Oh how I’ve missed these crazy, lovable, idiots!
ABC Family’s Baby Daddy returned last night for the second half of its fourth season. When we left this crazy bunch, things were not looking that great. After years of will-they-won’t-they between Danny (Derek Theler) and Riley (Chelsea Kane) it was looking like they’d finally found their moment! However, after Riley realized and admitted her true feelings for Danny, we were left heartbroken as she watched Danny walk away from her in the locker room. However, things weren’t all bad. Tucker (Tahj Mowry) and his new love interest, Christine, seemed to be pushed together by fate yet again after their unconventional meeting and first date. Ben (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) and Bonnie (Melissa Peterman) had conspired to find a fake secret admirer for a down-in-the-dumps Tucker, only to find out she had actually had a crush on him for quite some time. The episode left off with the revelation that Christine was actually the best friend of Emma’s playdate’s mom - a perfect parallel to Tucker! Could this have been set up any more perfectly?!?
The episode picks up soon after we left off, with a confused Ben, wondering about Riley’s sudden disappearance. Danny, however, is keeping the circumstances of him and Riley’s fight to himself, leaving Ben no choice but to travel to New Jersey once he finds out Riley has returned to her childhood home without telling anyone. It turns out Riley has decided to go home in an attempt to escape her problems (aka her relationship drama with Ben and Danny). Meanwhile, Tucker feels jilted by Evelyn, his neighbor who recently passed away, seemingly without leaving him any of the belongings he had claimed in the past. Later, we meet Evelyn’s daughter, Ashley, who takes an immediate liking to Danny (who wouldn’t??) as she is a huge hockey fan and has been to every one of his games. Bonnie hatches a plan to get the listing for Evelyn’s apartment by breaking up Robyn (Christa B. Allen) and Danny and setting him up with Ashley. Bonnie and Evelyn have a long history of hatred so this is Bonnie’s only hope of securing the listing.
In the meantime, Ben arrives in New Jersey to find out what’s wrong with Riley and is met with a less than warm reception from her mother (Alex Kapp Horner), who still holds a grudge over a stolen lawn gnome. After he’s not allowed into Riley’s home, Ben climbs up to Riley’s window where he accidentally falls off the roof. In order to stick around and convince Riley to come home, Ben stages a foot injury and stays the night while he figures out what he can say to Riley.
Back at the apartment Bonnie’s plan is in full swing. She’s forced Ashley into babysitting Emma and tricked Robyn into getting locked in the laundry room, unable to intervene. This makes for some great bonding moments between Robyn and Bonnie, which I wish they had explored sooner. Tucker has also taken this opportunity to sneak into Evelyn’s apartment, grabbing an extravagant fur coat and what he believes to be her ashes (later revealed to actually be her cat’s - bell included!) so he can give her “the funeral she deserves”.
Back in New Jersey, we see Ben trying to convince Riley to come home. He tells her that they all need her, which is absolutely true, she’s basically the glue that holds them all together. She accepts what he says and agrees to come home, at least until she finds out that Ben has been lying and faking his foot injury the whole time! She kicks him out and tells him she’s decided to accept a new job at a law office in Buffalo, so she’ll be moving away permanently. This ups the stakes for Ben and Danny, who comes around after Ben tells him about Riley’s plans to move away. The gang all go to find her and show up outside her window. Ben reiterates that Riley is so important to them all and that Emma needs her, but what really convinces Riley to stay is Danny forgiving her and agreeing to move on from their fight. In order to keep the exact nature of their fight from Ben they have to discuss this in a very roundabout way, leaving Ben very confused and providing one of the funnier, yet touching, moments of the night.
The episode closes with Riley back at the apartment, running into Danny. She promises to stay out of his way and not intervene in his and Robyn’s relationship. When he tells her they’ve actually broken up you could almost hear the sound of fans cheering everywhere (me included!). It’s finally the right time!! But not so fast. Almost immediately he tells her that he’s with Ashley now. These two just really can’t seem to get the timing right! How much longer are the writers going to drag this out for?!? We then see Riley head to her new apartment, which is, you guessed it, Evelyn’s across the hall! Things are about to get interesting!
After this episode I’m convinced more than ever that this is one of the most underrated shows on TV. It’s one of the only comedies I watch that actually makes me laugh each and every episode and I have such a soft spot for it. Really, how could anyone not love this show? The premise has always been a bit crazy with a rather unfortunate title, but the heart of this show has always been its unique spin on a dysfunctional and untraditional, yet still loving, family.
