Season 3, Episode 4
What makes Cougar Town bankable in it's current state? For the show's first seven episodes or so, it was the original, hokey premise, but it was one that worked. Yet as the writers began to shift out of that original focus, and the audience numbers began to dwindle, it became apparent that that wasn't the case, neither was the supposed start power of Courtney Cox, nor the various special guest stars that the show could book, which at best moved the ratings needle for one episode and no more. It obvious at this point that Bill Lawrence has created a weird little world that's not meant for everyone, and that's fine, but it's strange that Lawrence and Co. keep trying to get viewers to try some unconventional humor by using conventional methods.
In many ways, it remains a mystery to me that so few Scrubs fans watch Cougar Town. I'm sure that there are some, but so often I see around the Internet I see many people cry that they “love Scrubs, but hate Cougar Town”. As someone who pretty much powered through the first six episodes due to my love of Scrubs, and found enough of the former show's humor and charm to stick around, it boggles my mind that others don't feel the same. That's okay, because humor is obviously subjective, and no matter how hard you try, sometimes you just can't convince those that don't like or get a particular form of humor.
And that makes me curious as to why Lawrence is trying to attract more viewers by trotting out Sarah Chalke for a four-episode arc tonight, and even more Scrubs actors in future episodes (especially next week's). Now, I one level I can buy that Lawrence is trying to get those Scrubs fans who never checked out the show past those first six or so episodes (or at all), and that's admirable, and considering that Chalke is a gifted actress who brings it in her few scenes here, it's not the worst of plans. It's just that I doubt that the amount of uninitiated Scrubs fans would make that a significant difference – that show was pretty low-rated itself, and its public perception took something of a beating in the ninth season.
But let's assume that some wayward Scrubs fans did find their way to the show. In that case, they were in for a treat, if a somewhat confusing one. While there's nothing in the current Cougar Town setup that's so complicated that new audience members couldn't be caught up by the end of a random episode, there were a few things that probably have gone over their heads. Travis' helmet must have thrown them for a loop, and while it's not imperative that anybody knows this, it does seem odd that there was no mention of Jules and Grayson getting married since that is the current defining trait of their relationship. I'm not suggesting that the writers needed to have these things take place within the episode, and as a long term fan of the show I'm thankful that I didn't have to suffer through any sort of awkward exposition for new viewers. It's just that such a move didn't exist for those that were supposed to be drawn in by such stunt casting.
Luckily, everything else nicely walked that fine line between signature Cougar Town weirdness (which can be off-putting to new viewers) and stories that are open and inviting (which can often make the fans feel as if the show is selling out). But of course this wouldn't be Cougar Town without some weirdness, so the A-plot played it smart by taking a normal premise – kids terrorizing the neighborhood – and twisting it by making the kids in question both less scary and yet somehow more of a threat to the denizens of the Cul de Sac. And, true to form, it was a storyline which found a way to inject some real pathos into the proceedings, but taking a long hard look at Jules' need for control, and how that affects those around her, also while giving us officer Pumpkin Head and a wine fountain in the middle of Tom's front yard.
Though it was slighter, I was much more interested in Bobby and Travis' storyline, and not just because it was the one that involved Sarah Chalke. Booby is the (biggest) goofball of the group, and it often feels as if the show under serves him in terms of moments of pathos, at least in comparison to most of the other main characters. (Andy is probably the second-most slighted, so this was a good episode for the show's entire male goofball ensemble. All two of them.) The show doubled down the pathos for Bobby here, allowing him both a chance at romance – something he hasn't really had since the divorce – and looked once again at his relationship with Travis. It was a nice intersection of emotions, that while it didn't have the biggest pathos possible, was able to deliver some while also ably setting up an arc for the next three episodes.
One finale story tonight stuck out like a bit of a sore thumb, and that was Laurie's. It's not that I didn't like what it had to say, and the show has always been good at getting humor out of Laurie's oblivious/trusting nature, so it was certainly funny. However, it was story that required Busy Phillips to mostly act opposite of a cell phone, and while she is able to generate chemistry with a lot of things, inanimate objects isn't one of them. Just imagine how much more moving that last text conversation would have been has we actually seen her talking to the guy, or even just getting the texts in real time, as opposed to having them read aloud by Grayson and Ellie.
But let's not focus on the negative, because this was still a very strong episode in a season that appears to be full of them. So welcome, Scrubs fans turning in for the first time. I hope you enjoyed it.
Quotes and Other Thoughts:
This was one of those times where using Tom Petty song names as episode titles just didn't work out so well.
