Happy Endings – Episode 2-20 Review – “I’m On Board!”

Reviews

I haven’t had a chance to write any DVD Flashback Friday posts recently (but one on Downton Abbey will happen soon), but since last night’s episode of Happy Endings was just so damn funny I had to write about it.

 

You may recall that guest blogger Allison wrote about Happy Endings back in October. Girlfriend has been telling me to watch this show for a loooooong time. So have a lot Couchtime readers, and I’ve been promising to check it out. But I’ve got a packed TV schedule, and I kept putting it off.

Little did y’all know that the way to get me to watch literally anything is to invite me over to your house, feed me mac ‘n cheese, and let me play with your wiener dogs. Don’t own a dachshund? Then I guess I won’t ever watch Breaking Bad, because from now on I only watch new TV shows with a puppy curled up in my lap! I joke, I joke. But seriously – after a very lovely invitation from a friend to come over for a Happy Endings marathon, I was in. And I was instantly hooked on this show.

I mean, I knew I would like it – it’s the Friends formula, but they acknowledge that so it’s OK. The show is wacky and fun, the characters are hilarious, there are great references and sometimes they go meta, and catchphrases galore. I want to study Happy Endings quotes with a passion and work ethic typically only reserved for learning how to roller skate or memorizing the lyrics to “Super Bass”.

I won’t bother filling you in on the characters because I’ve already linked to Allison’s past blog where she does just that. (Though you should know, Penny from Happy Endings is basically Allison‘s spirit animal. The similarities kill me, every week. Please watch this video to know why.) And as Alli points out in her piece, by having some of the characters married, related and gay, the show avoids having a lot of typical love triangles. They even kind of mock that TV trope in an episode where everyone starts having sex dreams about Dave.

Big White Lies

There have been SO MANY episodes that have cracked me up, but let’s focus on last night’s. Hilarious.

After running into a childhood acquaintance, Penny fell back into her old habit of lying to avoid saying no to tea and looking mean. I think we can all relate. I can be a snarky bitch on my blog, but god forbid someone think I don’t like them! It is by #2 social fear, right underneath looking like a desperate lunatic every time I try to make a new friend.

I loved the flashback to young Penny, who even then said “a-mah-zing” and spoke in abrevs. The lies spiraled so far out of control that Alex was now a lesbian, Jane was pregnant and Dave was dying. All because Penny didn’t want to go for tea. (Pffft, who drinks tea? OK fine, me. But I mock myself for it. Man up and have coffee!)

Other things I loved about this episode:

  • A Revenge reference! And a well placed one at that.
  • When playing gay, Alex decided to do a full-on Ellen impression.
  • Brad didn’t want Penny’s friend to think he had a small lake house, even though said lake house was imaginary. But then he and Jane decided to buy a lake house!!! That is the best possible outcome of a fake baby shower. I wish I were a weekender.
  • A tiny suit! For a baby! What, does he have a job?
  • “Seeing Jane married and pregnant has made you regret turning down the world’s greatest guy.”
    “John Krasinski?” YES.
  • “Just buy a lake house already so we can stop hearing about your big black dock!” African American dock.
  • Classic Janet!

You can follow Jill at her blog, couchtimewithjill.com, or on Twitter @jillemader Jill has been an avid fan of TV since the age of two, when she was so obsessed with Zoobilee Zoo that her mother lied and told her it had been canceled. Despite that setback, she grew up to be a television aficionado and pop culture addict.