A Televisual Feast

Here’s a fun way to spend an hour… I suppose the episode’s kind of different, dealing with Eugene’s realization of how terrible a person his actions–professionally required or not–make him. There’s a hilarious bit when Ellenor tells him to man up. It’d be more effective if the series hadn’t already done covered these problems with Bobby. Maybe not better, but already done. And the resolution is fine if Eugene goes, but he doesn’t, which should make it even more tragic… but since the episode just fades out on it, there’s nothing doing.

The rest of the episode is spent with Jimmy, whose mother is gay and wants to get married. Jimmy’s horrified at first, but they lose their nerve and have him redeem himself at the end. The hearing around it is boring, except for the times when Jimmy’s awful to his mother.

It’s a bad episode, somewhat competent and all, but Bobby and Rebecca are reduced here to furniture and it’s all cheap stunts. Eugene’s plot is a defense attorney standard and Jimmy’s is a flawed attempt to tie social commentary and character development.

The most amusing part of the episode comes when it rips off the “Seinfeld” dentist chair bit. I guess they thought no one would notice….

1.5