Before we delve into the two episodes of Happy Endings that aired this week, I think it’s best if we clear up a few preliminary matters first:
- Most importantly, ABC has decided to end the twice-weekly Sunday-Tuesday Happy Endings double-dip, and will go back to airing the show only in its regular Tuesday night timeslot. Apparently ABC was hoping the second airing would help increase word of mouth and get more eyes on a show they claim to love (despite not really promoting it or giving it much of a shot on Sunday), but the ratings were awwwwwful, so they scrapped the idea after two weeks. This is okay with me because I am very lazy and certainly will not mind going back to one recap a week instead of these jam-packed two-fers, but I’m not sure it’s great for the long-term success of the show. It also means there will be more episodes leftover when they take their Dancing With the Stars-imposed break in March.
- If you haven’t read our Q&A with Eliza Coupe, please do so now. She is a treasure.
- If you are a casual fan of the show and this week’s episodes seemed disjointed and ill-fitting, there’s a reason for that. Sunday’s episode, which featured the gang playing kickball, was originally supposed to air last season but was scrunched out due to scheduling issues. When ABC asked the producers to do the Sunday episodes, they decided to plop it in because it would give them a little leeway with the ramped-up production. That’s why Dave and Alex weren’t together, and why Penny was HECKA man crazy.
- Sometimes I feel like this show is in my head: NBA references, turkey dancing, an episode titled “Boyz II Menorah,” and now one featuring Mark-Paul “Zack Morris/Peter Bash” Gosselaar? I … I don’t even know what else to ask for. If Penny goes on a date with Squints from The Sandlot I may sue them for intercepting my brainwaves.
And now, on the following pages, the highlights:
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Didn’t realize the kickball one was from last season. Pretty great, nonetheless.
DTB was so much better than HE on Tues.
THE MOVIE THE HELP!
“PLEASE LET THIS MEAN HE WILL RE-APPEAR PERIODICALLY AS MAX’S NEMESIS OH PLEASE OH PLEASE.”
If NBC cancels this show before that happens, someone needs to burn the place down. Season Finale of season 4, SBTB cast reunion where each character plays a part in Chase’s master plan to bring Max down.
It’s ABC but I fully endorse burning down NBC.
Why not both? Wait, let’s see what ABC does with the SHIELD series before torching it. If it’s only mediocre (or just blows) then go for it.
“Wait, they closed All Dogs Go To Evan’s…Bakery?”
I know I am in the minority, but Dave’s terribleness doesn’t annoy me. I love it. Particularly when he scolds himself. “Trust your instincts, David!”
lately I find Brad more annoying than Dave. Dave has some amazing moments.
Brad was fucking terrible last night. I’ve never wanted to punch him in the face, but last night I wanted to punch him in the face. How can a show that is supposedly so forward thinking when it comes to gay characters have one of the main characters just shit the fucking bed when it comes to the stupid jealousy shtick?? Seriously, the fucking jealousy thing is played out.
And use your fucking big boy voice Brad.
They’ve really taken the “mispronunciation” gag too far this season… every freakin’ thing Brad says has some kind of terrible inflection that makes me want to slap him. The episode in the car dealership almost killed the show for me.
Agreed, Chicago accents are already wacky enough.
I think the kick ball ep > than the exes. I just couldn’t get over that bar scene when they’re celebrating making it into the finals against Jane, and Dave is at the foozeball ball table coaching himself, “See the ball, kick the ball, see the kick, kick the penn-NO DAVID!!” That was wonderful.
This show has really started to grow on me.
For a show that they “love” so much, ABC sure does dick around with their episode order.
I AM SO HAPPY THAT MY EX IS BACK TO ME HE NOW ADORE AND RESPECT ME ANYTHING I TELL HIM THAT IS WHAT HE FOLLOWS ALL THANKS TO DR UPESA, THE GREAT SPELL CASTER,THIS MAN HIS THE BEST AND STRAIGHT FORWARD SPELL CASTER THAT TELLS YOU THE TRUTH AND YOU WILL GET RESULT UNDER 2DAYS,OTHER SPELL CASTER ARE SCAM BUT DR UPESA, IS VERY TRUSTWORTHY PLEASE IF YOU NEED YOUR LOVER ONCE BACK PLEASE KINDLY CONTACT DR UPESA ON HIS PRIVATE MAIL UPESASPELLTEMPLE@GMAIL.COM
Mercy tells the truth. Dr Pepper works wonders.
always time for a Dr. Pepper.
