Amid an otherwise bleak outlook of little to no stories worth tuning in for, Rules of Engagement seems to have finally — assuming I’m not speaking way too soon — keyed in on the one plot that promises to keep on giving: Jeff, Audrey, and their chosen surrogate Brenda (Sara Rue).
It is, however, a bit unfortunate that she has to be a stereotypical lesbian: more comfortable with Jeff than Audrey, basically the male half of whatever relationship she’s in. It is possible for a woman who loves women to not love sports.
But it could be really fun if Brenda becomes part of Jeff and Audrey’s lives. It would be slightly cooler if Becky (Enya Flack), or any other girlfriend, was part of the equation to make Jeff more awkward and uncomfortable, but Brenda alone will do just fine. It’s actually possible that a single, heart-broken Brenda could lend herself more to being a part of Jeff and Audrey’s lives … in that case I say let her stay single.
I have no idea who Criss Angel is, but I take it by the fact that he was playing himself that he’s a known entity in magic circles. But what was up with his random guest spot on the show last night? He wasn’t even central to the plot so much as a bit player in the “B” or “C” story of the episode. His essentially stealing Russell’s date, Jessica (Audra Marie), who means nothing to him — or to us — was random at best. What was the point?
For the last time, anyone who watched the first season or two of the show would be more than willing to stipulate to the fact that Adam’s always been both thick and somewhat of a metrosexual (as the kids are calling it this days).
Do we need the lengths to which the show feels it necessary to go to in order to get that point across? These days that message is coming across as subtly as a truck slamming into a brick wall at full speed. Last week it was featuring Adam as a high school cheerleader; this week it was Adam’s lack of home improvement skills. Or was that entire plot just a way of setting up Brenda to catch a glimpse of Jen getting Joe the Super’s (Brian McGovern) tool belt? I actually think that might be better than the alternative.
I don’t know … there’s nothing unfunny about the show, either on paper or as far as it’s proved for almost four seasons. So why is it that Timmy can’t get back to being more than the butt of Russell’s jokes (when he’s not just playing the set-up man)? Why does Russell have nothing more to offer than cruelty and bad one-liners (and no, he wasn’t always like that)? How did Adam manage to burn so many brain cells so quickly? Why was Jen never a good character to start with?
And why is it that Audrey and Jeff only occasionally deign to flower us with their brilliant comedic teamwork? Why are such strong players held at bay so often?
What happened?
![Rules of Engagement Maybe they should never leave the diner [51bZuNReLHL. SL160 ] (IMAGE)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bZuNReLHL._SL160_.jpg "Rules of Engagement Maybe they should never leave the diner [51bZuNReLHL. SL160 ] (IMAGE)")
![Rules of Engagement Maybe they should never leave the diner [5177UJDKvAL. SL160 ] (IMAGE)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5177UJDKvAL._SL160_.jpg "Rules of Engagement Maybe they should never leave the diner [5177UJDKvAL. SL160 ] (IMAGE)")
![Rules of Engagement Maybe they should never leave the diner [51ZUnS94ALL. SL160 ] (IMAGE)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZUnS94ALL._SL160_.jpg "Rules of Engagement Maybe they should never leave the diner [51ZUnS94ALL. SL160 ] (IMAGE)")
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jan 18, 2011 @ 17:30 EST5EDT
I’m so curious what you would have Adam do instead. Go for it. Let your imagination roam.
So the guy has been astablished as to what he is, and these days he still does it. Shocker. On a comedy no less. Another shocker.
Face it: the only way Adam could go is out of the show. He’s there to be made fun of. Do exposition. Set up jokes. He had one of the best lines on this episode. I laughed out loud. Because he does what he’s there for. He delivers.
If you’d argue that he isn’t funny – fine.
But this search for plot advancement or growth or whatever – seriously I don’t get you. You keep reviewing Rules as if it was a drama and you’ve been doing it for nearly two years now. How hard can it be to switch your mind of and just laugh at the show? Because it works at the moment. Adam wasn’t nearly as bland and stupid as Marshal and Lily on HIMYM the past couple of years. Of course he’s one-dimensional but he’s not annoying, he’s not boring because there’s always something new happening with him, he’s easy on the eyes and he’s no bore. What else can you ask for? The guys on “Two and a Half Men” have been doing what they are doing for years. Tit f*** and d*ck jokes for 8 years straight. Who would argue them unbelievable, one dimensional or without advancement in character (role)? Nobody. But you.
I can’t wait for your review of Cougar Town. The show relies heavily on understanding the group dynamic. You will hate it to no end, because you won’t be able to understand it and why it’s funny. Here, on Rules, Adam is still portrayed as the dumb guy like he was in the earlier seasons. But here, on Rules, you wonder why they still do that.
