Grid Effect

Well, to summarize this episode, I think an exchange between me and a friend at around the twenty minute mark pretty much sums it up:

Friend: Is this episode really long? It seems long.
Me: Yeah, but its only twenty minutes through, so in actuality its no longer than usual but rather it just seems that way because it’s really, really awful.

Honestly, did they really have to clear the air for Eric to eventually date Anna Faris? Can’t she just be? That boyfriend was so over the top, and so contrived (and the entire concept seemed to be for Faris to make a Randy Jackson comparison) that it never really struck me as funny, just dull and predictable.

As for the main plot, I tend to enjoy these episodes, but having Ari running around trying to clean up the mess left by Billy Walsh, only to have Vince back him (yet again) and for everything to work out favorably (yet again), is growing tiresome. Even for me, and I tend to defend some of the idiocy of this series, claiming its just a comedy, and plot shouldn’t really factor into the criticism. But when the episode isn’t even funny, that’s not an appilcable defense, because if its not funny and its not interesting, then why the hell am I watching it?

As for the Anna Faris plot, she looks like she could be the series’ new Mandy Moore, except she’s dating Eric instead of Vince, and she’ll get twice as much screentime. One thing that was funny was Eric complimenting her work on the first Scary Movie with a straight face. I will give them this, as far as on screen romances are concerned, they do seems to have a healthy amount of chemistry, at least comparatively speaking. But its blatantly obvious what’s going to happen, Vince is going to bitch about no longer being a priority because Eric’s attention will be focused on Anna’s career (or at least Vince will perceive it to be). Initially Anna will be oblivious to the rif she is causing until she stumbles onto it and is conflicted, she will then leave him professionally, and possibly intimately as well. I imagine she will altogether so her arc eventually ends on this series. The end.

Really, outside of Ari registering surprise that Eric had another real client, the episode was devoid of any and all humor. I can honestly concede that this was probably the worst episode they’ve done on this show, and that includes the dud of a season three premiere, “Aquamom”. In short, the funniest thing about that half hour were the promos for the upcoming season of Curb, so hopefully this isn’t a trend.