Tuesday, September 20, 2011

2 Broke Girls Review

Network/Writer(s): CBS/Molly McAleer

Actors: Kat Dennings, Beth Behrs, Jonathan Kite, Brooke Lyons

Summary: Experienced waitress Max Black meets her new co-worker, former rich-girl Caroline Channing, and puts her skills to the test at an old but re-emerging Brooklyn diner. Despite her initial distaste for Caroline, Max eventually softens and the two team up for a new business venture.

***
[NOTE: This review contains spoilers. Please watch episode before reading, or not. I really don't care]

I'm not really the biggest sitcom fan. I don't know why. I love comedy, and comedy writing, but for some reason sitcoms get really boring for me. Especially multi-camera versions. There are exceptions though, but they are mostly single camera. The Office, Scrubs, and Arrested Development are the few that I've actually stayed with for more than a season.

Despite my hesitation, I gave this show a shot because I have enjoyed everything that Kat Dennings has done. So I expected this show to be the exception to my rule.

But it didn't completely win me over despite Dennings' good performance as tough as nails waitress, Max Black. Most of my negative feelings toward the show has to do with Dennings co-star, Beth Behrs, and the cliche situations she was forced to act.

Behrs played her role as former socialite, Caroline Channing, well, but was forced to deliver very stereotypical lines and that hurt her performance. The one redeeming light for her work was that she could stand toe-to-toe with Dennings when asked. These were mostly scenes where she wasn't acting like a vapid air head. Most notably when Max is asking her rapid fire question when she is first hired.

Instead of making her naive, they made her seem stupid, even though they claimed she went to Wharton Business School. Which despite making my eyes roll when it was first mentioned, actually paid off at the end of the episode when she devises the cupcake store business.

If you haven't noticed by now, predictability is one of my pet peeves. I don't expect the show to surprise me with every scene, actually I enjoy guessing what the major plot is before it happens. I feel like its a payoff for paying attention.

But that is also the problem, I pay attention. So when a show get so predictable that I could tell the person I'm watching it with what will happen the rest of the episode after the opening credits; there a problem. Every big gag on 2 Broke Girls was telegraphed. From the horse at the end, to the cheating boyfriend, to Caroline not sleeping at a friend (I've seen way too many Gossip Girls), the show really laid everything out early as if they were expecting elderly people to watch it.

For a "hip, young show", there was way too much hand holding with jokes, and very elementary setup-punchline moments. Even with all that, the show had one surprise element that will keep me glued for at least another few weeks: the money counter at the end. I know it seems stupid, but the idea that they have a thought of how the season will end, has me intrigued.

The writing was okay, and the performances helped make it look better, but I'm hoping that they both get better as it goes along. And can we please get rid of the "One Day at a Time" Schneider wannabe in the kitchen. A 5-year-old could write his lines.

Rating: 6/10. Very predictable, but still well done for the genre.

Interest: Mild, but I'm curious where the cupcake business goes. I like the money counter at the end.


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