Dee is so mean I love it :rofl:
probably the most i’ve ever cringed at a dennis speech
This was a GREAT episode. Everything generally worked really well.
Dee is still by far the worst character to me, and it's episodes like this that don't hope. Even though we all know Dennis is a psychopath, it's generally never bothered me. This episode took Dennis too far at times, to where he was finally annoying me.
Also Glenn Howerth's voice is really good.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2018-02-25T02:20:38Z
[9.6/10] Oh man, what a treat this was. Such classic IASIP. There’s such great setups here, with pairings of Dennis and Mac, and Frank and Charlie, each bickering and dealing with the mutual dining situations like old married couples. And then you have Dee flying solo, in order to capitalize on a groupon, trying to maintain her dignity and be a part of any sort of pairing.
It’s hard to say what makes this one so great, since it’s just such an atmospheric thing. The dialogue is really good, with the exchanges at each table striking the right balance of feeling real in the sense of the kind of squabbles and awkward moments actual couples have, and the ridiculousness of having that filtered through Dennis and Mac having their “monthly dinner” and Charlie and Frank celebrating their “anniversary” of moving in together.
But the peak is when the two of them keep trying to one-up each other, particularly with the dominant parties, Dennis and Frank, each expecting the other to pay tribute, while Mac and Charlie are each just trying to have a nice time and let it go. And then you have Dee, sparring with her waiter and causing problem as usual.
It’s a beautiful example of escalation, as both the interactions among the “couples” get more heightened, at the same time the efforts of Frank and Dennis to show one another up get bigger and bigger too, while Dee’s mission to not be by herself at this fancy restaurant go to greater extremes at the same time.
And just when it feels like things are going to hit their peak, a waiter spills spaghetti all over himself, just as Mac predicted (or hoped) and suddenly all is forgiven and everyone is on the same page. It’s the icing on the cake that Dee tied his shoelaces together, just like she was trying to get him to do before. As much as The Gang gets at each other’s throats from time to time, it’s their common disdain, ridicule, and disregard for others that unites them and keeps them all on the same team.
This is peak IASIP. Nothing flashy, nothing outsized, just controlled insanity deployed in the midst of a nice restaurant. What an instant classic.