[7.6/10] Two good The League finales in a row! How about that, sports fans!
Pretty much every storyline in this episode worked for me. I like Ruxin being torn between the prospect of a cool new job working as an agent with Tom Condon (who’s fine enough as a performer here) vs. having to disavow any interest in fantasy football. (And I got a kick out of all the people jamming him for being in an eight-team league.) The fact that his confrontation with Antonio Gates back in the first season came to bite him is fun, and it’s the sort of jerkiness followed by karmic comeuppance that I can appreciate.
I also enjoyed the setup of Ted setting the Shiva Bowl finale at the prized beach house, and installing Rich Sommer’s character as the referee. It’s a contrived/nigh-magical sort of setup, but it works with the tone of the show, and Sommer does great work at his disbelief/disgust at these knuckleheads.
Plus hey, Mike Pereira of all people was pretty funny here! The “replay review” shtick for whether Ruxin set his lineup in time is a funny cross between real football and these idiots’ mundane squabbles, which The League isn’t always good at, and him “picking up the flag” on collusion thanks to Ruxin scrolling through Jenny’s phone is a funny turn as well.
The other minor stories aren’t bad either. Taco “being tough” on Kevin is a little mild, but brief. Jenny enjoying one last day with “Shiva” and then stealing the trophy is a nice little sequence. And there’s just the right amount of Rafi weirdness here without going overboard.
Speaking of which, I like Ted coming back from the grave to help Kevin avoid the Sack-o. It’s a strange sort of magical realism this show doesn't usually go for, but I really like the implication that Ted convinces Kevin to pull a “prank” on the others, knowing that it will (nigh-literally) backfire and burn down the beach house, making it the ultimate prank/revenge on them for desecrating his funeral.
Overall, this has been a rough season for The League, but it thankfully goes out on a high note.
Shout by TheLazyReviewerBlockedParent2023-12-08T21:06:37Z
I don't know if I've ever given out a 4. But this f'n sucked REAL HARD. If there weren't 13 episodes to go, I'd tap out; the show is a shell of it's former self.