3x16 Li'l Sebastian

[7.3/10] There’s some cool moments in this episode, but mostly it stumbles by feeling more like a setup for S4 than a conclusion to S3. L’il Sebastian’s memorial service creates a big enough set piece to send the season out in fine fashion, but the stories feel more disjointed and incomplete than usual, and that hurts the proceedings.

On the one hand, the main story is pretty good, even if the resolution is saved for S4. The notion that Leslie and Ben are playing with fire is a good one, particularly with Ron finding out and providing a convincing demonstration as to why they’ll get caught and fired and there’ll be nothing he can do about it.

The love vs. job routine is an old one, but the episode nicely underlines how these two career-focused people may very well be able to do their work and have a relationship at the same time, but that it’s too much for them hide it at the same time. All the screw-ups and rearranging at L’il Sebastian’s funeral are a great illustration of that, and Ron being the voice of reason and suffering the brunt of their on-the-fly retooling is a nice touch and wake up call.

The rest of the episode has mini-stories, few of which get particularly tied off, but which point things in new directions for S4. The biggest is Tom and Entertainment Seven-Twenty, which is pleasant enough, and has the same deal with him deciding whether he’s done all he can in government, but there’s more seed than tree here.

Andy’s song is great, and his asking April to be his manager after she gets him 50 bucks and helps him with songs is kind of cute, but it’s also very slight. The same goes for the hints at Tammy 1’s return and the shitstorm to follow.

The best of them, oddly enough, is Chris and Ann’s bit. Chris seeing tendonitis, coupled with L’il Sebastian’s death, as a harbinger of death is a good choice for the episode. The endlessly positive guy facing a minor setback and having it all crumble down for him emotionally made me laugh and even pity Chris. But it also gives Ann a chance to regain some standing in their (platonic) relationship, to help him and be a bigger person, and that’s a nice beat and resolution to Ann’s story throughout the season. Really, hers is the only one that gets closed out in a satisfying fashion here.

Still, even if it’s open-ended, I do love where they leave things with Ben and Leslie. Job vs. love is, again, a little trite even if it’s been done well in the back half of S3. Still, now we’re talking about love vs. dream, and that’s a miniature horse of a different color. It’s more cliffhanger than anything, but it raises the stakes in a believable and compelling way, and that give it a lot of credit. I don’t like the way this one just seems like part 1 to the S4 premiere, but in an age of binge watching and streaming that doesn’t matter as much I suppose. It’s a good enough episode, it just feels a bit incomplete.