I'm Dying Up Here - Girls Are Funny, Too - Review

While Game of Thrones made a triumphant return on HBO last night, I'm Dying Up Here kept on slowly sinking into oblivion with its sixth episode, titled "Girls Are Funny, Too." Now four episodes away from the end of its first season, I'm Dying Up Here seems resolute to keep up with things as is, one episode after the other following the exact same recipe.

In last night's episode, the show opened with most of the characters watching Nick's performance on The Tonight Show. The latter went on the show high, and the episode dealt a lot with Nick's drug problem. We see him struggle for money, unable to pay for his drugs, and even consider performing at Ted's (despite Goldie's rule against her comics performing in other clubs) so that he can get money to buy more drugs. If Nick started the episode by being disappointed he did not get the couch on Carson's show, he spent the rest of the episode being desperate for drugs.

Drugs, drugs, drugs. They were everywhere in this episode, from Nick's girlfriend getting high in their bathroom to Bill getting high while he goes on a sales call with Sully. Speaking of the two, this episode shows them spend the day together, talking about their feeling and about how much their lives suck. Sully envying Bill for his freedom while the Bill envies Sully for his love life. It's not a fun (pity) party to watch, and devotes a good portion of the episodes to tell viewers things they already figured out.

Again, the funniest part of this week's I'm Dying Up Here landed in the hands of Eddie and Ron, literally. While Ron convinces Eddie to go with him on a double date, the other is very concerned about how they will pay for said dates when only one of them has a steady (low) income. Ron is sure they can make it happen for less than $20, until the girls go off his plan and order food on their own (lobster tails!), and the boys have to sign up for a hot wings challenge in hopes to get a free dinner out of this debacle. The whole scene is fun, and it's always a pleasure to follow Ron and Eddie's adventures. The young duo is among the most lovable characters of the show, but it is getting old that they are the only characters to add actual fun to I'm Dying Up Here. Everyone else is just depressing and it'd be nice to see them under a different lens.

Skipping a weird storyline between Adam and Ralph (honestly, what was that about, anybody?), let's talk about Goldie and Cassie. Ralph offers an industrial gig to Cassie, who is not interested until she hears it pays $200 (money is a recurring problem for the comics, one that is brought up often with no solution). Her performance goes well and she even gets to pick on a loud man in the audience, but things quickly go south for Cassie. Shortly after the gig is over, she is accosted in the parking lot by that same guy. He asks her for a drink and becomes physical when she refuses. A waitress witnessing the scene comes to Cassie's rescue by spraying the man's eyes with bug spray. In shock, Cassies drives back to Goldie's, feeling the weight of what she just experienced.

Goldie, on the other end, had a successful meeting at CBS: they loved her idea for an all-female comedy program. The only problem is, they are more interested in good-looking female comics than funny and promising female comics. Goldie tries to fight it, without results. While she initially told Cassie she would not put her on the show because she does not believe she is ready, Goldie has to change her mind upon CBS' pressure and gives in. She tells Cassie she is in as the girl walks into her office following the parking lot event, and tells her she will have to pretty much be pretty and stick to her old materials. For Cassie, it's as much a victory as it is another slap in the face right after being assaulted for being witty and pretty.

In a nutshell? Everything is still pretty much the same for the I'm Dying Up Here crew: everyone struggles, life is hard and sometimes somebody makes a good joke. The characters are just riding this slow wave that seems to never really splash on anything. With four episodes left, the show could still surprise us, but really, based on what we've seen so far, it's highly unlikely.