"Fish Story"
An alternate title for this episode could have been, "One fish, two fish, overfed fish, fried fish." I doubt PETA will be particularly thrilled with the outcome of the story. Me? I just kind of want to go out for seafood. While the fish-as-child metaphor was not exactly subtle (or original - they did it on
Frasier in the episode "Flour Child," leading to Niles' wonderful line, "After all, a real child would have cried before it burst into flames"), it did create an almost Stooge-like backdrop for what was actually a pretty heavy topic: Is it healthy to everyone involved for Gracie to spend time with Chuck? It's obvious they will, and luckily for her, small as she might be, Gracie won't fit in a coffee cup.
The writers could have had no idea that a story about tasers would be so relevant when this episode was in development, so this was quite fortuitous timing. I'm glad there's a force out there bringing such screamingly funny physical comedy around once in a while, reminding us that taser-related sitcom storylines will never go out of style. If taking a "Whale Stopper" to the chest doesn't restore Gary Crezyzewski's macho credentials after the unfortunate baby-llama ear-munching incident, I'm not sure there's much hope left for him. In any case, bravo to Ty Burrell for going whole-hog in that scene.
Marshall and Montana had some really delightful interactions this week; only Fred Willard could throw away a line like, "Oh, Montana, would you see if you can get this orange in my pants without me knowing it?" instead of hammering it into the viewers' skulls, and I'm really enjoying the way Ayda Field has toned Montana down to be less of a cartoon and more of a true supporting character. Ditto for news director Ryan.
The bottom line is this: I liked the first episode, but I was cautious. Now I'm starting to get a feel for where this show's going and I have to admit, I'm dropping my guard. The first five minutes of dialogue were undeniably painful (to wit: "I'm sorry if I invaded your space by a few inches." "At least this time it won't get me pregnant."), but after that funky credit sequence, the episode hit its stride. So yes, it may indeed have been, "the bloodiest day in fish history," but it was also a strong second showing for the gang at WURG.
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