It just keeps on topping itself, and the only thing not to be believed about it is that TNT seasons are so short that we only get brief spurts of Men of a Certain Age at a time. Six at once and done? Twelve hours and call it a season? Outrageous!
But since that’s the way it is, I say we cherish what little we do get, because boy is it amazing. And like bonnie said, it just keeps getting better and better.
For all the mistakes he’s made — and will surely continue to make — I think Owen’s done a pretty good job settling in as a boss. It’s not easy to lead and motivate anyone, let alone a group of salesmen with giant egos. But this episode made clear the loyalty that the team at Thoreau Chevrolet feels toward Owen, even when faced with the demands of Senior.
And Senior was certainly being demanding this week. I’ve never particularly liked him, but it seemed clear that his problem with what Owen was doing was that it was working. How can you be jealous of your own son’s success? And Senior might have been embarrassed (because it’s obvious whose fault it was) but Owen was right to be honest with the sales staff about the dealership’s financial situation, and I was proud of him for coming clean with them. Their best chance at success is if everyone knows what they’re up against.
I’m not sure if the psycho, disgruntled free car wash seeker was crazier than Senior when he lost it, but both were pretty amusing to watch. Shout if you felt sorry for Senior, because I didn’t. And can you believe he’d sell to Scarpoola just to cut Owen’s legs out from under him? On the one hand I think Owen would be better off making his own name … on the other, now that he’s getting better at it I hope Senior can back out of the deal and let Owen shine.
I’m excited that Terry’s taking a shot at directing, and I was proud of the way he explained himself to Erin … I just wish he’d done it before telling Owen that he was quitting. Actually, he should wait to see if he can succeed at directing before quitting, but that’s besides the point. Erin was totally right in getting so upset with Terry; they’d made a huge decision to build a life together, and for him to make a life-altering decision without her on the day she was set to vacate her old place…. He’s lucky she was placated by his grand plan, which granted was a huge step for him. Come on Terry, don’t screw this one up!
I find something very unique about Men of a Certain Age — even as I found myself rooting for Joe to qualify at his tournament, I had no idea which way the show was going to go with it. And in truth I felt that either direction could be interesting, as opposed to with most shows when you know one thing or another will or should happen. Joe getting a second chance at golf will set him on a new path, but that could happen whether he succeeds or fails.
I liked how much it meant to him to share the day with his kids. Albert (Braeden Lemasters) was great, while Lucy (Brittany Curran) was incredibly sweet at the end of the night when she didn’t want Joe to head home alone. I don’t always like his kids, but they were great here.
And Joe was great at the pre-qualifier. It was fun to see Ray Romano doing something that he loves, and I loved when Terry started chitchatting with him right in the middle of a hole. Even the leader board/rain thing, which could have been corny, cheap, or something else negative was played very nicely. How awesome is it that Joe made it to the next round? Yay!
But it was the bookends of Joe watching the surveillance tape from when Manfro attacked him, and his call to Dory (Sarah Clarke), that were the most poignant moments of Joe’s story last night. Here he is, fifty and alone. Divorced, two kids splitting time between him and his ex, his best friends living their own lives, and Manfro possibly never to be heard from again. Michelle (Alanna Ubach) is (thankfully) gone, and Dory’s a memory that may be too faded to be resuscitated. Joe had no one to share his moment of triumph with … and feeling for him is one of the many things that makes Men of a Certain Age the best show on TV today. Hurry back!
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jul 07, 2011 @ 20:43 EST5EDT
