16x07 The Gang Goes Bowling

[7.2/10] This one started a bit slow, but picked up steam as it went (and, as it got more demented). The episode was kind of all over the place, but found another gear in the endgame and had some creative direction that bumped it up a notch by the time the credits rolled.

In truth, IASIP has done the battle of the sexes angle before to better effect. That fact notwithstanding, it’s nice to see the likes of The Waitress, Artemis, Gail the Snail, and the McPoyle brothers back in the fold. In some way, this one felt a bit like a throwback to the show’s earlier, shaggier days, which has a charm all its own.

I do appreciate the sports movie humor of the guys distracting the girls during their bowling match, only for the girls to turn the tables and push the boys’ buttons during the next frame. I particularly liked Gail getting into Mac’s head by convincing him to try to prove he has finesse and not just strength, and the Waitress messing with Charlie’s natural talent by making him think about what he’s doing.

Honestly, the rivalry between Dee and Dennis over women’s sport didn’t do much for me. It’s been done before, and while there’s some amusement to be had from Dennis trying to get in his sister’s head, and the Waitress tricking him into messing with his bowling hand, it’s a bit of a cliche.

That said, this one won me over by the end. Maybe it’s the ludicrousness of Frank’s chili cheese fry conspiracy. But honestly, credit to director Megan Ganz and the production team, because my favorite parts of this one were the more cinematic sequences that departed from the show’s usual naturalistic style.

The McPoyles’ “unspeakable” tragedy being shot like a melodramatic art film was glorious. The contrast between the mundaneness of a chili fry-related mishap and the over-the-top mawkishness of the presentation was fantastic. Likewise, as much as I wasn’t particularly invested in the Dee vs. Dennis rivalry, the shot selection and editing choices as Dee found her focus and sent the ball flying into the pins to win the day had me holding my breath with anticipation. The fact that her great triumph ends in anticlimax is a good gag too.

Overall, this one took a while to hook me, but once it got a little more creative than “remember these familiar characters” and the standard “guys vs. girls” setup, it got me back on board.