Happy Endings is back to its old tricks this week with an episode that saw the return of a favourite season one recurring character as well as a guest spot by a current SNL player.
Where to start, now this is a show that at this point I can say I am in love with. It delivers week in and week out and does its weekly job of making me laugh. Since I have these expectations I feel that even when an episode is solid like this, I still can’t help feeling a little let down, or that it just lacked something. For me, the root of the problem for this episode is Dave. This episode heavily centred on Dave, and it is no secret to anyone who watches the show that Dave is the weakest link. They are still trying to figure out what to do with him thirty or so episodes in. So putting Dave in a story where he is bullied at the gym by Bobby Moynihan (SNL) was problematic from the get go because it was an unfunny set up. The best part of this story meant that we got to see the return of Derek (“DRAAAMAAAAA!”) the flamboyant gay character who was so memorable in his appearances in season one. His interactions with Max especially were wonderful. Derek’s “You stupid clumsy bitch!” line to Penny is season one still remains one of my favourite moments of the show.
On the other hand, I didn’t have much problem with the B plot of Jane falling apart due to her lack of power even though it was very similar to last week’s New Girl with Schmidt, because this meant we got a Jane meltdown. Eliza Coupe is so great at being the highly strung Type A character it was a nice change to see her revert to eating nachos on the couch and wear ridiculous ‘very chill’ pants. Even better was Brad falling apart without her. The last scene of the episode featuring the two of them with the Ice Cube song was all kinds of awesome. Penny didn’t have much to do this week except play straight man to Jane, which I didn’t mind because we don’t get to see it all that often. If there was anything good to come from Dave’s bullying storyline it was the discovery of Alex’s bullying past. Elisha Cuthbert plays a very convincing (hilarious) mean girl. They just give Alex all the best stuff, don’t they?
Other bits of interest:
- Who knew Max was such a gym rat?
- “Jane has always been the president of everything: Student Body, National Honour Society, our immediate family.” – Alex
- Penny: “Max, why are you dressed like Josh Brolin in The Goonies?” Max: “YOU NOTICED!”
- “We are going to have the best rooftop garden. It’s going to be just like The Secret Garden, without that super sick kid. Right? Ick.” – Jane
- Dave apparently got weepy during Jeremy Renner’s Oscar speech?
- “I look like Gene Wilder. I’m a monster.” – Dave needs a haircut
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Brad and Jane walking in to Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” had me in stitches… Man I friggen love this show.