In my review of last week’s episode of Rules of Engagement, I wondered whether Audrey’s bakery plot had any legs to it. With her quitting her job one week folding into Jeff’s renting a storefront to house her business venture the following week, I figured there was at least a minimal chance of the bakery becoming Audrey’s thing.
But instead of advancement on the bakery front, the store came into play with Jeff trying to figure out a way out of the lease. He tried to “Tom Sawyer” Adam into cleaning the storefront for him, which turned into a rousing game of Mannequin Head Ball. And from there we saw as Jen and Audrey used the surveillance video link from the store to watch Adam and Jeff make fools of themselves. Awesome.
I just have to shake my head in confusion. What the writers took as material for further exploration was the physical store itself, not the business behind it. Why? Is that the level of creativity we should expect from the show going forward? With a great opportunity to create an entire new angle to the show, the writers decided to go with Adam and Jeff squaring off with broomsticks and the head of a doll.
As pathetic as that was, at least Jen and Audrey could have had their own separate story to explore. It didn’t have to be much, but certainly the ladies can carry their own plot. So finding them sitting at home watching surveillance camera footage of their significant others was embarrassing. Five minutes of material is all it would have taken to have them do something on their own … apparently that would have been asking too much.
Although even that isn’t always a guarantee of anything. Timmy and Russell went out on a double date, and a whole lot of nonsense ended in the two holding hands under the table while their dates were in the bathroom. I’ll admit that I laughed, but that doesn’t mean there was anything of substance to the story. Just cheap laughs and empty calories.
We’ve reached a point already where I’m done hoping for a broader story to rap the season in. I still don’t understand why the surrogate plot isn’t being used, or why Audrey’s new business isn’t good enough for continuity, but fine. It doesn’t look like Rules of Engagement has any interest in big plots. Even so, there’s something missing from the show week after week.
I cover a handful of sitcoms. Instead of comparing Rules to Weeds, which has always had a progression to it, I’d like to try and compare it to The Office. There have often been bigger plots on The Office (Jim and Pam, Michael and Jan), but most weeks the episodes are self-contained. And even on an off week each feels like a full meal, not just a snack. There’s substance amidst the stupidity.
Rules, on the other hand, has felt empty lately. It’s like a comedian’s stand-up that has no segues to it; instead of a routine, all you’re left with are a bunch of disconnected one-liners. You might laugh, but you also leave the club feeling really unsatisfied.
Personally, I prefer a comedian who gives me a reason to come back and see him again. How about you?
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Nov 02, 2010 @ 15:05 EST5EDT
