S02.E07: Call Me Cupcake

[Door County Cherry]

Quote

When Phil leaves on a last-minute vacation with Sheila to cheer her up, Oscar steps up to help in the café, causing tension with Randi. Meanwhile, Max and Carter .make a bet to start a juice cleanse.

 

[CainF]

Although this episode was better than the last one, the show still hasn't hit its stride yet.  Phil and Sheila were elevated to some delightful comic moments, but the scene in the hotel room where Phil comforts the broken-hearted Sheila was well done, and I especially appreciate that the writers didn't feel it necessary to pound us with comic relief at the end of that warm exchange between these two characters.  It's nice that this show doesn't follow the standard comedy script of line, line, big joke.

Something else this show is doing right is the relationship between Oscar and Kat.  Things that in other series (drama or comedy) would have tanked the relationship or put it on ice for a while aren't resulting in cliffhanger relationship troubles.  I like that the show isn't following standard comedy show dogma about relationships and all of that on-again, off-again, will they or won't they..

MVP this episode is Kyla Pratt (Randi), who had some kick-ass, laugh out loud scenes (with just about every other character, I think).  There was her usual and supreme sass being served, as well as a quirkiness that I wish the writers would do more of (instead of the physical comedy that's mostly a miss).

The only real distraction from this episode's leaning toward classic comedy/pure absurdity was the Max and Carter food challenge.  This show has shown it can do much, much better than this bit.  That lazy writing has got to go.   It's the stuff that Friday night ABC comedies back in the day would thrive on (I'm looking at you, Full House).

I hate to say it, but I think the show needs to send Max packing to Paris or somewhere else, if only to save us all from the possibility that Kat's relationship with Oscar will be confounded by Max.  For Max's send-off it might be fun if the cast at the end danced to a disco version of Torn Between Two Lovers, or maybe Total Eclipse of the Heart.

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by CainF

[bobby2018]

I FF the scene. 

[tennisgurl]

Randi was on fire this week. "Its hard dealing with so much optimism!" "Oh really?" 

Max and Carter went pretty heavy on the wacky this week, the butt donuts were a bit too gross for my taste, but I did laugh at Carter literally carrying sugar packets around in his pockets. 

I like this season a lot, I think its a lot smoother than last season, but we are in dire need of more kitty cat content. 

[Snow Apple]

It seems they don't know what to do with Max now that Kat has a boyfriend. I hope they start writing this into a real ensemble show with Max getting stories with substance.

For this episode, I laughed when the spa person told Sheila and Phil about some expensive treatment and Phil told her to buy one for herself too.

I also liked the line Oscar said about making empanadas with his mom. My family made a ton of dumplings for the Lunar New Year a few weeks ago.

[Intuition]

I don't think the show should have paired Kat off so soon.  One of the funny aspects of the original was that Miranda was single and all the hi jinx she got into when either meeting men or trying to meet them.  And the Max character was always there as a friend so we could wonder if they would ever get together in the end.  It was dumb of them to pair her off so fast and then have Max dangling like a character in search of a plot and a relationship.  Nothing against Oscar, but their relationship is kind of surface and boring in my opinion. 

[Neiman]

I was kind of hoping that experience would cause Kat to put a pause on the relationship with Oscar.

I like the scenes with Phil, Sheila, and Randi. The guys across the street are somewhat of a bore to me. 

I was craving cupcakes by the end of this show. I’d love to know Phil’s recipe. Thought it was funny that he had codes for nutmeg and measurements. That sure sounds like something he’d do.

[CrystalBlue]

Sheila and Phil were it for me in this episode.  The only kitty citing was Matthew Purry brought in by Kat in his carrier and who checked out fine for a bladder infection.  There were maybe two cats on the cat tree in the backgound.

[JAYJAY1979]

13 hours ago, Intuition said:

I don't think the show should have paired Kat off so soon.  One of the funny aspects of the original was that Miranda was single and all the hi jinx she got into when either meeting men or trying to meet them.  And the Max character was always there as a friend so we could wonder if they would ever get together in the end.  It was dumb of them to pair her off so fast and then have Max dangling like a character in search of a plot and a relationship.  Nothing against Oscar, but their relationship is kind of surface and boring in my opinion. 

I watched the original and I found Miranda to be annoying.

I like that this show is moving away from being a carbon copy.  And I like Kat better when she isn't around Max.

[chediavolo]

I hated this episode & it made me want a cupcake. 

[cardigirl]

I'm still sad that they got rid of Daniel (Lamorne Morris) as Randi's boyfriend. I thought that relationship had real potential, as he was so different from what she expected.  I love Larmorne on New Girl, and was hoping to see more of him on this show. 

The show has improved slightly over last season, and at least Kat isn't kicking people anymore. But Randi bugs me, with all her negativity.  

Edited February 24, 2022 by cardigirl

[Door County Cherry]

I don't mind the change to Kat having a boyfriend from the original. I like Oscar.  And I don't really recall Miranda going out on a ton of dates with randos on Miranda so it's not like that drove so much of the comedy.  Since Mayim can't quite pull off the awkward as seamlessly as Hart, I think the shift is smart. 

My only issue with the cupcake wars aspect of this episode is last week we had the whipped cream incident.  That's too similar. 

[CrystalBlue]

11 hours ago, Door County Cherry said:

I don't mind the change to Kat having a boyfriend from the original. I like Oscar.  And I don't really recall Miranda going out on a ton of dates with randos on Miranda so it's not like that drove so much of the comedy.  Since Mayim can't quite pull off the awkward as seamlessly as Hart, I think the shift is smart. 

My only issue with the cupcake wars aspect of this episode is last week we had the whipped cream incident.  That's too similar. 

I like Oscar too, but I don't feel red hot chemistry between the two of them.  He's sweet though, and can be funny.

Agree with the cupcakes; it was kind of "here we go again" and I dislike food fights because they're juvenile and I hate wasting food.

[TheGreenKnight]

I haven't seen the original show (just to preface my comments), but part of me still feels like Kat and Oscar's relationship will end at some point and then she and Max will end up together. That's if the show lasts long enough for them to do it organically. Her being with Oscar made Max finally recognize he has feelings for her. Rather than ending up with her immediately at the moment he realizes that, I think it's better long-term that the character sort of grows up in a sense before Kat becomes available again. That way they're more on equal footing rather than the way it would've been, with Kat having more experience now rather than being guided by a long-held crush.

If that doesn't happen though, I do like Oscar.