Boy did it feel good to have the diner gang back again last night. Rules of Engagement always feels like a far-off memory when it reappears, but by the time the theme music comes along, it’s like being back with old friends.
We got only a tiny peak at Adam (Oliver Hudson), but his scenes with Jeff (Patrick Warburton) and Russell (David Spade) said everything that needed to be said about what makes this show so funny. The whole death row comparison was great, but it’s the simpleton side of Adam, which Hudson plays so very well, that really made it click. His sincere “What does he want?” that closed the show is exactly the type of thing that saves him from possibly devolving into an annoying little puppet, which he most definitely is not.
I love how stupid Jeff is. And I really have to wonder how he wooed Audrey (Megyn Price). I mean, some of the lines he was throwing at his flirtatious co-worker … my God! But that’s the side of him that also makes him so lovable, because he’s such a dope. Even so, I would hope that once upon a time he had better game, or else you have to start wondering about Audrey’s sanity.
I’m glad the show works hard to put Russell and Jeff together. Jeff finding Russell sitting at his desk at work was inevitably going to result in some sort of porn on Jeff’s computer, but come on Jeff … the last person in the world you should be listening to is Russell. What were you thinking?
I do want to talk about Timmy (Adhir Kalyan) a bit. Don’t get me wrong — I think he’s hilarious, a great addition to the show, and a perfect match for Russell. However, I worry that his increased screen time will work to undermine the idea of casting him: bringing in more viewers. Because focusing on Timmy takes us away from the group that this show is built around. Russell is already a fifth wheel, if you will, and the show has worked hard to build his relationships with each individual member of the foursome. And they’ve done an exceptional job. But to then add in the outside guy’s assistant? It’s like building a water deck at your beach house, and then adding on an extension to the deck. It could be tons of fun, but it could also collapse at the first tsunami. Which is to say, just don’t overuse Timmy.
Who was awesome, as usual, crashing a Bible study party in search of Russell’s cell phone. I actually saw the plot going a little bit differently, like with the group really being one of those “un-gay now” support groups, but I guess it doesn’t really matter. It worked this way too.
By the way, when I finished watching the episode and deleted it from my TiVo, my cable defaulted back to FOX, which at the time was airing an old episode of Seinfeld. It was the one where Puddy (Warburton) and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) are returning from a trip and break up over international waters. If you want to blow your mind, take a look at a then-and-now of Warburton … insane.
“Oh right … your marriage is at the point where you like to introduce new characters.” – Russell’s take on kids
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Mar 02, 2010 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
