[7.1/10] Definitely a gentler episode of the show, but hey, getting consistent, albeit mild, chuckles from all three stories is nothing to sneeze at.
My favorite of them was the Alexis/Ted storyline. (How far we’ve come!) Signs of maturity and growth for Alexis are a good hobby horse for the show, and I like the simple, but important trajectory here. Alexis realizing that going to the Galapagos Islands is a one-in-a-lifetime dream for Ted, and being willing to sacrifice to go with him in the way he’s been so willing to sacrifice for her, is some real emotional maturity. The two of them strike the right balance between cute and real in the discussion, and I like that Twyla is still Alexis’s half-unwilling sounding board, and the person who, whether she realizes it or not, helps Alexis work through her relationship concerns.
The weakest story was Johnny getting ready for a roast of Roland, but it was largely fine. Again, this is mild sitcom humor for the most part, and Roland-heavy subplots are always working from a deficit. But some of the “rippers” were solid at least, and Johnny initially bombing out there, then finding his rhythm, until he botches the final joke is a nice cadence for his efforts at leading the roast in Moira’s stead. (The funniest part of the whole thing was the tag where the Rose family ends up going too far in roasting one another.)
Last but not least, David trying to keep Moira occupied while Patrick and Stevie rehearse with a private choreographer so that Moira doesn’t get jealous is another wacky sitcom premise. Despite that, David and Moira are always a funny pairing, and I was suitably impressed with Stevie and Patrick’s version of “Money”! The payoff, that Moira ends up being happy with the results rather than jealous, is a sweet beat to end on.
Overall, this episode plays more as amiable than laugh out loud funny, but the Alexis storyline in particular boosts it quite a bit.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-17T21:53:21Z
[7.1/10] Definitely a gentler episode of the show, but hey, getting consistent, albeit mild, chuckles from all three stories is nothing to sneeze at.
My favorite of them was the Alexis/Ted storyline. (How far we’ve come!) Signs of maturity and growth for Alexis are a good hobby horse for the show, and I like the simple, but important trajectory here. Alexis realizing that going to the Galapagos Islands is a one-in-a-lifetime dream for Ted, and being willing to sacrifice to go with him in the way he’s been so willing to sacrifice for her, is some real emotional maturity. The two of them strike the right balance between cute and real in the discussion, and I like that Twyla is still Alexis’s half-unwilling sounding board, and the person who, whether she realizes it or not, helps Alexis work through her relationship concerns.
The weakest story was Johnny getting ready for a roast of Roland, but it was largely fine. Again, this is mild sitcom humor for the most part, and Roland-heavy subplots are always working from a deficit. But some of the “rippers” were solid at least, and Johnny initially bombing out there, then finding his rhythm, until he botches the final joke is a nice cadence for his efforts at leading the roast in Moira’s stead. (The funniest part of the whole thing was the tag where the Rose family ends up going too far in roasting one another.)
Last but not least, David trying to keep Moira occupied while Patrick and Stevie rehearse with a private choreographer so that Moira doesn’t get jealous is another wacky sitcom premise. Despite that, David and Moira are always a funny pairing, and I was suitably impressed with Stevie and Patrick’s version of “Money”! The payoff, that Moira ends up being happy with the results rather than jealous, is a sweet beat to end on.
Overall, this episode plays more as amiable than laugh out loud funny, but the Alexis storyline in particular boosts it quite a bit.