After realizing that they have little understanding of different types of cocktails, Max and Caroline decide to take a bartending class. Max proves to be an excellent mixologist, while Caroline has a difficult time grasping the concept. After Max gets chicken pox from Han and it’s up to Caroline to pass the final bartending exam, the gang devises a plan to use Sophie’s video camera doll to help Max give Caroline all the answers. When Han spills hot chocolate on the doll mid-exam, Caroline is discovered and fails. Not all is lost, however, as Max still walks away from the experience with a huge amount of cocktail knowledge and is able to make drinks at the M&C Dessert Bar.
Max and Caroline’s storyline this week was definitely my favorite. It was pretty funny to see Caroline struggle so much in school, especially when compared to Max and her genius abilities with alcohol (no surprise there). When thinking back to the season's 5th episode where Caroline had a difficult time partying and not taking academics so seriously, it would make total sense that she would have zero understanding of how to make drinks and would then go to extreme lengths to pass the test. I especially loved this storyline because it exposed a flaw in the girls’ dessert bar - they need a bartender. I always love the episodes where the girls identify a problem with their business and seek to fix it (such as season 1’s “And the Pretty Problem” where they try to learn how to professionally decorate their cupcakes). It’s these types of storylines that highlight just how long Max and Caroline’s road to success is and will make their eventual success more meaningful. I also enjoyed French Stewart’s guest stint as the girls' bartending teacher. He’s always a joy on
Mom so it was nice to see him cross over to another CBS sitcom for the week.
There was also a lot going on in this episode other than Max and Caroline learning how to mix drinks. At first, the side storylines were just okay for me, but I really appreciated how the writers tied everything together at the end with Han’s chicken pox being the reason Max couldn’t take the test and Sophie’s doll being used to help Caroline cheat. This really helped the episode be a more cohesive narrative rather than a bunch of jumbled storylines. Also, Han’s chicken pox definitely made me laugh the most in this episode. Though, Sophie’s doll was maybe one of the creepiest things I have ever seen in my life.
Although I liked all of the storylines being intertwined and the development for the dessert bar, I did not find this episode that funny. Usually, even if I’m not a fan of the storyline,
2 Broke Girls always makes me laugh, but there were only a few jokes I really liked in this episode. Most comedies have a few not-as-funny episodes each season, so I’m still a huge fan of this season so far, but more laughs would have been nice. That being said, the next episode looks pretty hilarious and should continue the trend of season 6 having strong episodes.
Overall Grade:
B. Although the episode had strong storylines, the jokes didn’t land as well as they usually do.
Favorite Quotes:
Caroline: I've never seen you take anything this seriously... and you had rabies once.
Caroline: I am so screwed. The bartending test is in two hours and I can't remember what goes in a White Lady.
Max: A bottle of chardonnay and then a fat guy that makes her laugh.
Did you laugh more than I did watching this episode? Let me know in the comments!
