Let's be honest... This episode wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either. Please, don't give up yet, next week's episode is far better! (spoiler: #TrophyWifeReunion)
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Honestly, I'm not sure how to talk about this episode. It seemed so different! Last week, I felt like the series was still seeking his tone - and well, the show hasn’t found its tone yet, but it has laid groundwork. As the episodes progress I think we’ll find out if it is going to be a dark comedy, if it’s going to be a family comedy, or even a comedy about a group of friends.
Once again, they changed the pairs of characters. It shows that they are all friends, even if we never see them all together. So, we have a plot A and a plot B. The problem here is that the two are not very interesting. I'm glad that we give more airtime to Jenny Slate - this woman is a phenomenon - but here, it does not really work. She remains the only one with some interest in this episode, she has the best lines. The same goes for Judy Greer and her "And we're gonna get murdered".
This episode is about money. Indeed, we are at the dentist. The episode deals with Russ and Lina not having money for their daughter's appointment to get her braces off. The episode basically follows them as they try to get enough money to pay the orthodontist's bill. What I liked in this episode is that the the writers dig a little deeper into their characters. Married is not the kind of comedy that exposes the lives of its characters in less than two minutes. Married is primarily a character-driven comedy. The money problem storyline was realistic. I've read many negative comments on this, but some could argue that while boring, it is realistic because many of us are struggling financially. #StudentProblems is one of most used hashtags. Sometimes I wonder if Lina and Russ are just like Gretchen and Jimmy from You're the Worst, but married with three children, fifteen years later. They are irresponsible, but that's what makes them so endearing. They are also modern. It's a modern couple.
I thought there were several stereotypes in this episode, especially in Russ' storyline. Angel is back, but he should have stayed gone. The university scenes were pathetic.
Greer / Slate / Gelman storyline works better than the previous one, but mainly due to the energetic performances that the cast give.
As a tradition, the episode ends with the couple and it was probably the best part of the episode. I see them as a dysfunctional but loving couple. They have such an intense chemistry. My favorite quote from the episode is : "Is it so pathetic that I'm almost forty and I don't know what I want to be when I grow up" (Lina). Sometimes they behave responsibly, other times, they are spontaneous and unpredictable.
Note : 4.5/10 - The title of the review is a quote from the episode and express my disappointment.
Now, it's your turn! What did you think of the episode? Hit the comments!
