December 18, 2006: Jumbo Jets, Funnel Cakes and Karma
Well, the players may have changed, but the
Brian group is still commencing for group dinners, watching sports and small talk in the kitchen. Sure, Heather may be no Marjorie, and Ivy puts a twist in the normal girl gab, but I like the changes and how this group is constantly mutating and conforming to the present situation.
And presently, we've got an uncomfortable mother-to-be with "full-on Sydney Bristow kicks" - I wonder if co-producer J.J. Abrams (creator of
Alias) snuck that in there - and lots of other uncomfortable non-pregnant problems, like the latest sad Dave-and-Deena moment when they verbally recognized the fact that they both aren't wearing their rings anymore.
But I'm not going to dwell on the separated couple this week. I finally feel bad for Brian. Up until now, I've been telling myself that he puts himself in tough situations and hangs out there just to torture himself. But now, I think he's just finding unfortunate holes that suck him in like quicksand, even if he's not purposely stepping there to see if it's
really quicksand. There always seems to be competition when he really likes someone. His best friend. His father. This isn't just any competition it's close-to-home competition. And I think it's about time that we see Brian date someone for more than two seconds, just so we can get a feel of what he's like in a real relationship.
But even though Brian's in an alternate dating universe, there are budding relationships popping up in greener gardens. The "sweet little sandwich lady" Roxanne (Valery Ortiz) - whose sandwiches bulging with tofurella and other weird mismatched ingredients were difficult to look at - is a cute match with Dave, even though she's considerably younger.
Check out my interview with Valery, and find out how she handled working with an older, more "mature" cast.
Speaking of maturity, how embarrassing for Deena when she was going on and on about the limo, and it was there for her. It was definitely an interesting contrast between her and Dave's dates. Jumbo jet arcade. Dinner in San Francisco merry-go-round. I did like the photo booth pictures, though. Genuine. No fancy show.
Meanwhile, Bar Fight 1 and 2 were playing Forgive Me Father and figuring out life during their community service. And in the middle of a soup kitchen, we got this flashback of Brian and his mom Lillian (Patty McCormack). "I just wanted to feel free for a while," she said, and for the first time, I fully recognized that it's not just Brian who has been breaking his life into pieces. The elements leading him to this point in his life have been falling apart around him. His parents, his friendships, his almost-relationships, his career. His mom's manic episodes - something, according to Bridget, he needs to deal with before he can have a stable relationship with
any woman.
And while Deena was debating "thanking" T.K. for his grand gesture, Nicole was wishing
she had the opportunity just to get that baby out of her belly. She was doing anything she could to induce labor. I've never seen a pregnant woman running uphill on a treadmill before - it's not a pretty sight. I love how she was flirting in her support group in hopes of getting some action.
At the end of this date night, Dave and Valery won for most compatibility, while T.K. and Deena flew home in awkward silence. But their little game of truth brought out some heavy facts that are hard to hear on a first date, but at the same time necessary. What wasn't necessary was exchanging stories with Deena.
I think Bar Fight Community Service was more successful. Adam's guilt about working for wealthy clients led him to question his career. And Brian reintroduced himself to Bridget, in a way, leaving the door cracked for the possibility of something more than a friendship.
The show is definitely bringing in new story lines almost every week and introducing characters that make the dynamic of the group more intricate. It will be interesting to see more of Brian and Nic's mom, as well as Roxanne, T.K. and anyone else that comes along to spin the merry-go-round.
