I’m not sure how to explain it, but there’s something about Men of a Certain Age that just makes me smile. It could be the great acting, or the stories that suck me in without really being about much at all. Or maybe it’s the great writing. But whatever it is, MOCA has come along and given us all something really special.
And not just because it’s unlike any other show on television today, although I’m sure that doesn’t hurt. No, it’s just that I so look forward to the next episode of this series, three weeks in, that sitting down to watch an episode just feels like what I’m meant to do. And did I mention that MOCA achieves all of this without really having a predetermined destination?
Tonight we had Joe and Albert (Braeden Lemasters) playing golf, Albert fearing boarding a bus, Terry landing a gig pretending to be interested in his boss’ second house, and Owen selling a lot of cars by slashing their prices. Grand plans in the making? Nope, but when any of these three guys hit the screen, I’m riveted.
Joe’s story was arguably the strangest, because I was honestly not expecting kids to get much focus on the show. Then again, you could say that what we were really experiencing was Joe as a father, in which case he could use some help figuring out how to deal with weird. He should try less Gloria and more Jay (Modern Family).
I also just have to mention that I do not envy Romano’s wife having to live with a husband so neurotic about his body. After hearing him make the same kind of comments on MOCA that he did on Everybody Loves Raymond, it’s clear this is him. I’m just surprised he hasn’t gotten to the nose yet.
Terry confused me a little, in that I’m still not sure what he was almost lamenting at the end of the episode, after his “wife” left. Was it her? The life they were pretending to have? The life he’d be having living in that house? Because I definitely think that a) he could do better than her, and b) he could do better than that house. As for living the family life … where was Annie (Carla Gallo)?
Now Owen just makes me laugh. Braugher is such a tremendous actor; the crap he puts up with at home and at work is unbelievable. And he comes out smiling all the time. Case in point? Asking a clearly misguided Melissa, who thinks that all of his customers walk away loving him, “Do you drink while I’m at work?” His delivery was tremendous.
And I love how he was so totally shortsighted about the whole price lowering thing — his focus was on making people love him, and he completely neglected to take into account that smaller profits on sales lead to lower sales commissions for him. I actually think it was a nice side to Owen that we were exposed to for the first time. Keep it coming.
The only thing I can possibly complain about on this show is that we don’t get enough of the three guys together. I imagine there will always be at least one hiking and one diner scene per episode, but I want more. These are three really talented, funny, interesting guys who play fantastically together, and I want more.
Other than that? Brilliant.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Dec 21, 2009 @ 23:00 EST5EDT
