Cougar Town: "Lost Children"

As last night was kind of slow for television. Cougar Town got a chance to play catch up after being preempted by the Tuscon Memorial two weeks ago. A review of that episode coming up after the jump.... 

Cougar Town doesn't really concern itself with plotlines. Or at least, that is never it's primary concern. It is more often interested in throwing out and concept, or singular situation, and letting that environment be a place in which we can learn a little bit more about the Cul-de-Sac Crew. Tonight's episode was one of those episode, but it also used its time to address a few complaints that have been lobbed against the show over the past few months.

After a very Simpsons-esque opening (what with the long, drawn-out lead up to the actual story of the night), the gang decides to play Sardine Tag, as a way of stress relief (or something; this situation, and Travis' speech introducing the idea of playing childhood games was kind of shoehorned it. Plus, I didn't catch all of it). This allows the show to once again pair of the Crew almost at random:

Jules/Ellie – Comedies today tend to mine a lot of humor from having their characters be just awful human beings. (The paragon of this is, of course, Arrested Development.) This is all well and good, but it becomes problematic when a show also asks you to like these characters. (The show that best straddled this line was probably Wonderfalls.) And CT has been experiencing some of these problems, as they have tested the limits of how needy and controlling Jules is, especially with this season birthday and Thanksgiving episodes. Sure, Ellie has always been pretty bitchy, but that was always her role (plus, Christa Miller is really good at playing these kind of parts.) So the show decided to show us just how far Jules can take such actions with the Crew, and just why it is that they put up with one another. This one may have ended too quickly, but it did some nice things for the show, and it was far from the most problematic of the night.

Grayson/Andy – How do you reconcile having two characters who don't spend a lot of time together? Do you have the characters talk about this, or do you solve it by throwing some problem between the two? This episode took the later approach, which pleased me, as I believe the former is a far too obvious of a route. I was for a time, quite interested in just finding out just why Andy was being all pissy with Grayson. (It also helped that this subplot was really funny.) However the reveal of this playing into some childhood issues not only came out of the blue, but it was also introduced way too quickly, and that kind of ruined the pay off to this, as the ending scene between Grayson and Andy was well written and well acted, but it just didn't land for me.

Laurie/Bobby (and Tom) – While I was interested in Bobby having a girlfriend (honestly, there has to be some good nuggets of comedy buried in that vein), I like the that the show made this plot more about how the Crew operates with outsiders. (Also, we got to have Smith back for 30 seconds. I know he broke Laurie's heart, but the show should really bring him back more often.) The Crew has always been so insulated, that it was nice to know that there are ways for other people to join, and that they may be open to adding more members.

Unfortunately, the show kind of ruined this good will by having Sam dump Bobby (way to ruin possibly good future storylines, show) and having Jules find a way to ditch Tom. I like what Tom as an outsider brings to the show in humor, but they can only go to this well for so long before it becomes just cruel.

What did everybody else think?


Additional Thoughts: 

- And speaking of tackling criticism, I rather liked that little scene between Jules and Barb with the meta discussion about name changes and their not really being cougars anymore. But on the other hand...WHY IS BARB STILL HERE?

- Tonight in title cards: “Do We Have To Do This Joke Forever?”

- “It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's a depressing expose about the failing public school system.”

- “It's a forearm kiss. Just as cordial.”

- “Be nice to Smith, he just bought you guys refills....I just charged him double, that pretentious little dink.”

- The big Penny Can can? That's the sissy can. And new penny can slang? “throwing copper.”

- “You're my searching partner/tell-me-Ellie's-crazy-buddy.”

- “Unfortunately, this isn't my first mother-son rodeo.” “I really with they had those!”

- Grayson's Travis impression was pretty good.

- Anything to Andy's prediction that Grayson will blow it with Jules?

- Damn, that's a big truck bed.

- Next week, Cougar Town will once again be the only new episode in a sea of repeats, as it goes into hiatus in order to make way for Mr. Sunshine. So I will be covering it next week, because I will most assuredly have the time.