Much of this show has focused on the boys, Danny and Ben, and their roles and relationship with their mother. However, last night we got a glimpse into Riley’s life and family. Riley’s mom was certainly a bit obnoxious but I kind of expected more. I guess I pictured her differently, more like Riley. I wanted something a little more over the top, she provided a few laughs but she’s no Bonnie Wheeler!
I’m so disappointed that Danny and Riley are once again going backwards in their relationship. We’ve waited so long for Riley to get on Danny’s page, and I never thought Danny would be the one to push her away and choose someone else. I’ve been rooting for them since the start and although this is frustrating, to me, this just proves that Danny is the one she is meant to end up with. After all this, it will only be more satisfying when they finally get together.
It’s hard to pick the biggest scene stealer on this show. Melissa Peterman did a lot of the heavy lifting, and carried most of the comedic elements on her shoulders. I have to say, usually Bonnie is not my favorite character but I found her very funny in this episode. My opinion on her may just be turning around!
I was disappointed that Tucker’s storyline with Christine seems to have been forgotten. It was too good of a setup at the end of last season not to use it! Hopefully it will be revisited later in the season… I would love for Tucker to get a stable love interest soon! He really deserves it after all this time. In my opinion, he’s one of the funniest characters and it would be fun to see him settling down.
The heart of this show is in the comedy, but often times it is so much more than that. It perfectly blends heartwarming and funny. We saw this perfect combination multiple times in last night’s opener. For example, when Tucker read Evelyn’s note about how he was the grandson she never had, I was moved. However, it was followed quickly by a dig at Bonnie which made me laugh and showed off the excellent and smart comedic timing by the writers and actors. Also, when Ben and Danny were trying to convince Riley to stay, they were saying very sweet, heartfelt things which, as a fan, really pull at your heartstrings with a character as beloved as Riley. Ben’s line “Emma really needs you, you’re her role model…when you’re not in the middle of a nervous breakdown,” really shows what this show does best. It takes you to that “aww” place and then pulls you back with a laugh. This is what all comedies should be aiming for, a deep connection to the characters and laughs, and Baby Daddy always delivers.
I’m so happy this show is back, and sooner rather than later. I feel like this show is a hidden gem on ABC Family. It’s always laugh-out-loud funny yet still maintains it’s heartwarming tone, with such a fun, likable cast. I always look forward to this show and I hope you’ll enjoy reading my reviews this season! I thought I’d end this review with some of my favorite quotes from last night’s episode. Feel free to add your own in the comments!
1. “Sweet?! Please! Right now she’s slow dancing with Satan!” - Bonnie
2. “She used to let me wander around her apartment and put blue stickers on stuff I could have after she died.” - Tucker
3. “Maybe we could just move you into the basement with your father” - Mrs. Perrin
4. “P.S. Tell Bonnie I hate her.” - Evelyn’s note to Tucker
5. “Oh Ashley…got a little dinner there? Eating alone, sad little to-go box. Maybe Danny can join you?”
“These are my grandma’s ashes.” - Bonnie & Ashley
6. "You know what? I don’t need her approval! Right mom? Damn it!" - Danny
7. “We’re not fighting! She just said something I liked, and then said something I didn't like, so I said…ok maybe we’re fighting.” - Danny
8. “He can’t survive without you.” - Ben
9. “I got this scar from the Detroit game. I tripped coming out of the locker room.” - Danny
10. “Emma needs you. You're her role model…you know, when you’re not in the middle of a nervous breakdown.” - Ben
Well, this is the end of my very first review for SpoilerTV! I’ve been enjoying this show for years so I’m very excited to be sharing my views on it with you all this season.
What did you think about last night’s episode? Did you have a favorite part? Are you Team Danny or Team Ben? And are you as frustrated as I am that Danny and Riley can’t seem to get their timing right? There’s just so much to discuss! Let me know your thoughts in the comments and thanks for reading!
About the Author - Kate Sidwell
Kate is a 24 year old, USA based, Psychology/Public Health Researcher - but that’s just her day job! In her spare time she is an avid TV watcher (some may even say addict!!). Some of her favorite shows are Jane the Virgin, Bates Motel, The Flash, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Rookie Blue, Silicon Valley, Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Hollow, The 100, The Mindy Project, Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon a Time, The Royals, Orphan Black…so pretty much too many to count and a huge variety! She’ll give pretty much any show a chance! She also devotes a lot of time to her tumblr (
eat-sleep-breathe-tv.tumblr.com) where you can find her reviewing and commenting on most of these shows and just generally fangirling! She’s excited to be writing for SpoilerTV on Complications, Baby Daddy, Proof, Switched at Birth, Secrets and Lies, and Minority Report!
