Very quick spoilers for the "My Boys" season finale coming up just as soon as I reload my flask...Disappointing end to a disappointing season, I thought. If last week was all set up, then last night was... mostly more set-up. There were a couple of scenes that felt like the show -- the guys divvying up best man duties, the gang (minus Andy, who was irritatingly separate from everybody for both these episodes) getting drunk on Bobby's last night as a bachelor -- but overall this two-parter failed to be an exception to the rule that sitcom vacation episodes stink.
I'm not sure how many of the problems of season two can be pinned on the shift down to only nine episodes. (Betsy Thomas says she had to cut a lot of planned stories out, though many of them sound like stuff about PJ's career, in which case we were probably better off.) But the stories often felt rushed, we didn't get enough of the guys just hanging out, the characterization was inconsistent (especially for Mike) and there were only a couple of subplots (Andy discovering the downside to a hot nanny, Kenny the super-stud, Dr. Brendo, maybe the shirt contest) that were laugh-out-loud funny.
In that same interview I linked to, Thomas says she's confident about them getting a third season. Let's hope it's one more in line with season one.
What did everybody else think?
Definitely a disappointing season. I loved the first season of this show and looked forward to new episodes each week, but this time around I've really lost interest. The humor and dialogue are so tame and boring. The writers of shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are at least willing to take risks for the sake of comedy. My Boys stays squarely in the safe zone, keeping it, overall, pretty lame. Too bad; I had high hopes for this show.
ReplyDeleteThis is two weeks in a row that the main plot point/cliffhanger was blatantly obvious. The only thing that kept me guessing was that I thought Bobby was headed for PJ one door knock before he actually was.
ReplyDeleteThat said, there were definitely things I liked about the episode.
1. I like the resolution to Kenny and Stephanie. It felt real. They got drunk, they hooked up, they've got no interest in a relationship but maybe they won't hate each other quite so much now. And I'm glad there was none of this "OH i just have to tell one person....oops, now everyone knows" crap that other shows pull. And the exchange as they walked down the aisle was very well done.
2. PJ did look gorgeous, and I like the interaction there with her and the guys. Sometimes they forget she's a girl. Again, subtle, and very realistic, I thought.
3. The bunch of them getting drunk together was very well done.
4. While Bobby's conversation with Andy was trite, it's nice to see confirmation that he really does love Meredith, no matter how much he rags on her.
I take this show for what it is - a standard-issue sitcom. Doesn't break any boundaries, and I get a few good laughs out of every episode. I don't expect trancendence, and I don't get it. Last night wasn't thrilling, but it was fine.
I guess if last summer and this summer were all one season then it's sort of lame to have two cliff hangers based on the same will they won't they couple. (although we didn't know it was Bobby last summer).
ReplyDeleteI thought there were a few highlights of this episode. Mostly the group getting drunk the night before the wedding. That was really true to me, something I've experienced and it was true to those feelings.
I also didn't understand the absence of Jim Gaffigan unless he had scheduling conflicts with the on-location shoot.
I hope that next season is winter time or this will be the longest summer Chicago has ever known.
It was a good run for summer fare. This and Middlemen gave me some laughs and a little fun. I hope they improve next year though, or it will be time to move on....
I wouldn't even to begin to categorize this as a disappointing season.
ReplyDeletePoor cliffhanger, but I was certainly entertained by the season overall.
That was the season-ender? I thought Season 2 was being broken up into two halves, and this was the end of the first batch.
ReplyDelete(Or am I confusing My Boys with "Engvall" here?)
I think my overall disappointment with this season is quite simple: I didn't care about PJ and Bobby as much as the show wanted me to from the premiere, and as a result it was a hard sell the rest of the way. That plane reveal didn't feel like the culmination of anything, it felt like "Oh, it's easier for it to be a regular cast member, let's use Bobby."
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm more on board now than I was done, that's not much for even a short season to have accomplished - other than Kenny and Stephanie, which better have an actual impact on their relationship in the future, no one really got to do anything this season that felt well-executed (Andy and Mike, in particular, were all over the place).
So while I'm still on board due to the great gang dynamic, and found this part certainly better than last week's episode, I do hope that whatever we get next is aiming a little higher. I'm fine with this not being impeccable entertainment, as it is perfectly fine as a summer show, but that doesn't mean there isn't considerable room for improvement.
I also enjoyed the episode and much of the season, but disliked another cliff-hanger --especially as it is pretty much the same cliff-hanger as last year, with added complications [brother and pending marriage].
ReplyDeleteOverall, I enjoy the series as nothing more than a fun sitcom -- the only sitcom I watch.
I know Galecki has his own show now but this season reallly needed an appearance by Trouty.
ReplyDeleteAlan - You summed up the season perfectly for me: Too rushed, fluid characterization, and not enough of the group hanging out playing poker and letting the jokes fly. Hopefully they get back on track, because I really enjoyed the first season.
ReplyDeleteChalk it up to a residual effect of the writers strike. And to TBS not wanting to take risks (this is the follow up to Bill Engvall after all.)
ReplyDeleteStill, I'm glad they cut back on so many of the sports references from the first season. Feel more like real people now.
Lets face it. This show is average because the lead is average. Doesnt help that her female friend is ugly and a bad actress.
ReplyDeleteMy partner and i just bought the first season and watched it all in less than a week. Now we know what all the fuss was about! One burning question--why no Trouty in Season 2? Johnny Galecki did an outstanding job with virtually every line of dialogue. Not sure why he's disappeared. Schnap!
ReplyDeleteYou can tell we don't watch CBS that much. I re-read the comments above and lo and behold, there was the answer. Galecki has his own CBS sitcom. Go figure.
ReplyDelete