I find that the Diet Dr Pepper really performs miracles. But not that Dr Pepper 10 shit. That’s the devil’s work.
Brad picking Lance Briggs over Robbie Gould for kickball had me cracking up for some reason
That was such a Dave move
“You will get those cats, when you get those cats Jane!”
I really want to know how Max got trapped in that well.
I was kinda disappointed they didn’t explain that more. It was likely a food related incident.
I still want to know that story about his dad.
My first thought was “doughnuts”.
I thought the Kikball episode was even funnier this week then when I saw it before (thanks to the Internet). The Tuesday episode was awesome though, I love that the Dave jokes just keep on coming.
“Oh, so you’re the Dave of the group”
Restoration Hardware couches are awesome.
Happy Endings – seeing the Kickball episode again (thanks internet) was nice; the episode on Tuesday was one of my favorite of the season, maybe only the Jane-mas episode was better.
After two great episodes on Sunday and Tues, it’s official: The James Van Der Beek Show is legit awesome.
Also Ben and Kate. Surprisingly funny and enjoyable.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar was criminally underused. The episode should have been about Max trying to open a burger joint called The Maxx next to a high school. The episode practically writes itself.
Sweet Jesus, I’d watch the sh*t out of that show.
Mind. BLOWN.
Slow clap for you. The writers left the door open for MPG to return so let’s pray they stumble across this.
We really need to get some recaps of Dont trust the B in this piece.
Agreed.
“Yipsy-kay-yay Mother-Failure” was easily my favorite line from the Kickball episode.. Team Jane
Dave Rose is terrible.
I think at this point they’re trying to make Dave as terrible as possible. I mean, everybody else is so clearly awesome, and then there’s Dave.
I just love how he is usually the biggest target for the pile on. I know they make him such a douche on pourpose, but he is still terrible.
Harsh barley, bro.
Stolen tweet: @joereid: I know it’s a joke, but honestly: Tuesdays became the new Thursdays on TV so gradually, I didn’t notice.
I’m gonna go ahead and say it, I feel like Mark-Paul Gosselaar was underused.
Agreed. MPG could have been the 7th member of the group for just one week and it would have been glorious
THIS
We can only hope he does return to make Max’s life a living hell.
Yipsy Kay Yay Mother Failure might be my new favorite nickname.
My brain followed Brad and Jane just a little bit too far up the stairs at the end of last night’s episode.
You don’t really see many people on TV using chewing tobacco. Alex changed that.
Alex change a lot of things… like the size of my penis.
Mrs. Scorpio and I both squealed with delight on the appearance of Zach Morris. For slightly different reasons, I assume.
No mention of the 24/CTU reference? I thought that was greatness.
It was quick and she was talking over Max during it, but I’m glad they still slid it in.
CTU and then TCU. It was glorious.
I’m still waiting for a cougar to be tracking her. I can’t believe it hasn’t been done. And not an actual cougar, because that would be too on the nose, but a hot older lady with the hots for Alex.
Can we start one of those White House petitions to get Taco Corp. on the writing staff?
Where do I sign?
I will make up several different identities so I can sign multiple times
Did like the out of order kickball episode though. They were all at their best during that one. Nice cameo from Lance Briggs as well.
“Kickball” is the kind of episode that every great sitcom needs.
Have to say it. Did not like the episode all night. None of them seemed remotely like real people. Except Brad staying to watch the two hot chicks making out. I know they are all pretty cartoonish, but come one. Not to say there weren’t funny parts to the one last night, but overall I had a hard time watching it.
They did kind of allude to that with the different groups of friends.
Brad’s face in the ending tag while he was watching his ex and Jane’s ex just make out on their couch was the best. And just in case you forgot, here it is again in GIF form:
[i.imgur.com]
Nice work.