And that makes me curious as to why Lawrence is trying to attract more viewers by trotting out Sarah Chalke for a four-episode arc tonight, and even more Scrubs actors in future episodes (especially next week's). Now, I one level I can buy that Lawrence is trying to get those Scrubs fans who never checked out the show past those first six or so episodes (or at all), and that's admirable, and considering that Chalke is a gifted actress who brings it in her few scenes here, it's not the worst of plans. It's just that I doubt that the amount of uninitiated Scrubs fans would make that a significant difference – that show was pretty low-rated itself, and its public perception took something of a beating in the ninth season.
But let's assume that some wayward Scrubs fans did find their way to the show. In that case, they were in for a treat, if a somewhat confusing one. While there's nothing in the current Cougar Town setup that's so complicated that new audience members couldn't be caught up by the end of a random episode, there were a few things that probably have gone over their heads. Travis' helmet must have thrown them for a loop, and while it's not imperative that anybody knows this, it does seem odd that there was no mention of Jules and Grayson getting married since that is the current defining trait of their relationship. I'm not suggesting that the writers needed to have these things take place within the episode, and as a long term fan of the show I'm thankful that I didn't have to suffer through any sort of awkward exposition for new viewers. It's just that such a move didn't exist for those that were supposed to be drawn in by such stunt casting.
Luckily, everything else nicely walked that fine line between signature Cougar Town weirdness (which can be off-putting to new viewers) and stories that are open and inviting (which can often make the fans feel as if the show is selling out). But of course this wouldn't be Cougar Town without some weirdness, so the A-plot played it smart by taking a normal premise – kids terrorizing the neighborhood – and twisting it by making the kids in question both less scary and yet somehow more of a threat to the denizens of the Cul de Sac. And, true to form, it was a storyline which found a way to inject some real pathos into the proceedings, but taking a long hard look at Jules' need for control, and how that affects those around her, also while giving us officer Pumpkin Head and a wine fountain in the middle of Tom's front yard.
Though it was slighter, I was much more interested in Bobby and Travis' storyline, and not just because it was the one that involved Sarah Chalke. Booby is the (biggest) goofball of the group, and it often feels as if the show under serves him in terms of moments of pathos, at least in comparison to most of the other main characters. (Andy is probably the second-most slighted, so this was a good episode for the show's entire male goofball ensemble. All two of them.) The show doubled down the pathos for Bobby here, allowing him both a chance at romance – something he hasn't really had since the divorce – and looked once again at his relationship with Travis. It was a nice intersection of emotions, that while it didn't have the biggest pathos possible, was able to deliver some while also ably setting up an arc for the next three episodes.
One finale story tonight stuck out like a bit of a sore thumb, and that was Laurie's. It's not that I didn't like what it had to say, and the show has always been good at getting humor out of Laurie's oblivious/trusting nature, so it was certainly funny. However, it was story that required Busy Phillips to mostly act opposite of a cell phone, and while she is able to generate chemistry with a lot of things, inanimate objects isn't one of them. Just imagine how much more moving that last text conversation would have been has we actually seen her talking to the guy, or even just getting the texts in real time, as opposed to having them read aloud by Grayson and Ellie.
But let's not focus on the negative, because this was still a very strong episode in a season that appears to be full of them. So welcome, Scrubs fans turning in for the first time. I hope you enjoyed it.
Quotes and Other Thoughts:
This was one of those times where using Tom Petty song names as episode titles just didn't work out so well.
This week in title cards: “Your name isn't that great either”
“They made my garden gnomes gay.”
“Come back sweetie. Bring your point back with you.”
“'It's Dork Vader!' 'It's Dork Vader!' I got that one a lot.”
“There are two types of underwear models: front guys and butt guys. I was both.”
“Wow, it's is not easy to share a moment with a kid wearing a helmet.”
“Do you really want to see a middle aged woman pee right here in the street? Yeah, I'd want to see that too.”
“Dark black is SUPER hot. Is that racist?”
“Awww, he only speaks in spooky laughs.”
“They made my garden gnomes gay.”
“Come back sweetie. Bring your point back with you.”
“'It's Dork Vader!' 'It's Dork Vader!' I got that one a lot.”
“There are two types of underwear models: front guys and butt guys. I was both.”
“Wow, it's is not easy to share a moment with a kid wearing a helmet.”
“Do you really want to see a middle aged woman pee right here in the street? Yeah, I'd want to see that too.”
“Dark black is SUPER hot. Is that racist?”
“Awww, he only speaks in spooky laughs.”
“Who is, fingers crossed, super dark black. Blacker than space!”
“My heart feels like your sad face.” “And my face feels like your sad eyes.”
“Granted, it was a little dumb.” “I don't think you're using the word 'little' correctly.”
“He looks sweet. He's naked, but still sweet.”
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