About a Boy - Episode 1.12 & 1.13 - About a Hammer & About a Rib Chute - Review

Alright fellow About a Boy viewers, this is where I say goodbye to you…but only for a while, because About a Boy survived the NBC sitcom slaughter of ’14 and it’s officially coming back next year! A big congratulations to the producers and cast, specifically David Walton, because I’m pretty sure this is the only series in which he’s been that will continue on to a second season. The curse is broken! Anyway, enough about renewal news, let’s talk about the final two episodes of the show’s first (but not only) season, and a little season one wrap-up.

First of all I have to say, Marcus gets a dumbwaiter AND an awesome treehouse?! He’s basically living all of my childhood dreams. The only thing I might have changed was switching out the ribs for a Shirley Temple complete with a handful of maraschino cherries. Now that sounds like the life…

In the first episode, “About a Hammer,” Will and Marcus start construction on his (or, let’s be real, their) treehouse and everything seems to be going great. That is until Dr. Sam has to move in with Will because her building was condemned due to a situation with a hoarder (naturally), and Fiona’s pretty sure that Sam’s pregnant. Because we all know, that if a woman in a TV show or movie doesn’t want to drink alcohol, she’s probably pregnant. After the initial shock and a small freak-out about feminine hygiene products (“Can we just stop talking about tampons for once?!”), Will comes to grips with the fact that he’s going to be a father -- which of course he’s not. Because Sam’s not pregnant, she just has a job offer. So while Will was preparing to fully commit to Sam and their future, she instead reveals that she’s moving to New York. The fact that Will comes around to fatherhood relatively quickly (obviously necessitated in part by the ridiculously brief amount of storytelling time on network television), is a clear indication of his transformation ever since Fiona and Marcus moved in next door. Although he’s still somewhat immature and unsure about total commitment, when faced with a major (fake) life change, he totally steps up to the challenge. Another note in how far the three neighbors have come since their first meeting? Marcus refers to Will and Sam’s potential offspring as “our baby.”

…Which makes the events of the season finale even harder to bear, as Will wrestles with the decision to move to NY with the good doctor. Coming off of Marcus’ abandonment by his father a few weeks earlier, Will’s surprising move to NY is too much for the kid to handle. And he takes this abandonment a lot harder than the (more expected) one by his father. Will has become some sort of family, both to Marcus and Fiona, over the past few months -- not in any particular role, but definitely family nonetheless. Making the decision to follow the woman he loves to NY highlights the peculiar relationship between the neighbors, as it’s hard to Will to justify staying behind for a neighbor rather than follow his girlfriend to the big city (in a pretty sweet-looking apartment, I might add). It’ll be interesting to see how Will makes his way back to the Boy for next season. Hopefully it’ll be without abandoning his increasingly serious relationship with Dr. Sam.

Overall the first season of About a Boy seems to have been a journey of the show trying to figure out what it will be, as happens in mostly every show. Coming from more finite source materials, there was some question about how the show would develop as a more open-ended entity, and it seems to have found its way. Or at the very least is on its way to finding its way. Like other family sitcoms, this show is about family members supporting each other and frustrating each other and helping one another out because no matter how much they bicker they genuinely care about each other. The best episodes (“About a Plumber,” “About a Poker Night,” “About a Boy’s Dad”) work because of the family unit of Will, Fiona, and Marcus. Although they are a family divided at the end of this season (though thank goodness for Skype!), when they reunite next year, hopefully we’ll get to see more of their family of choice and happenstance.

The thing about About a Boy is that the stories are rarely novel -- in fact, it’s fairly apparent from the first or second beat where the episode is going to go. But that doesn’t necessarily make the show boring or rote. The characters are fun and interesting, and increasingly likable, and the one-liners always get a good laugh (at least from me). So while I might get frustrated with a story, I will still find myself laughing throughout the episode. Hopefully next year, as less of an underdog, the show will be able to take some more creative risks in the storytelling, and showcase the delightful characters to the fullest.

Once again, congrats to David Walton (and everyone else from About a Boy, I suppose) on the second season pick-up! Looking forward to lots more funny and sweet moments next year.

What did you think of the final episodes and the first season? Are you excited for next season? What was your favorite moment of the season? And most importantly, do you wish you had a rib chute? (For extra credit: Why or why not?)

About the Author - Kimberly

Kimberly is a college student studying Writing for Film & TV, and a big TV nerd - willing to talk any show, any time. Her tastes are various and sundry, but she’s got a soft spot for comedy. She currently writes the SpoilerTV reviews for Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and About a Boy.