of it I feel like perhaps this gag is beginning to run its course. I can’t blame the writer’s though as it has been something that has seemed to work for the Dave character. Max and Alex get hooked on reality shows focused on addiction à la Hoarders (this was bizarre timing for me, having being hooked on a show about addiction just last week I could totally relate to Max and Alex). and discover that Dave has an addiction to his shirts with those super V’s (no kidding, he wear’s them everywhere!). I had a lot of fun throughout, and I think it mainly worked due to the fact that Alex and Max are the silliest characters on the show, so they can be successfully stretched out on a thin plot like this one. Intervention story lines are no stranger to sitcoms (See most recently How I Met Your Mother’s aptly titled episode ‘Intervention’), but what let this one cross the line was the hilarious ending regarding Dave wearing a turtleneck for four days, only to succumb to that sweet V-neck high three hours later. A solid outing for the show despite the familiarity.
Other highlights:
- “Oh my god. That’s three V’s. That’s almost five.” – Alex
- Loved Old Brad’s black version of Jackass, Blackass
- “Did you guys zamboni? Did he make it to your penalty box? Did you puck?” – Hockey innuendo with Jane
- Alex thinks there is eleven in a baker’s dozen.
- Excellent physical comedy from Damon Wayans Jr. when getting attacked by the mouse traps for his Blackass stunts
- Dave: “This is my date-V. I get V in this V.”
- “I wish my last name was a cookie.” – Alex on Alyssa Milano
- Be right back, listening to TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’.
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