You know what? They basically do it so people can easily get into the show. You know, like you ask of every singel effing show you review in your silly “What the hell is that?” series of articles. Yet here you criticize a show for doing just that.
You baffle me ever single effing week.
*POST AUTHOR*
I think we’re better off agreeing to disagree on this topic. But I do want to leave you with three thoughts that may go to illuminate what I’m trying to express.
1. My point about Adam is specifically that he wasn’t like this before. He was a bit thick, but he wasn’t borderline double-digit IQ during the first few seasons. His being slow was using the idea of his stupidity subtly; now they may as well have him failing to string together a coherent sentence. In addition, he used to be effeminate; now he’s just feminine. Again, it’s the subtly that’s disappeared.
2. The characters have become two-dimensional. Again, that wasn’t always the case. Remember Russell and Audrey as theater buddies? These days the closest Russell would get to that is making fun of theater-goers from the confines of the diner. Adam, Jen, Russell, and Timmy in particular are lacking a third dimension to their characters.
3. You watch 30 Rock, right? Let me give you some examples of what I mean by “continuing plots” using 30 Rock as a reference point — Jack trying to be named CEO of GE; Tracy going for his EGOT; Liz and Carol. These are all stories that continuously reappear, that continue to exist in the universe of the show, even as the characters generally do random stuff every week.
Now look at Rules of Engagement: when’s the last time Adam and Jen’s wedding has been mentioned? Timmy furthering his career? How many of this season’s episodes have even broached Jeff and Audrey’s surrogate plot? I’m not talking drama-like arcs here, but people do have things happening in their lives that reoccur on a regular basis. Most shows, comedies included, recognize that. Rules once did, but it no longer does.
In short, I’m just calling the show out on what it’s failed to continue doing, as opposed to comparing it to shows that it shouldn’t be like in the first place.
I understand what you mean the problem is the premise of the show doesn’t allow for those developments. Look at what we have at the moment: baby story? Boring. Wedding? Boring. Timmy furthering his career? Does lead to him needing to leave the show because he’s there to be Russel’s minion.
The problem is (most likely) that all these plot-developments polled horribly. They most likely were horribly horribly boring. I know what you want, and it would be nice, but like I said in my previous comment – they just settled for the stuff they do on “Two and a Half Men” and that’s it I guess. There ARE some plot things going on from this week to the next – Timmy getting that girl who showed up again but now is a goner… the baby story that was horribly annoying and is now kind of fun again with the lesbians… it’s not as if they aren’t _trying_ to get things going on the show, I just feel that they all fizzled. The show simply doesn’t have the characters for it.
Again, let your imagination roam. What would you have the characters do, within what they are capable of? I thought about it the last two years every time you ask for overall plot and I just can’t think of anything… the characters ARE two-dimensional and they have been from the start. I think you said it in one of your reviews, these people just don’t have anything in common and other than they went to college together or live next to each other it’s really hard to understand why they would even hang out. Seriously, I don’t know why they are sitting in that booth every day. Russel is obnoxious, Adam is dumb as a toorknob, you would believe Timmy is above the job he currently does and I have had NO explaination for why he does it on the show EVER. The show would be about the Binghams, they are the only two characters that aren’t absolutely bland and still they do stuff that is just… well it’s horrible. I mean that “You know they get bigger” line to the other lesbian… I mean imagine someone saying that. It’s a ha-ha moment but if it weren’t for Warburton’s look and the ability to play thick… that’s just a horrible thing to say. Same goes to tons of stuff Russel says.
And it’s kind of unfair to compare it to 30 Rock don’t you think? :-)
Ah well. I don’t know. I understand that you want something from this show but that’s like asking toilet paper to be different so you can write an essay on it. That’s just not what it’s made for… the show has never been that great but always funny in its own way, that’s the reason why I don’t understand your ongoing criticism. You ask for something the show never had in the first place. I just don’t get it. The stuff you are always talking about was in the episodes that were filmed before the first episode aired and it’s clear that after that they re-tooled or better wrote new episodes that fill the niche the show is in – and they pull in very good ratings (compared to 30 Rock, wink wink nudge nudge). And again, it has never ever been as annoying with Adam as Marshall on HIMYM, don’t you think?
All I’m asking is maybe that you focus on the stuff you liked, the laughing out loud moments, you know, the positive stuff.
I mean I could go on and on about how obnoxious Russel is but hey maybe he likes Raiders of the Lost ARc and that’s all that counts ;-)