Otto, thank you mightily for that gif. Can we get the one from the patio as well?
Sorry, I don’t create them, I just post them. Maybe EBG can come through again.
The kickball episode was worth the wait, but I would have preferred it last season though.
By airing episodes completely out of whack is so effective for a show’s longterm viability. Ask any Firefly fan.
*BUT airing…. Oh goddammit
Its always a good reminder to know that Jane has been a sociopath since she was a child.
You don’t just choose to be a sociopath. You’re born that way!
HIT IT GAGA!
I love how Alex stays up all night playing with a deck of cards, and nobody says a word about it.
I laughed out loud when she was telling Dave to act cool and the camera goes to her and she has the cards all nonchalantly fanned out.
@Paul, that was by far my favorite sight gag from that episode. Just hilarious. I love how bonkers she is.
BUNT CAKE! BUNT CAKE!
nobody calls you that
I think Nyjer Morgan could use another nickname.
The back of his jersey read Bunt Cake as his name.
So could it be that Zack Morris tricked someone into marrying him under the alias “Chase” and he and his sex shack were found out by Max’s sly detective skills?
Probably not, but that’s what I will henceforth believe.
“They’re sisters? Wow, I just found that out. #whoknewtheyweresisters.”
More Matt Walsh and Scotty, please.
YES!
Co-sign.
Endings is plain glorious
The kickball episode is a good one, but it’s weird to go back and watch it, since, you know, the entire show has changed
I was very confused when Dave and Max were still living together until I remembered that this was a “lost” episode from last season.
I want to live in Happy Endings Chicago.
I will now refer to push-ups as ‘shups forever.
It’s kind of impossible not to at this point.
uhhhh, @dadboner did it first….
This ABC mixed episodes BS with Endings and Bitch needs to stop. This is NBC bush league nonsense.
The fact that this show is getting jerked around like this and The Neighbors is still around infuriates and saddens me
Both shows. Don’t Trust The B…has really come into it’s own.
Don’t Trust the B has become a phenomenal show. I couldn’t believe it. But then they mix up the episodes and I have no clue what’s going on. I need my coke and whore jokes spread out consistently.
Yea its to bad there getting NBCed.
I hope Happy Endings finds a home at TBS as a companion show to Cougar Town. They just seem like natural companions.
And I like DTTB, but if I had to Sophie’s Choice DTTB and Happy Endings, I’d have emptied a clip into DTTB’s face and be beating its corpse with the butt of the gun by the time the rules of the Sophie’s Choice scenario were wrapping up.
I’m so confused with some of the order, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one. It’s just the OCD Jane in me.
I feel like the Sunday show was a throw away, but last night’s…Jesus Christ, it was phenomenal. Not knowing when, or if there’s a timeline anymore really screws with my head though.
I also liked remembering that Elisha Cuthbert is a tiny little human being in the kickball episode.
Couldn’t agree more. “We want to increase awareness! Let’s run episodes, un-promoted, late at night on Sunday and run them OUT OF ORDER!” “Sounds like someone just got a promotion, Bob! Bring in the hookers and blow!”
This is NHL level stupidity.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised at Don’t Trust lately. The Beek is amazing.
There’s honestly not much of a week spot on that entire show right now.
Don’t Trust the B… really has has been great, even out of order.
Danger, since it’s back to once per week for each so how’s about getting on the Don’t Trust the B… recaps?
It has been so disjointed seeing episodes of each show that were clearly made last year being inserted in between current episodes.
I can easily see somebody trying to get into either of these shows and getting confused and frustrated by how different the show can feel episode to episode because the older episodes don’t belong with the current crop.
So it seems like I’m going to have to give Don’t Trust the Bitch another try. Holy hell is that a stupid title, though.
@yellowmenace
It’s like Cougar Town. If you want me to take it seriously stops saying its name.
It’s almost like there is a conspiracy to cripple original shows that actually contain humor. The kind of humor that makes you actually laugh out loud, without canned noises prompting you to do so.
Sometimes I feel like Roddy Piper in They Live when I talk to people about TV. “Oh hey I just started watchingOBEYThe Big Bang Theory, it’s actually prettyCONSUMEfunny!”