Rules of Engagement – Russell’s lucky Timmy isn’t more creative

I suppose it was inevitable. Certainly if you couldn’t see it coming all along, the likely result was definitely clearer in the last few episodes. But official is still the neatest way: Timmy hates Russell.

Figures, right? Even if we never witnessed some of the things Timmy was tasked with, you’d have to expect Russell to be horrible to work for. I’m actually a little surprised that Timmy wasn’t spending more of his observable time mixed up in Russell’s twisted sex life.

And yet I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in Timmy, and the writers on Rules of Engagement, when it came to Timmy seeking his revenge. Punching Russell’s food? Sticking things down his pants? Is that what a first class education gets you?

The question will be, where is their relationship going? We’ve seen Russell abuse Timmy. We’ve seen Timmy fight back. We’ve seen Russell confront Timmy about fighting back. So now what? Will Timmy find himself promoted within the company, available to be abused by the boss but also in a position to build a career? Will he quit? Or will he forever be chained to Russell’s assistant’s desk? We’ll just have to wait and see. But wherever they go with this next, I hope the writers do it well.

I wasn’t surprised that Russell’s old assistant Maynard made Russell the gnome in his new video game, but even while it was foreseeable it was awesome. The gnome was extremely true to life, and it did a great imitation. I think if the show is thinking this through (or if it were How I Met Your Mother), they’d try and package the Russell gnome as an icon or a notifier for an email program. I’d love to have that!

I’m still a little disappointed that Jeff and Audrey continue to have these one-off plots. Audrey and Jen have actually seemed estranged this season, but if not for that it would have made little sense for Jen not to invite Audrey to join her and her friends of her own volition.

However, and this was the best part of the episode, that would have meant that Jen and Jeff wouldn’t have had a reason to converse. But they did … and how incredibly, palpably awkward was that brief scene? I watched it numerous times just to feel out-of-whack over and over again.

Because, if you think about it, Jeff and Jen have never really spoken. Oh, I’m sure they’ve passed plenty of words, but really spoken? Like, actually dialoging about a topic of some significance? I don’t know if Jeff has the ability to converse with females other than Audrey. I don’t think you’d call him socially awkward, but he’s definitely stunted in some way or another. Certainly I’ve wondered in the past how he managed to woo Audrey in the first place. He’s a good looking guy, and I’ll bet he makes a nice living, but he’s not so good with the social interactions. As easy going (and just plain easy) as Jen might be, seeing Jeff attempt to talk to her was really funny.

That one scene made the entire episode for me.

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Apr 20, 2010 @ 17:15 EST5EDT