3x05 Rooms by the Hour

[7.1/10] This was a lighter and gentler episode, and the laughs were a bit milder, but it’s good to have a breather every now and then.

My favorite of the storylines was Alexis and Ted’s with the Bunny cam. It’s a pretty broad sitcom setup, but it works. Ted being miffed at the rival vet in the area trying to win clients with sex appeal, only inadvertently doing the same thanks to the peering eye of Alexis’s bunnycam idea is a fun twist. Alexis and David’s reaction to the video is a hoot, and the swerve where Ted decides he can stomach his moral queasiness if it helps get him lots of clients is a good one. Plus, “if those bunnies feel even a little exploited” is one of those quotes that I can see slipping into my vernacular.

The one I liked the least was Moira’s. As fans of For Your Consideration know, it’s never a bad idea to have Catherine O’Hara do some capital-A Acting, but this one just fizzled. Her being excited to book a movie, only to find out that it’s some low rent Bosnian horror hack job is a solid setup and punchline, the show just can’t wring many laughs out of it. Likewise, the tag with her singing over Jocelyn and Twyla’s duet didn’t elicit and chuckles from yours truly.

Somewhere in the middle is Johnny accidentally renting rooms at the hotel to prostitutes. There’s not much to the subplot, and it doesn’t really go anywhere, but it’s good for some classic Eugene Levy “deer in the headlights” looks. I got a particular kick out Stevie breaking the news to Johnny and then her reaction to actually interfacing with the madame.

Overall, this is more of an interstitial episode, lighter on laughs but still good on smiles in the balance.